I started racing in 1961 with a 1952 7R AJS. From 1962 to 1972 I raced Manx Norton`s and several other makes.
It`s hard to say why I started racing. I think I got interested when I was using a 350 Norton on the road in 1959. In any case once bitten it was my life for about 10 years. Starting off at club events in Scotland and ending up at internationals. It was quite inevitable that you would die in those days, that is it you wanted to win. Of course you could just potter around just to compete, but if you wanted to win, you had to take a chance or two. I was lucky enough to have raced with the greats. Mike Hailwood, Gicomo Agostiny, Phil Read, Bill Ivy, of course I was never a match for them, but I raced them and did my best. Not many privateers could compete with the MV or the Yamaha works machinery. The best of the rest at the time were, John Cooper, George Buchan, Dave Croxford, Alan Barnet, Pat Mahone, Rob Fitton. Derek Minter, etc. etc. My greatest hero was Bob McIntyre. Must have been the hardest rider I ever watched.
This could be Bob on the Gilera on the 100 mph I.O.M lap. I purchased this from a tobacconist in Durham, the one that was just next to the bus station. It was on an ash tray when I got it in 1958, but I took it straight off and have had it ever since. It is currently mounted on a piece or pavement that I got from the Copacabana beach, Rio, Brazil.I think it was made by Wade.
In 1957 at The Senior TT race Bob McIntyre on his 500cc Gilera was the first rider to lap this course at over 100 mph, he did 101.03mph, must have been a bit hairy.
BELOW ARE A FEW PICTURES OF ME, TOM ARMSTRONG, RACING VARIOUS MOTORCYCLES.
1960`s AND 70`s ISLE OF MAN.
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL ME FOR OR WITH ANY INFORMATION.
CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR INFORMATION ON TOM ARMSTRONG (W.T.Armstrong) AT THE TT I.O.M.
Tom Armstrong Ballaugh Bridge Isle of Man 500cc Triumph double overhead camshaft twin by Tom Pasco about 1967
Tom Armstrong Down Bray Hill I.O.M Works BMW behind. about 1970
Tom Armstrong 750CC Norton Isle of Man TT about 1970
Tom Armstrong 750CC Norton Isle of Man TT about 1969
Tom Armstrong 750CC Norton Isle of Man TT about 1970
Tom Armstrong Ballaugh Bridge 350cc Yamsell Isle of Man TT about 1971
Tom Armstrong 750CC Norton Commando Isle of Man TT about 1970 Enjoying the sun at Quarter Bridge.
Tom Armstrong Ballaugh Bridge Isle of Man 750CC Norton
Tom Armstrong 500cc Manx Norton Isle of Man TT about 1969
Tom Armstrong 350cc Aramachi Metisse Isle of Man TT 1970 Parliament Square?
Tom Armstrong 350cc Aramachi Metisse Isle of Man TT 1970 Bottom of Bray hill.
Tom Armstrong, just landed at balagh 1964 MGP Double overhead cam Triumph.
Tom Armstrong 500 Manx Norton Parlimen Square. TT 1969?
Tom Armstrong
Tom Armstrong and Tom Pasco DOHC Triumph MGP 1964
Tom Armstrong 500 Manx Norton with Lamplas fairing and sposored by good old Castrol.
350 Manx Norton 1965 Quater Bridge Isle of man MGP.
And all done for this..........
Above, the bike that ended it all for me in 1971. The Yamsel.
If you want to win in road racing you have to have the latest most competitive machinery and at the time it had to be a Yamaha. So I went to see John Cooper and Don Paget and they fixed me up with the parts to make this. A Colin Sealy framed Yamaha. I hated it. I was a 4 stroke racer and this 2 stroke was just alien to me. However I gave it a try and did get used to it. Unfortunately just as I got the hang of it, it seized on the main straight at Scarborough. I had under jetted it, to make it faster and it really was going, in fact it was so fast that I was not going to make the kink in the straight flat out so I eased the throttle just a touch. Normal practice on a 4 stroke deadly on a 2 stroke the motor locked up, in hospital again. Well,........... had I only myself to think of, I would have kept going, but I was married and it just was not fair to continue, so I stopped. Hence I am still here today. Most of my fellow riders of the day are not. Sadly missed, hero`s one and all.
Crazy world,..since I put the bike up that nearly killed me I thought I would put the helmet up that saved me. It is now 2013 and this was last used in 1971. I used it before Scarborough at the TT, Isle Of Man. I just had a look inside and found the £1.00 note shown. What I did was, as the island course was 37.5 miles a lap and a 6 laps to do, I used to keep some money on me to buy a drink if I broke down. I must have forgotten I had put it in there. I might have a job spending it now, so back in it goes. Looks like the picture further up the page is the very helmet, bike and race that I have just mentioned. No 59 on a Yamsell at the famouse bridge jump.
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