TT 1969
As a result of the lack of works machinery contesting the World Championships, the TT in common with the Grands Prix, went a little flat at this time, with Agostini and MV an unbeatable combination in both the 350cc and 500cc classes.
The 1969 TT provided a typical example of the Italian's duo's superiority. It was left to the popular Production categories to provide close racing.
Agostini totally dominated the Senior, winning at his own pace from the Kirby Metisse of Alan Barnett and Tom Dickie's Kuhn Seeley. The Junior was very much the same story with Ago way out in front of the Aermacchis of Brian Steenson and Jack Findlay after second-placed Kel Carruthers had dropped out on the last lap.
Australian Carruthers had signed up with Phil Read to ride the four-cylinder Benellis in the 250cc race. He was ahead from start to finish, but the hopes of a Benelli one-two were dashed when Read went out at the end of the penultimate lap. Suzuki-mounted Frank Perris moved into second place, in front of promising Spaniard Santiago Herrero on a single-cylinder Ossa.
Speeds dropped dramatically in the 125cc category following the withdrawal of the Yamaha works team. Dave Simmonds gave Kawasaki their first TT victory in dominant style, but his fastest lap was almost 8mph slower than Ivy's record the previous year. Carruthers was second aboard an Aermacchi, with diminutive Gary Dickinson third on a production Honda twin. Fred Launchbury actually crossed the line in third place on his Bultaco, but was excluded for unwittingly breaking engine capacity regulations.
The Production race was gaining more support from the manufacturers year by year and Triumph gained enormous publicity from Welshman Malcolm Uphill's victory in the 750cc class. Riding the Bonneville twin, he not only won the three-lap race but set the first 100mph Production lap.
Tony Dunnell almost established a new record in the 500cc class, but crashed his three-cylinder Kawasaki on the second lap, allowing Bill Penny to win the category with a Honda CB450. The 250cc class had a different leader on each lap, but was eventually won by Ducati-mounted Tony Rogers.
The 500cc and 750cc Sidecar races were held on different days and BMW dominated both events. In the World Championship 500cc race Klaus Enders was the winner from Siggi Schauzu, with Helmut Fath, riding his home-built four cylinder URS, in third place. Earlier in the week Schauzu had become the first rider to win three sidecar races on the Mountain Circuit with victory in the 750cc event from Peter Brown's BSA.