| Grand Prix: | Isle of Man |
| Gp Suffix: | TT |
| Flag: | UK |
| Location: | Snaefell Mountain Course |
| Course Mi: | 37.73 |
| Course Km: | 60.72 |
| Course: | Public roads |
| Race No: | 1 |
| Season No: | 6 |
| Official Name: | International Isle of Man Tourist Trophy |
| Date: | 6–17 June |
| Year: | 1949 |
| Fast Rider 500: | Bob Foster |
| Fast Rider 500 Country: | UK |
| Fast Rider 500 Bike: | Moto Guzzi |
| Fast Time 500: | 25m 14s |
| First Rider 500: | Harold Daniell |
| First Rider 500 Country: | UK |
| First Rider 500 Bike: | Norton |
| Second Rider 500: | Johnny Lockett |
| Second Rider 500 Country: | UK |
| Second Rider 500 Bike: | Norton |
| Third Rider 500: | Ernie Lyons |
| Third Rider 500 Country: | Ireland |
| Third Rider 500 Bike: | Velocette |
| Fast Rider 350: | Freddie Frith |
| Fast Rider 350 Country: | UK |
| Fast Rider 350 Bike: | Velocette |
| Fast Time 350: | 26m 53s |
| First Rider 350: | Freddie Frith |
| First Rider 350 Country: | UK |
| First Rider 350 Bike: | Velocette |
| Second Rider 350: | Ernie Lyons |
| Second Rider 350 Country: | Ireland |
| Second Rider 350 Bike: | Velocette |
| Third Rider 350: | Artie Bell |
| Third Rider 350 Country: | UK |
| Third Rider 350 Bike: | Norton |
| Fast Rider 250: | Tommy Wood Dickie Dale |
| Fast Rider 250 Country: | UK |
| Fast Rider 250 Bike: | Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi |
| Fast Time 250: | 28m 09s |
| First Rider 250: | Manliff Barrington |
| First Rider 250 Country: | Ireland |
| First Rider 250 Bike: | Moto Guzzi |
| Second Rider 250: | Tommy Wood |
| Second Rider 250 Country: | UK |
| Second Rider 250 Bike: | Moto Guzzi |
| Third Rider 250: | Roland Pike |
| Third Rider 250 Country: | UK |
| Third Rider 250 Bike: | Rudge |
The 1949 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first round of the Grand Prix World Championship that was held in the Isle of Man.[1]
At the FICM (later known as FIM) meeting in London near the end of 1948, it was decided there would be a motorcycle World Championship along Grand Prix lines. It would be a six-race annual series with points being awarded for a placing and a point for the fastest lap of each race. There would be five classes: 500 cc, 350 cc, 250 cc, 125 cc and 600 cc sidecar. The historic Isle of Man TT would be one of those races, and this toughest and most dangerous of Grand Prix motorcycle races would be a mainstay on the GP calendar until 1976.
Harold Daniell, on a Norton, won the 500 cc Senior TT event at an average speed of 86.93 mph. Les Graham, on an AJS Porcupine 500 cc twin, led the Senior race until the last lap when his magneto drive sheared. He pushed the bike past the finish line in tenth place. As he had finished the race he gained one championship point for recording the fastest lap.
Four clubman races were included; the Clubmans Senior, Clubmans Junior, Clubmans Lightweight, and the new Clubmans 1,000 cc.
British 350 cc rider Ben Drinkwater was killed in the Junior TT race at the 11th Milestone.[2]
| Place | Rider | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Freddie Frith | Velocette | 83.15 mph | 3:10:26.0 | 10 | ||
| 2 |  Ernie Lyons | Velocette | 82.92 mph | 3:11:08.0 | 8 | ||
| 3 | Artie Bell | Norton | 82.62 mph | 3:11:49.0 | 7 | ||
| 4 | Harold Daniell | Norton | 82.59 mph | 3:11:52.2 | 6 | ||
| 5 | Reg Armstrong | AJS | 82.34 mph | 3:12:28.0 | 5 |
Fastest Lap and New Lap Record: Freddie Frith Velocette – 84.23 mph; 26 minutes 52.71 seconds (1 championship point for fastest lap).
| Place | Rider | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manliff Barrington | Moto Guzzi | 77.99 mph | 3:23.13.2 | 10 | ||
| 2 | Tommy Wood | Moto Guzzi | 77.91 mph | 3:23.25.8 | 8 | ||
| 3 | Roland Pike | Rudge | 72.79 mph | 3:37.42.6 | 7 | ||
| 4 | Ronald Mead | Mead-Norton | 72.68 mph | 3:41.06.6 | 6 | ||
| 5 |  Svend Aage Sørensen | Excelsior | 71.00 mph | 3:43.12.0 | 5 |
7 Laps (264.25 Miles) Mountain Course.
| Place | Rider | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harold L Daniell | 14 | Norton | 86.93 mph | 3:02:18.6 | 10 | |
| 2 | Johnny Lockett | 42 | Norton | 86.19 mph | 3:03:52.4 | 8 | |
| 3 | Ernie Lyons | Velocette | 85.50 mph | 3:05:22.0 | 7 | ||
| 4 | Artie Bell | 1 | Norton | 83.83 mph | 3:09:03.0 | 6 | |
| 5 |  Syd Jensen | Triumph | 83.17 mph | 3:10:33.0 | 5 |
Fastest Lap and New Lap Record: Bob Foster Moto Guzzi – 89.75 mph (25 minutes 14 seconds) on lap 2. Retired lap 5 at Sulby with failed clutch.
| Pos | Rider | Manufacturer | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dennis Lashmar | Vincent | 1:29:01.8 | |
| 2 | James Wright | Vincent | +4:25.8 | |
| 3 | Pat Wilson | Vincent | +5:04.8 | |
| 4 | Charlie Howkins | Ariel | +14:31.6 | |
| 5 | George Brown | Vincent | +47:43.2 | |
| Ret | Chris Horn | Vincent | ||
| Ret | Alex Phillip | Vincent | ||
| Ret | Jack Harding | Vincent | ||
| Ret | Geoff Manning | Vincent | ||
| Ret | Jack Netherton | Vincent | ||
| [3] [4] | ||||
| Pos | Rider | Manufacturer | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geoff Duke | Norton | 1:21:53.0 | |
| 2 | Allan Jefferies | Triumph | +2:11.0 | |
| 3 | Leo Starr | Triumph | +7:20.2 | |
| 4 | Phil Carter | Norton | +7:50.2 | |
| 5 | Tom Crebbin | Triumph | +7:53.2 | |
| 6 | Edwin Andrew | Norton | +8:42.0 | |
| 7 | Jack Carr | Vincent-HRD | +9:08.4 | |
| 8 | Robin Sherry | Triumph | +9:12.0 | |
| 9 | A. Johnstone | Triumph | +9:39.2 | |
| 10 | David Wilkins | Triumph | +12:33.4 | |
| 31 finishers | ||||
| [5] [6] | ||||
| Pos | Rider | Manufacturer | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harold Clark | BSA | 1:30:21.6 | |
| 2 | John Simister | Norton | +49.4 | |
| 3 | Alan Taylor | Norton | +1:03.0 | |
| 4 | Ray Hallet | BSA | +1:30.0 | |
| 5 | Cecil Sandford | Velocette | +2:01.8 | |
| 6 | Ted Pink | Norton | +2:11.2 | |
| 7 | Fred Collins | Velocette | +2:38.8 | |
| 8 | Walter Reed | Norton | +2:56.0 | |
| 9 | Arthur Brassington | Norton | +4:14.0 | |
| 10 | R. D. Briscoe | Norton | +4:33.8 | |
| 57 finishers | ||||
| [7] [8] | ||||
| Pos | Rider | Manufacturer | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cyril Taft | Excelsior | 1:06:30.2 | |
| 2 | Dennis Ritchie | Velocette | +40.0 | |
| 3 | Bernard Hargreaves | Velocette | +1:15.0 | |
| 4 | George Wakefield | Triumph | +4:00.6 | |
| 5 | Len Bolshaw | Triumph | +4:02.4 | |
| 6 | Arthur Barton | Triumph | +4:59.4 | |
| 7 | Frank Cope | Excelsior | +5:40.8 | |
| 8 | Jack McVeigh | Triumph | +6:35.6 | |
| 9 | George Northwood | Velocette | +7:36.8 | |
| 10 | John Dulson | Velocette | +9:12.6 | |
| 13 finishers | ||||
| [9] [10] | ||||