Stanley Woods facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stanley Woods
Stanley Woods in 1923
Nationality	Irish
Born	1903 Dublin
Died	(1993-07-28)28 July 1993 Castlewellan, County Down
Motorcycle racing career statistics Isle of Man TT career TTs contested 19 (1921 – 1939) TT wins 10 First TT win 1923 Junior TT Last TT win 1939 Junior TT Podiums 14

Stanley Woods (born 1903, died 1993) was a famous Irish motorcycle racer. He was known for winning many races, including ten Isle of Man TT races. He also won 29 Grand Prix races in the 1920s and 1930s. Stanley was also good at trials riding, which is a type of motorcycle competition where riders try to get over obstacles without putting their feet down.

Early Life and Racing Beginnings

Stanley Woods was born in Dublin, Ireland. He went to school at The High School, Dublin. He started racing motorcycles in 1921. His first race was on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

First Race at the Isle of Man TT

In 1922, when he was just 17, Stanley raced for the first time at the famous Isle of Man Snaefell Mountain Course. He rode a Cotton motorcycle in the Junior TT race. Even though his bike caught fire during a pit stop and he finished the race without brakes, he still came in fifth place! The next year, in 1923, he won the race.

Racing with Different Motorcycle Brands

Stanley raced for Norton from 1926 to 1934. During this time, he won many Grand Prix races. These are big international motorcycle races. He won four Grand Prix races in 1927 and two more in 1928.

Later, he decided to race for Moto Guzzi in 1935. He helped Moto Guzzi win their first-ever TT race. This was only the second time a non-English motorcycle had won a TT race. The first was an Indian motorcycle in 1911.

Woods rides a Moto Guzzi down Bray Hill during the 1935 TT race in 1935.

A Racing Legend

People in the motorcycle world called Stanley the "Irish Dasher." He had a very stylish way of riding. He learned some of his moves by watching another racer, Alec Bennett. Stanley often had exciting races against other famous riders like Jimmie Guthrie and Freddie Frith.

Stanley was also a toffee maker. It's said that he would bring boxes of toffee for the Scouts. These Scouts helped with the scoreboards at the Isle of Man TT races. Stanley later became the president of the TT Riders Association. He also helped train some of the first motorcycle riders for the Irish Army.

Stanley's Amazing Records

Stanley Woods won ten Isle of Man TT races. This record stood for a long time until Mike Hailwood won 14 TT races. Three other riders have also won ten races. But the rider with the most TT wins is another Irish racer, Joey Dunlop, who won 26 times!

In 1968, a group of experts said Stanley Woods was the greatest racer ever on the Isle of Man. In 1957, he came back for the 50th anniversary of the TT races. He rode a 350cc Moto Guzzi around the course at over 82 miles per hour.

In 1996, the Irish Post Office honored Stanley. They put his picture on a postage stamp as one of Ireland's important motorcyclists.

Isle of Man TT Career Details

Stanley started racing in sprints and handicap races with his dad's Harley-Davidson motorcycle. His dad used the bike for his toffee business. A rider named Tommy Green was his mentor. Green encouraged him to visit the Isle of Man TT Races in 1921.

After watching the races, Stanley told his friends, "I can do that." He didn't have a motorcycle for the 1922 Isle of Man TT. But he convinced the Cotton motorcycle company to give him a bike. When the Cotton racing manager first saw Stanley, he joked, "My God! They've sent me a bloody schoolboy!"

First Race with Cotton Motorcycles

The Isle of Man Examiner newspaper called Stanley an "enthusiastic amateur." He started the 1922 Junior TT race with number 40. He had a tough race! He dropped his spark plugs at the start. He fell off his bike at Sulby. He hit a curb at Governor's Bridge twice. His exhaust broke, and his bike caught fire in the pits. He even had to stop to fix a valve.

Then, he found out his brakes had failed! But Stanley kept going. He finished the 1922 Junior TT Race in 5th place, even with no brakes. He fell again at Ramsey Hairpin on the last lap, but still finished.

Isle of Man TT Race Victories

Summary of TT Career Finishes

Stanley Woods had a long and successful career at the Isle of Man TT. Here's a quick look at how he finished in his races:

Dutch TT Race Victories

Stanley Woods also won the Dutch TT six times. These wins happened on the early Assen circuit.

Other Major Wins

Stanley Woods won many other important races around the world. Here are some of his other victories:

See also

• List of people on stamps of Ireland