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Stanley Woods (1903 – 28 July 1993) was an Irish
motorcycle racer Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
famous for 29 motorcycle Grand Prix wins in the 1920s and 1930s, winning the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
races ten times in his career, plus wins at
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
and elsewhere. He was also a skilled
trials In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribun ...
rider, competing in the 1940s.


Life

Woods was born in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
and educated at
The High School, Dublin The High School is a 12–18 mixed, Church of Ireland, independent secondary school in Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland. It was established in 1870 at Harcourt Street before moving to Rathgar in 1971 and amalgamated with The Diocesan School for Girl ...
. He started racing in 1921 on a
Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
and made his début on the new
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...
''
Snaefell Mountain Course The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
'' in 1922 as a promising seventeen-year-old, finishing fifth in the Junior TT on a
Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
, even though his machine had a fire at a pit stop, after which he completed the race without brakes. He won it the following year. His association with
Norton Norton may refer to: Places Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada * Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan *Norton Parish, New Brunswick **Norton, New Brunswick, a ...
spanned the years from 1926 until 1934 during which he won four of the 1927 Grands Prix, two more in 1928 and several more in the following years. He became disillusioned with the Norton and rode for
Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its historic role in Italy's motorcycling ma ...
in 1935 giving them their first victory at the TT Races, only the second time a non-English motorcycle had won (the first being an
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
, ridden by Oliver Godfrey in 1911). Described by the motor-cycle press at the time as the "Irish Dasher" his stylish riding style was influenced from watching fellow TT competitor Alec Bennett Over the years many scraps took place between the likes of
Jimmie Guthrie James Guthrie (23 May 1897 – 8 August 1937) was a Scottish motorcycle racer. A motorcycle garage proprietor and professional motorcycle racer from Hawick Roxburghshire, Jimmie Guthrie was known as the “''Flying Scotsman'',” with a hard- ...
,
Jimmie Simpson Jimmy H. Simpson (1898–1981) was a British motorcycle racer. Simpson spent many years as a works rider, first with AJS and later with Norton. He was one of the most successful riders before World War II. Career Beginnings Simpson ...
, Charlie Dodson,
Harold Daniell Harold Daniell (29 October 1909 – 19 January 1967) was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and auto racing driver. He competed in the 1940s and 1950s. On retiring from racing he owned a Norton motorcycle dealership in Fo ...
,
Freddie Frith Frederick Lee Frith OBE (30 May 1909 – 24 May 1988 Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world champion. A former stonemason and later a motor cycle retailer in Grimsby, he was a stylish rider an ...
and
Wal Handley Walter Leslie Handley (5 April 1902 – 15 November 1941) born in Aston, Birmingham,
Kolumbus.fi Walter Leslie Han ...
during these races. Stanley was a
toffee Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses (creating inverted sugar) along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of . While being prepared, toffee is ...
maker and in the Isle of Man TT history it states that he would bring a couple of boxes of toffee with him for the
Scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpack ...
who manned the
scoreboard A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used ...
s on which the grandstand audience relied to follow the races. Stanley was president of the TT Riders Association.
Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...
Stanley Woods is credited with the task of training some of the first
Irish Army The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. The A ...
4 Cavalry Squadron's Motor Squadron personnel during '' The Emergency'' as the presidential ''Escort of Honour''. His career record of ten Isle of Man TT victories remained until the era of
Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British professional motorcycle racer and racing driver. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycl ...
who won fourteen TT races. Three riders have equalled his record, while another three have had eleven victories, but the record number of victories now belongs to another great Irish rider,
Joey Dunlop William Joseph "Joey" Dunlop (25 February 1952 – 2 July 2000) was a Northern Irish motorcyclist from Ballymoney. Career He won his third hat trick at the Isle of Man TT in 2000 and set his fastest lap on the course of 123.87 mph in th ...
, with 26 TT wins. Woods's standing in the history of the TT was so high that in 1968 a panel of experts named him the greatest of all the island's competitors. In 1957 he returned to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the TT races riding a 350cc Moto Guzzi round the course at just over 82 mph. In 1996 the Irish Post Office issued a set postage stamps of notable Irish motorcyclists that included a stamp depicting Stanley Woods.


Isle of Man TT career

Woods began competing in race sprints and handicap races with his father’s Harley-Davidson motor-cycle, used in his father’s business as a commercial salesman for Mackintosh toffee, and called the pre-war Rudge rider Tommy Green his mentor.''Tourist Trophy'' 90 Glorious Years of the Worlds Greatest Road Race – page 69. Classic Racer Special 1997 Green encouraged him to visit the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
Races in 1921 with his friend C. W. 'Paddy' Johnston. After watching the races at
Hillberry Corner Hillberry Corner (in gv, Knock berrey or ''Cronkybury'') is situated at the 36th Milestone road-side marker on the Snaefell Mountain Course, being on the primary A18 Mountain Road with the side-road junction of the C22 Little Mill Road, in the ...
during the 1921 Isle of Man TT Races, Woods told his friends that "I can do that." Despite his enthusiasm for the Isle of Man TT Races, Woods was without a motor-cycle to compete in the 1922 Isle of Man TT. After writing to most of the British motor-cycle manufactures, he was able to persuade the
Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
motor-cycle company to provide a machine for the 1922
Junior TT The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Engine c ...
Race. The Cotton marque had entered a new motor-cycle with a new overhead-valve Blackburne engine. On first meeting Woods, the Cotton racing manager exclaimed that;- "My God! They've sent me a bloody schoolboy!


Racing with Cotton Motorcycle Company

The ''Isle of Man Examiner'' newspaper described Woods as an "enthusiastic amateur" and he started the 1922 Junior TT with the number 40 entered by Cotton. After being delayed at the start to stop to recover dropped spark-plugs which had fallen-out of his pocket,May (1958), pp 39 Woods still managed to make good-time and lapped in 40 minutes and 50 seconds, despite clipping the kerb at Governor's Bridge on lap 1. At Sulby on lap 2, Woods slipped off the motor-cycle''Isle of Man Weekly Times'' dated 11 June 1922 and got up and continued, but hit the same kerb again at Governor's Bridge, losing part of the exhaust. A fire in the pits at the TT Grandstand followed which was extinguished by pit-attendants and by Woods himself, using an overcoat. Further problems occurred at
Braddan Bridge Braddan Bridge (Irish: ''Naomh Breandán'', Saint Brendan of Clonfert, ''the Navigator'' or ''the Voyager'') is a bridge over the river Dhoo on the Douglas to Peel road, from which a halt on the Isle of Man Railway's first line to Peel took i ...
, when Woods had to stop to replace an exhaust valve, after the inlet push-rod had broken. At
Greeba Castle Greeba Castle is a castle on the Isle of Man. Etymology The name is derived from Scandinavian: Gnipa, ''a peak''. Location The castle is situated in the parish of German (but close to the boundary with Marown) on the main A1 Peel Road in the ...
he discovered the brakes had failed after the rear brake cam lever had split a result of the pit-fire. Woods continued the 1922 Junior TT Race with no brakes, and again fell off at the Ramsey Hairpin on the last lap, still finishing the race in 5th place, in a time of 3 hours, 55 minutes and 33 seconds.


Isle of Man TT race victories


TT career summary


Dutch TT race victories

Woods won the
Dutch TT The Dutch Tourist Trophy, also known as the ''TT Assen'', is an annual Dutch motorsport event established in 1925 for road racing motorcycles held on the TT Circuit Assen, also known as the ‘Cathedral of Speed'. The event attained world champ ...
six times on the early
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
circuit.


Other victories


See also

*
List of people on stamps of Ireland This is a list of people on stamps of Ireland, including the years when they appeared on a stamp. Because no Irish stamps were designed prior to 1929, the first Irish stamps issued by the Provisional Government of Ireland were the then-current ...


Notes


External links


Photos


Bikesport Photo Archives 1931 – 1939On the winning 1935 Senior TT Moto Guzzi 500cc


Other links


1931 Ulster Grand Prix
Pathé News Pathé News was a producer of newsreels and documentaries from 1910 to 1970 in the United Kingdom. Its founder, Charles Pathé, was a pioneer of moving pictures in the silent era. The Pathé News archive is known today as British Pathé. Its coll ...

Biography from iomtt.comHistory of the Isle of Man TT Races
* French site (retrieved 8 June 2006)
Stanley Woods: Forgotten Hero
RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Woods, Stanley 1903 births 1993 deaths Irish motorcycle racers Isle of Man TT riders Sportspeople from County Dublin Irish Army officers