Thomas Edward Phillis (9 April 1934 – 6 June 1962) was an Australian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He won the 1961 125cc motorcycle road racing World Championship and was the first person to lap the Isle of Man TT mountain circuit at over 100 mph on a pushrod engined motorcycle. He was also the first person to win a World Championship motorcycle race on a Japanese machine. Phillis was born in Sydney and grew up in Marrickville where his father was a despatch rider. He became a keen bicycle racer, but retired from that sport after a serious crash at Henson Park. After leaving school at 16, Phillis had taken up a motor mechanic apprenticeship. His first experience of motorcycling came with the job, where he had to use a 125cc Excelsior motorcycle to deliver messages around Sydney, and it was there that he began to develop an interest in motorcycles. His father was supportive, and when he was 17, Phillis bought his first bike, a 1939 High Cam Sunbeam B25. This bike was followed by several Velocette MAC's, and it was on one of these road-going bikes, that Tom entered his first motorcycle events; trials, grass track racing, and scrambling. In 1952, Phillis was called up for six months National Service, which he served in the Royal Australian Air Force. More information...
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