Pathé News 50s movies: Ulster TT & Italy

[belfastguzzi]

Ulster International Tourist Trophy

 

Not sure if I posted about the Ards TT races before? Don't see anything on a quick search.

The last race was in 1936, when the road course was abandoned after 8 spectators were killed and 40 injured in a crash.

 

Map of Ards TT Course

 

After the Ards races ended because of the tragedy, the Ulster Tourist Trophy races moved to Dundrod, in the 50s.

Dundrod road course was 7 miles 732 yards long and undulating between 500 and 1000 feet above sea level and was reckoned to be one of the best road courses in Europe. The race was run under Formula two rules - 500cc supercharged and 2000cc unsupercharged and it was compulsory for all drivers to wear a crash helmet with goggles or a visor and to have reached a high level of physical fitness.

 

The new Dundrod circuit was used for the first time in 1950, won by Peter Whitehead in a Ferrari at an average speed of 84.32 mph; the 1951 race was attended by the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret and was won by Farina in an Alfa Romeo (91.46mph). In 1952 the race was the last to be run under Formula 1 rules with two BRMs driven by Moss and Fangio (neither finished): the winner was Taruffi in a Ferrari (81.43mph). The '53 race was won by Mike Hawthorn in a Ferrari with Ken Wharton second in a Cooper Bristol.

 

I came across some old film: next post >

[belfastguzzi]

I previously put an article that I found onto a web page > Development of Road Racing in Ulster – Between the Hedges

 

 

Here is some old Pathé news reel film of the Ulster TT, on the web

 

Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss > http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=39722

 

Ulster International Trophy Race video newsreel film. Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Fangio, Ferrari - silent

> http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=62032

 

This 1950s Ulster promo Includes Ulster TT, mentions Ards, shows some Antrim Coast Road, has

motorbikes at the end 7mins 40 Dundrod again, 250s & 350s > http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=78594

 

 

And,

for a bit of Italian: Car Racing in Italy, Nuvolari at Naples > http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=82921

[Baldini]

Great BFG. I love that stuff. Like the bit about the lightning fast pitstops with mech swinging a lump hammer at the spinner - not one for the torque settings pedant! wonder what they'd make of F1 sci-fi stops?

 

KB

[belfastguzzi]

and you saw the state of the tyre that came off Stirling Moss' car? Like a really bad shag pile rug.

[Guzzi2Go]

Comparable stuff: