Alec Bennett
Alec Bennett ( * 1897 in Craigantlet, County Down, Ireland; † 15 January 1973) was an Irish- Canadian motorcycle racer.
Bennett was one of motorcycling pioneers who made the already popular race in Britain after the First World War and in continental Europe popular. He was one of the first big stars of the sport at all. Includes among other things four TT victories to his credit.
- 3.1 External links
- 3.2 Notes and references
Career
A native of Craigantlet in the then united Ireland County Down Alec Bennett emigrated with his parents in his childhood to Canada. It was only during the First World War, he returned to Europe and in his British homeland to do for the Canadian Expeditionary Force, first as dispatch rider and later as a fighter pilot service.
After the First World War, Bennett intervened in the increasingly popular motorcycle sport. Beginning of the 1920s he was works driver at Sunbeam in Wolverhampton. In 1921, Bennett took first at the Isle of Man TT, the toughest and most prestigious races of the time, in part, finishing in the Senior race (500 cc class) behind Howard Davies, Freddie Dixon and Bert le Vack fourth. A few weeks later, he won the second time discharged the UMF Grand Prix at the Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans.
1922 Alec Bennett won for the first time in his career, the senior TT and had the finish line after nearly four hours for seven minutes ahead of the runner-up Walter Brandish. Also at the Grand Prix of UMF, this time held in Strasbourg, he was victorious again.
The season 1924 was the most successful in Bennett's career. He started only for Norton and won within a few weeks the Senior TT, the Grand Prix of the UMF and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps. The following year he repeated his victory in Belgium.
1926 Bennett won on Velocette first time the junior TT ( 350 cc class) and was on a 500cc Norton for the fourth time at UMF Grand Prix in France successfully. 1927 and 1928 followed the Norton TT victory number four and five in Alec Bennett's career.
In the 1930s, he retired from motorcycle sport in order to concentrate on his motorcycle trade in Southampton. Alec Bennett died on 15 January 1973 at the age of 75 years.