Cromie McCandless

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Mounts: Junior – Norton
125 c.c. – Mondial
Senior – Norton

Age 30, a company director, of Belfast, Cromie McCandless has ridden in many road events, particularly in Northern Ireland, with considerable success. In the 1947 Senior “Manx” he was lying fourth at half distance when he retired, having made fastest lap at 79.82 m.p.h., and in the same event in 1948 he again retired. Came into the limelight in 1949 when he won the Junior “Manx” and was second in the Senior, after a terrific battle with Geoff Duke in each event. In the Junior race, Cromie ran second to Geoff for the first four laps; then Geoff came off at Ramsey and Cromie went into the lead, which he held to the end, his last lap being covered at the record speed for the race of 83.50 (27 mins. 7 secs.).

In the Senior event, Geoff again led for the first four laps, but on the fifth lap Cromie was ten seconds ahead. He was unable to hold his advantage, however, and finished second, 43 seconds behind the winner.

He turned “international” in 1950 and rode In the Junior and Senior T.T. races finishing eighth in each at 82.43 m.p.h. in the Junior and 86.45 in the Senior, and collecting two First Class Replicas.

Returning to Ireland he won the 500 c.c. Class at the Munster “100” at 84.37 m.p.h. and made fastest lap at 85.94 m.p.h. In the Mid-Antrim “150” on the following Wednesday, he again made fastest lap at 84.70 m.p.h., but was so heavily handicapped that he finished only 20th. Ten days later, in the Temple “100” he once again made fastest lap and fastest time of the day, and finished 11th on handicap.

He is entered by Austin Munks for the 125 c.c. race and by Chas. E. Cope and Sons Ltd. for the Junior and Senior.
(TT Special, 6 June 1951, p.10.)

Nationality: Irish

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