Tom Phillis
Thomas Edward "Tom" Phillis ( born April 9, 1931 in Sydney, Australia, † June 6, 1962 in Peel, Isle of Man) was an Australian motorcycle racer.
He won in the season 1961 in the 125 cc class the first world title for Honda in the history of the motorcycle world championship.
Career
Tom Phillis debuted in 1959 at the Ulster Grand Prix in the 350 cc class on a Norton in the Motorcycle World Championship. In 1960 he succeeded the Ulster Grand Prix on a 250cc Honda with second place, his first podium finish.
In the season 1961 Tom Phillis denied all the 125cc and 250cc World Championship races for Honda and was the Grand Prix of Spain in the 125 cc class celebrate the first Grand Prix victory in the history of Japanese motorcycle manufacturer. Overall, Phillis arriving this year, six victories in the eighth liter class, he won the title just before the MZ- pilot Ernst Degner from the GDR, in the 250s, he only had to concede defeat Mike Hailwood and was runner-up. The 125cc title also represents the first world title for Honda in the history of the World Motorcycle Championship
The following year, Tom Phillis had an accident in the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man fatally. He fell in the second round of the Junior TT, lying in third place in the stretch Laurel Bank hard and died a short time later the accident. The reigning 500cc World Champion Gary Hocking, a good friend of Phillis, then decided to end his motorcycle racing career immediately.