Tom Phillis: First GP winner on Honda / Moto3

Yesterday, April 9, the Australian, who was Honda’s first Grand Prix winner in the 125 cc class in 1961 and also became world champion in the same year, would have celebrated his 90th birthday. In 1962 he suffered a fatal accident at Isle of Man, meaning he could no longer witness Honda’s rise as the most successful manufacturer in the motorcycle world championship. He had indeed paved the way.

Thomas Edward “Tom” Phillis was born on April 9, 1934 in Sydney. At the age of 19, he competed in his first motorcycle race in his home country, specifically in New South Wales. He rode mostly as a privateer in the classes up to 350 and 500 cc. This was the case in 1958, when he finally followed the example of his colleagues and other Commonwealth citizens and sought his fortune in Europe. In the past, there were many races here every week, especially non-World Cup races, where starting money and prizes could be earned to make a living. However, the main goal remained the World Cup and then, if possible, a career driver’s contract.

So Tom Phillis finally made his debut in 1959 at the Ulster Grand Prix in Northern Ireland with his new and current Norton in the 350 cc class in the motorcycle world championship. In fifth place, he immediately won his first two World Championship points.

From 1960 he also competed for the up-and-coming Japanese manufacturer Honda in classes up to 125 and 250 cc. Again at the Ulster Grand Prix he had his first podium finish in the quarter liter class with second place (behind Carlo Ubbiali on one of MV Agusta’s still powerful). It was his only World Cup points, but it was enough for him to finish sixth in the final standings.

Earlier, at the German Grand Prix at Solitude near Stuttgart, a Japanese driver and a Honda driver were invited to the awards ceremony for the first time in the same displacement category with Teisuke Tanaka coming third.

The 1961 World Cup opened on April 23 at Montjuich Park in Barcelona. Tom Phillis won the eight-litre class race ahead of Ernst Degner in an MZ and Jim Redman, who had moved to the British colony of Rhodesia, in another Honda. Tom Phillis went down in history as the first Honda GP winner.

At that time, Tom Phillis was only a “private rider with factory support”, but Honda soon put him on an equal footing with British Mike Hailwood, Swiss Luigi Taveri, Jim Redman and Japanese pilots.

He then took two more wins this season, once in Clermont-Ferrand in France and once in Assen in the Netherlands. He also finished second at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, and in the first round of the World Championship at Sachsenring, which brought him level in the World Championship standings with his bitter rival, Ernst Degner at MZ.

In the final GP of the year in Kristianstad, Sweden, the decision could be made in favor of one of the two rivals. After Degner was eliminated with engine failure (and then fled to Germany) and Tom Phillis, who also had technical problems, could not pass sixth place, the decision had to be made at the final in Argentina.

Ernst Degner initially tried to participate in the EMC of the Englishman Joe Ehrlich, but did not reach Buenos Aires in time. Tom Phillis won the race for Honda’s fifth victory and was thus crowned eight liter world champion in 1961. However, he was not the first world champion for Honda or for Honda, because a few weeks earlier his teammate Mike Hailwood had already he has won. crown in the 250cc class. Here Tom Phillis became the second world champion, six points behind “Mike Bike” Hailwood and ahead of Jim Redman.

In 1962, Tom Phillis came third in the 250cc category at the season opener in Barcelona and second doctor of the year at Clermant-Ferrand. In what was then the second-smallest displacement class (that year the 50 cc class achieved world championship status for the first time), things were not going well for him up to that point. Next up was the Touring Cup on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, where he finished third again in the 250cc class on June 4. Two days later he returned to the podium in third place in the smaller class.

On the afternoon of 6 June, the 350cc race (Junior TT) was still on the programme. On her second lap, Phillis collapsed at Laurel Bank and was pronounced dead at Peel Hospital. The cause of the accident on the part of the route, which was visited by spectators and guards only moderately, was not made clear.

Tom Phillis was only 31 years old and was buried on the Isle of Man (in Douglas near the start of the Snaefell Mountain Course).
He had six wins and 20 podiums in 35 Grand Prix races.