1971 Isle of Man TT

The 1971 Isle of Man TT was a motorcycle event held on 12 June 1971, on the 37-mile Snaefell Mountain course on the Isle of Man between Great Britain and Ireland. It was the third round of the F.I.M. 1971 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season (now MotoGP).

The unbelievable happened in 1971 - Agostini's MV broke down on the first lap of the Junior. The crowd cheered when it was announced that the Italian had stopped at Ramsey with engine problems. His demise produced a dramatic race in which many of the favourites either crashed or broke down.

Yamaha's Phil Read led Alan Barnett, Rod Gould and Dudley Robinson at the end of the first lap. Gould then crashed at Quarterbridge, but continued. On lap three Barnett came off at Glen Helen, and a lap later Read retired with chassis problems. With one lap to go Robinson led Yorkshireman Tony Jefferies, riding a Yamsel, but he crashed at Rhencullen, so Jefferies came home with 37 seconds to spare from newcomers Gordon Pantall, with Bill Smith third.

Agostini had no such problems in the Senior, which was postponed by a day because of bad weather. Despite spending nearly two minutes in the pits to rectify carburation problems, he won comfortably from Peter Williams (Arter Matchless) and Frank Perris on a Suzuki.

The Yamaha twins dominated the 250cc race, which was reduced to four laps. Phil Read led all the way when his main challenger Peter Williams's MZ expired at the end of the first lap. Barry Randle and Alan Barnett completed a Yamaha clean sweep.

Barry Sheene made his one and only TT appearance in the 125cc race, but slipped off his Suzuki at Quarterbridge on the second lap while lying second in appalling conditions. The race was won by Chas Mortimer, riding a Yamaha, at the slowest 125cc average on the Mountain Course since 1953.

A new three-lap Formula 750 race was introduced to provide a class to accommodate the popular British 750cc racing machines. Tony Jefferies led throughout on a works Triumph after a splendid battle with the BSA of Ray Pickrell and the Norton of Peter Williams.

Pickrell gained revenge in the 750cc class of the Production race. Riding a Triumph, he was involved in a tremendous duel with Williams until the Norton stopped on the third lap at the Bungalow. Pickrell was a comfortable winner from Jefferies and the BSA of Bob Heath. John Williams and Bill Smith brought Honda success in both the 500 and 250cc classes with dominant victories.

Siggi Schauzu won his fifth TT after a superb duel with BMW teammate George Auerbacher in the World Championship sidecar race. Earlier in the week Auerbacher had secured his first TT victory in the 750cc sidecar event after ten years of trying. Schauzu broke the lap record from a standing start but dropped out on the second lap.

1971 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 125cc final standings

3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Speed	Time	Points
1	Chas Mortimer		United Kingdom	Yamaha	83.91 mph	1:20.54.0	15
2	Börje Jansson		Sweden	Maico	81.83 mph	1:23.43.6	12
3	John Kiddie		United Kingdom	Honda	76.14 mph	1:29.12.2	10
4	Peter Courtney		United Kingdom	Yamaha	75.92 mph	1:29.28.2	8
5	Nev Watts		United Kingdom	Honda	75.70 mph	1:29.43.6	6
6	C.Ward		United Kingdom	Maico	74.14 mph	1:30.23.6	5
7	F.C. Smart		United Kingdom	Honda	74.96 mph	1.30.36.6	4
8	Lindsay Porter		United Kingdom	Honda	73.99 mph	1.31.48.2	3
9	Bill Rae		United Kingdom	Maico	73.19 mph	1.32.48.4	2
10	John Pearson		United Kingdom	Bultaco	72.97 mph	1.33.05.0	1
DNF	Barry Sheene		United Kingdom	Suzuki

1971 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 250cc final standings

4 Laps (150.92 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Speed	Time	Points
1	Phil Read		Britain	Yamaha	98.02 mph	1:32.23.3	15
2	Barry Randle		Britain	Yamaha	93.75 mph	1:34.27.6	12
3	Alan Barnett		Britain	Yamaha	95.09 mph	1:35.02.0	10
4	Rod Gould		Britain	Yamaha	95.09 mph	1:35.14.0	8
5	Bill Henderson		Britain	Yamaha	94.32 mph	1:36.01.2	6
6	Gyula Marsovsky		Switzerland	Yamaha	94.04 mph	1:36.18.0	5
7	Peter Berwick		United Kingdom	Yamaha	93.65 mph	1:36.42.6	4
8	Ian Richards		United Kingdom	Yamaha	93.47 mph	1:36.53.4	3
9	Börje Jansson		Sweden	Yamasaki	93.39 mph	1:36.50.0	2
10	Gordon Pantall		United Kingdom	Yamaha	93.35 mph	1:37.00.8	1

1971 Isle of Man Junior TT 350cc final standings

5 Laps (188.65 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Speed	Time	Points
1	Tony Jefferies		United Kingdom	Yamsel	89.81 mph	2:05.48.6	15
2	Gordon Pantall		United Kingdom	Yamaha	89.55 mph	2:06.25.0	12
3	Bill Smith		United Kingdom	Honda	89.81 mph	2:07.40.8	10
4	John Williams		United Kingdom	AJS	88.94 mph	2:07.17.0	8
5	Mick Chatterton		United Kingdom	Yamaha	87.38 mph	2:09.33.6	6
6	Gerry Mateer		United Kingdom	Aermacchi	87.18 mph	2:09.51.8	5
7	Mick Grant		United Kingdom	Yamaha	86.50 mph	2:28.30.6	4
8	Billy Guthrie		United Kingdom	Yamaha	86.31 mph	2:11.09.0	3
9	Günter Bartusch		East Germany	MZ	86.15 mph	2:11.24.2	2
10	Peter Berwick		United Kingdom	Suzuki	85.90 mph	2:11.47.2	1

1971 Isle of Man Senior TT 500cc final standings

6 Laps (236.38 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Speed	Time	Points
1	Giacomo Agostini		Italy	MV Agusta	102.49 mph	2:12.24.4	15
2	Peter Williams		United Kingdom	Matchless	98.40 mph	2:18.03.0	12
3	Frank Perris		United Kingdom	Suzuki	96.51 mph	2:20.45.4	10
4	Selwyn Griffiths		United Kingdom	Matchless	95.03 mph	2:22.57.4	8
5	Gordon Pantall		United Kingdom	Kawasaki	95.02 mph	2:22.57.6	6
6	Roger Sutcliffe		United Kingdom	Matchless	94.38 mph	2:23.56.2	5
7	Keith Turner		New Zealand	Suzuki	94.08 mph	2:24.23.2	4
8	Charlie Sanby		United Kingdom	Seeley	93.04 mph	2:26.00.8	3
9	Tom Dickie		United Kingdom	Matchless	92.82 mph	2:26.21.2	2
10	Hans-Otto Butenuth		Germany	BMW	92.81 mph	2:26.21.8	1

1971 Isle of Man Sidecar 500cc TT final standings

3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Speed	Time	Points
1	Siegfried Schauzu/W.Kalauch		West Germany	BMW	86.21 mph	1:18.47.6	15
2	Georg Auerbacher/H.Hahn		West Germany	BMW	86.10 mph	1:18.53.2	12
3	Arsenius Butscher/J.Huber		West Germany	BMW	81.31 mph	1:23.32.6	10
4	Jeff Gawley/G.Alcock		United Kingdom	Yamaha	80.22 mph	1:24.40.8	8
5	Richard Wegener/A.Heinrichs		West Germany	BMW	80.15 mph	1:24.44.6	6
6	Chris Vincent/M.Casey		United Kingdom	BSA	79.19 mph	1:25.40.6	5
7	Dick Hawes & J.P.Mann		United Kingdom	Seely	76.37 mph	1:28.56.2	4
8	Robin Williams & Jack McPherson		United Kingdom	Triumph	75.47 mph	1:30.00.6	3
9	J.Mines & G.Davis		United Kingdom	Matchless	75.25 mph	1:30.46.0	2
10	Peter Brown & F.Holden		United Kingdom	BSA	74.62 mph	1:31.01.8	1

Non-championship races

1971 Isle of Man Production 750 cc TT final standings

3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Ray Pickrell	Triumph	100.07 mph	1:30.30.2
2	Tony Jefferies	Triumph	98.38 mph	1:30.03.0
3	Bob Heath	BSA	97.08 mph	1:33.17.4
4	Hans-Otto Butenuth	BMW	93.75 mph	1:36.36.0
5	David Nixon	Triumph	93.02 mph	1:37.21.0
6	B.J.Clark	Norton	92.97 mph	1:37.24.6
7	Tom Dickie	BMW	91.08 mph	1:39.26.0
8	Keith Heckles	Norton	86.11 mph	1:45.10.8
9	Tony Anderson	BMW	85.81 mph	1:45.32.0
10	Peter Darvill	Honda	80.51 mph	1:52.29.4

1971 Isle of Man Production 500 cc TT final standings

3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	John Williams	Honda	91.04 mph	1:39.28.8
2	Graham Penny	Honda	89.09 mph	1:41.39.6
3	A.T.Cooper	Suzuki	86.63 mph	1:44.32.8
4	Graham Bailey	Suzuki	86.42 mph	1:44.47.8
5	Tom Loughridge	Suzuki	85.34 mph	1:46.07.4
6	Martyn Ashwood	Suzuki	85.34 mph	1:46.07.6
7	Danny Shimmin	Suzuki	84.39 mph	1:47.21.6
8	P.Jones	Suzuki	81.67 mph	1:50.53.2
9	Bill Milne	Kawasaki	80.55 mph	1:52.26.0

1971 Isle of Man Sidecar 750cc TT final standings

3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Georg Auerbacher/H.Hahn	BMW	86.86 mph	1.18.12.0
2	A.J.Samson/D.A.Jose	Triumph	82.50 mph	1.22.20.2
3	R.Williamson/J.McPherson	Weslake	82.25 mph	1.23.50.0
4	R.Woodhouse/D.Woodhouse	Honda	81.91 mph	1.22.55.0
5	D.Wood/D.Coomber	Norton	81.19 mph	1.23.39.8
6	D.Plummer/M.Brett	Triumph	80.77 mph	1.24.05.6
7	B.Currie/M.Scott	Triumph	80.60 mph	1.24.16.2
8	M.Potter/P.J.Burleigh	BSA	80.18 mph	1.24.43.4
9	D.Hawes/J.P.Mann	Seeley	80.09 mph	1.24.48.6
10	A.Methersill/M.Mitchinson	AMS	79.52 mph	1.25.24.8

1971 Isle of Man Production 250 cc TT final standings

3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Bill Smith	Honda	84.14 mph	1:47.43.6
2	Charlie Williams	Yamaha	84.04 mph	1:47.52.0
3	Tommy Robb	Honda	82.49 mph	1:49.47.6
4	Peter Berwick	Suzuki	81.27 mph	1:51.26.4
5	Gordon Daniels	Suzuki	81.09 mph	1:51.41.4
6	Lindsay Porter	Suzuki	79.14 mph	1:54.26.6
7	Roy Simmons	Suzuki	76.53 mph	1:58.20.0
8	Jim Evans	Montesa	74.44 mph	2:01.20.8
9	Bill Barker	Honda	72.25 mph	2:05.21.0

1971 Isle of Man Formula 1 750 cc TT final standings

3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Tony Jefferies	Triumph	102.85 mph	1:06.02.0
2	Ray Pickrell	BSA	102.81 mph	1:06.28.0
3	Peter Williams	Norton	101.22 mph	1:07.06.2
4	B.J.Clark	Yamaha	96.76 mph	1:10.12.0
5	Dudley P.Robinson	Yamaha	96.39 mph	1:10.28.2
6	David Nixon	Triumph	95.64 mph	1:11.01.0
7	Bill Smith	Kawasaki	95.37 mph	1:11.13.2
8	Tom Dickie	BMW	92.38 mph	1:13.31.4
9	Peter Darvill	Honda	85.81 mph	1:13.44.6
10	Charlie Dobson	Norton	91.67 mph	1:14.06.0

External links

• Detailed race results
• Mountain Course map