Pip Harris

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Age 32, Peter ("Plp") Harris, +son of the late H.F. Harris who was second in the 1923 Junior TT on an A.J.S., is a garage proprietor and comes from Wombourne, near Wolverhampton. One of the band of sidecar drivers who served their apprenticeship on the Midland grass-tracks, Pip is now amonsgt the best of the British three-wheeler exponents.

He had an excellent season in 1953 on the British short circuits, and continued his triumphant way the following year by winning at Castle Combe. Brand's Hatch, Scarborough, Thruxton, Snetterton, Oulton Park and Cadwell - to name only a few venues!

Pip was well placed in the 1954 Sidecar TT during the opening laps, but retired at Morney with engine trouble on the fifth lap when in third position. In the 1955 event he was third on a Matchless.

In 1956 he returned to a Norton, and In the opening meetings of the season showed himself to be really on top form, with wins at Silvertone, Oulton Park, Snetterton and other venues.

After the collapse of the mighty B.M.W. opposition in the 1956 Sidecar TT "Pip" secured a worthy second place for dogged determination in the face of speedier machinery. His Norton outfit averaged 68.71 m.p.h.

In 1957 he retired in the fifth lap of the Sidecar TT, but on the following Monday he won the Sidecar Scratch race at Oulton Park and a month later was fourth in the Belgian Grand Prix. Since then he has been continually successful at short-circuit meetings, winning sidecar races at Aintree, Brand's Hatch, Crystal Palace, Kirkby Mallory, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Snetterton and Thruxton.

Last year he was running third on the eighth lap of the Sidecar TT but unluckily retired on the next circuit. He finished up the season, however, as A.C.U. "Sidecar Star", and this year he has already had several successes at short circuit meetings including Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Silverstone and Snetterton.

(TT Special, 8 June 1959, pp.20-22)

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