The Isle of Man TT is considered by many as the most legendary series in motorcycle racing. The grueling road race sees the peaceful roads of the Isle of Man closed off to the pubic for around two weeks in the months of May and June to make way for some of the world’s fastest riders. Naturally, the IOMTT has given rise to a number of legends—racer who have gone down the motorcycle hall of fame, both in glory and in flames.
Tony Jefferies, a British motorcycle racer who had won the TT three times is definitely a name IOMTT aficionados would recognize. Jefferies took the trophy for the first time in 1971 at the 350cc Junior TT. In succeeding years, Jefferies won two more times, this time in the bigger 750cc Production class. His most notable victory would be in the Production TT, wherein he raced a Triumph Trident called ‘Slippery Sam’ to victory. In 1973, his career came to an abrupt end after a major crash in the prestigious Race of the Year at Mallory Park. He would then end up spending the rest of his life on a wheelchair, and depart from the racing scene.
However, this didn’t mean that he would live a life away from motorcycles. He looked after the motorcycle business his father had started, while at the same time, helped his son David start his racing career. As it would turn out, David Jefferies had the racing bug in his genes, and ended up being a top-class rider in the TT. Winning the Tourist Trophy a total of nine times, tragedy struck in 2003 when David met an accident during training. He would not survive his injuries.
Indeed the motorcycle racing world took a lot away from Tony Jefferies, however, this didn’t stop him from chasing what he loved most. His younger brother, Nick, was also a TT winner, while his daughter, Louise, continues to run the family-owned BMW dealership. On December 28, 2021, with the illustrious careers of both himself and his son David under his belt, Tony passed away at the age of 73. Needless to say, Tony Jefferies, along with his son David, will certainly be remembered forever by the fans and patrons of the legendary Tourist Trophy.
