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Meetings 1951 - 1970

TT 1964

The world famous TT Races literally breathed life into Manx Radio in June 1964 when the fledgling radio station took to the airwaves to broadcast the TT Races.

In the 1964 Senior race, Mike Hailwood had no real opposition. His only worry was a virus that kept him in bed for four days, causing him to miss the Junior. He didn't have to test his fitness in the race, however, and won with over three minutes to spare from Norton mounted Derek Minter and Fred Steven's Matchless.

Jim Redman had an equally comfortable winning ride in the Junior, the only real pressure coming from Alan Shepherd, riding the MV. When his challenge faded, Redman gently coaxed the Honda four to an easy win over the AJS's of Read and Canadian Mike [Michelle] Duff.

The long-awaited confrontation between Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki in the Lightweight race turned into something of a damp squib with only eight of the 64 riders completing the full 6-lap race distance.

Read was fastest in practice on a Yamaha, but Redman's Honda headed him at the end of the first lap, with Alan Shepherd, riding an East German MZ, third. The retirements came thick and fast, but Redman kept the Honda at the front and was once more a comfortable winner, from Shepherd and the Paton of Alberto Pagani.

The tables turned completely in the three lap Ultra-Lightweight race, with Honda reversing the previous year's humiliation by Suzuki. This time not one of the works Suzukis survived the distance, leaving the way clear for a memorable Honda scrap between Luigi Taveri and Redman.

During a dramatic last lap Taveri established a new record of 93.53mph, winning by just three seconds from Redman, with Ralph Bryans completing a Honda clean sweep.

Suzuki restored some pride by taking the three-lap 50cc race, but that was also a much closer affair than a year earlier. Hugh Anderson won easily enough, but Bryan's Honda pushed Suzuki-mounted Morishita down to third place. Anderson averaged an incredible 81.13mph on his last lap.

Max Duebel and Emil Horner led the three lap Sidecar race from start to finish on their BMW. The main talking point was the performance of Florian Camathias, who had persuaded Gilera to lend him one of their four-cylinder engines to fit into his outfit. He was lying second, behind Duebel, until he hit problems and slipped to 15th. Colin Seeley came through to finish second, with Georg Auerbacher third.