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James Guthrie (23 May 1897 – 8 August 1937) was a Scottish Motorcycle sport.
A motorcycle garage proprietor and professional motorcycle racer from Hawick Roxburghshire, Jimmie Guthrie was known as the “ Flying Scotsman,” The Scotsman page 16 SENIOR T.T. RAGE Continental Challenge to • British Machines, WOODS GUTHRIE DUEL GREAT RACE OF EUROPE Friday 21 June 1935 with a hard-charging motor-cycle racing style winning 14 European Continental Grand Prix in a three-year period 1934–1937 out of a total of 19 European Grand Prix victories . Motorcycle Racing with the Continental Circus 1920 to 1970 page 10 Chris Pereira (2018) Veloce Publishing Ltd
While racing with the works Norton motorcycle team, Jimmie Guthrie won the 500cc FICM 500cc European motor-cycle championship for three consecutive years 1934–1937 and the 350cc category in 1937. During the 1930s, Jimmie Guthrie won the North West 200 races on three occasions and a further six wins at the Isle of Man TT races.
While leading on the last lap of the 1937 German Motorcycle Grand Prix, Jimmie Guthrie crashed for reasons that are still not entirely clear, speculated to be an incident with another competitor, or a mechanical issue.Jimmie G.- The extraordinary life and tragic death of a Scottish motorcycle racing champion. Paul W. Guthrie 2019, ISBN 978-3982087207 He later died later in hospital from the injuries. Daily Express page 1 Monday 9 August 1937
Returning to the TT after an absence 4 years, the 1927 races held contrasting fortunes for Guthrie. Starting the Junior TT with number 36 riding a New Hudson motorcycle, Guthrie retired on lap 5 at Ballacraine with a broken petrol pipe. Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 18 June 1927. This was followed by a fine second place, 8 minutes and 17 seconds behind the winner Alec Bennett riding for the works Norton team in the Senior race, again on a New Hudson at number 18, despite being delayed at the TT Grandstand on lap 2 to tighten a loose footrest. Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 18 June 1927 Guthrie finished the race in 4 hours, and 4 minutes at an average race speed of 66.02 mph.
After lying in 6th place during 1928 Junior TT race Guthrie was 2½ minutes behind the leader Alec Bennett. Isle of Man Examiner dated 8 June 1928 During a refuelling stop at the TT Grandstand on lap 3, as Guthrie prepared to pull out, the engine backfired and set a fire to a petrol overspill and caused the Norton motorcycle to catch fire which led to his retirement. Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 9 June 1928 During the 1928 Senior TT race, Guthrie retired at Kirk Michael on lap 1 with an engine problem and the race was won by Charlie Dodson riding a Sunbeam at an average race speed of 62.98 mph. For the 1929 races, Guthrie was a non-starter for both the Junior and Senior Races after suffering injuries from a crash at Greeba Bridge during practice. Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 15 June 1929
Despite a retirement at Crosby on lap 6 of the 1930 Junior TT race, this was followed by winning his first TT race, the Lightweight, riding an AJS motorcycle at an average race speed of 64.71 mph. The Senior TT race was another retirement for Guthrie on lap 2 at the Creg-ny-Baa with an engine misfire. Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 21 June 1930
After his first Isle of Man TT win for the 1931 season, Guthrie joined the works Norton team run by the engineer Joe Craig. In the 1931 Junior and Senior TT races, Guthrie finished in second place to Tim Hunt in both races who completed the first Junior/Senior double win for the factory Norton team.
Despite hitting and killing a sheep during practice at Glen Duff, Guthrie went on to compete in the 1932 races. Isle of Man Examiner dated 3 June 1932 On lap 4 of the Junior TT race, Guthrie retired at the TT Grandstand after slipping off at nearby Governor's Bridge. The Senior TT race produced another second-place for Guthrie, and Stanley Woods went on to win race at an average race speed of 78.47 mph, completing his first Junior/Senior double win.
After hitting the bank at Hillberry Corner on lap 1 of the 1933 Junior TT race, Guthrie lost valuable time. After recovering from this delay, he was up to second place, then slipped off on melting tar at Quarter Bridge on lap 4, finishing in third place behind winner Stanley Woods and Tim Hunt. The 1933 Senior TT race produced another Junior/Senior double win for Stanley Woods and a 1–2–3–4 win for the works Norton team, with Guthrie finishing in fourth place from team-mates, Tim Hunt and Jimmie Simpson.
After Tim Hunt had retired from racing following a 1933 Swedish Grand Prix crash, it was Irishman Stanley Woods who became the de facto Norton team-leader. However, after a dispute over prize-money, Stanley Woods left to join Moto Guzzi, promoting Guthrie to the vacant team-leader position. For the 1934 racing season Guthrie won the 500 cc 1934 North West 200 at an average race speed of 80.37 mph from Ernie Nott riding for Rudge-Whitworth and John "Crasher" White riding for Norton. The 1934 TT races also produced a Junior/Senior double win for Guthrie, winning the Junior race at an average race speed of 79.16 mph and the Senior race at an average race speed of 78.01 mph. In both races the second-place finisher was Jimmie Simpson, riding in his last TT event before retirement from racing.
The 1935 racing season started for Guthrie with another win in the 500 cc 1935 North West 200 at an average race speed of 76.53 mph from team-mate S. Darbishire and Henry Tyrell-Smith in third place riding for AJS motorcycles. The 1935 TT races were used by Associated Talking Pictures for the backdrop for the motion picture No Limit starring George Formby. The 1935 Junior TT race provided a Junior TT double win for Guthrie at an average race speed of 79.14 mph and Norton with a 1–2–3 race win with Walter Rusk and "Crasher" White filling second and third places.
| 3.07.10.0 |
| 3:07.14.0 |
| 3:09.45.0 |
Following on from the dramatic win by Stanley Woods in the 1935 Senior TT, the 1936 Junior TT proved to be highly controversial marred by disqualification and protest. After leading for five laps, Guthrie was forced to stop at Cronk-ny-Mona to replace the drive-chain. Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 20 June 1936. Although continuing in second place, the lead passed to Norton team-mate Freddie Frith. At Parliament Square in Ramsey on the lap 6, Guthrie was 'black-flagged' for receiving outside assistance and disqualified. However, Guthrie denied the charge and continued to finish in fifth place in the race which was won by Freddie Frith to achieve his first TT win at an average race speed of 80.14 mph. The Norton race team protested the disqualification and Guthrie was posted in fifth place in the final race classification and was awarded second-place prize money. The 1936 Senior TT race was won by Guthrie by 18 seconds from Stanley Woods riding for Velocette and provided revenge for the dramatic defeat by Stanley Woods the previous year.
The 1937 TT races continued the "Norton Habit" Pictorial History of Norton Motor-Cycles by J.S. Reynolds London. Temple Press / National Motorcycle Museum. (1985) p. 32 for Guthrie winning the Junior TT race at an average race speed of 84.43 mph from fellow Norton team-mates Freddie Frith and John "Crasher" White in second and third places. The 1937 Senior TT race was won by Freddie Frith at an average race speed of 88.21 mph riding for Norton after winning the Junior race. On lap 5 of the Senior race, Guthrie retired on the Mountain Section of the course just below 'The Cutting.'
A further memorial was created on the Hohenstein-Ernstthal or Sachsenring course in 1949 at the site of the fatal accident and is called the "Guthrie Stone."
There is also a memorial stone and bronze bust of Guthrie in his native town's park.
| 64.71 mph |
| 79.16 mph |
| 78.16 mph |
| 79.14 mph |
| 85.08 mph |
| 84.43 mph |
| DNF |
| 10 |
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