This is Tom Phillis on the domiracer at the 1961 IOM TT. near right is Doug Hele,
near left I think Dennis Greenfield and myself hidden behind Doug. This was probably a
practice session with the MK1 engine on board as the MK2 was fitted quite late in the
proceedings.
The MK2 had quite a few mods with a different crankshaft, valve gear, cylinder head/
valves and pistons among other things. The rockers were free of adjusters, the valve clearances
adjusted with eccentric rocker spindles. the rockers were made from four blocks that Harry Salter, a
fantastic machinist, had machined the wiper pad, spindle bore and ball end. I was left with
the job of filing and polishing the rest away by hand. This took four weeks! one of the reasons
there was only one MK2 engine made to my knowledge.
The crank shaft cracked about one and a half laps from the finish of the Senior. Tom said he felt the difference
and nursed it to the finish. What a rider and one of the nicest people I've known. We didn't know this
till I stripped it back at Bracebridge Street.
Dennis, Doug and myself took it next to the Ulster GP. Tom rode it again but hit a machine that had
crashed on the first lap (I think)
I don't know what happened to the machine after as I joined Doug Hele (who I owe so much to)
at Triumph