H.L. Daniell Norton Stalwart
Pre-war Career of Harold Daniell Long-Serving Norton Team Member
Mar 2, 2009
Harold Daniell’s racing career was remarkable in that it began in the early 1930s and continued into the post war era. His initial racing forays began at English circuits, such as Donington Park and SystonPark. Daniell was fortunate in having his Nortons prepared by his brother-in-law, Steve Lancefield, who was also a capable rider but his real talents lay in race tuning.
They made quite a formidable duo on the race circuits, and Harold became a consistent winner at Crystal Palace and other venues. In 1932 Daniell was runner-up in the Senior Manx Grand Prix; where a win in the Manx invariably led to an invitation to join a works team. Daniell’s perseverance was rewarded with victory in the 1933 Senior but the magical invitation from Norton’s Joe Craig was not forthcoming. Instead Harold became an AJS team member from 1934 to 1936, which proved to be an unrewarding period for the bespectacled Londoner.
Norton Works Team
In 1937 he was entered for the TT on Lancefield-prepared Nortons. It was a most propitious exercise for them both; with Harold finishing in fifth place in both the Junior and Senior events; making him the first private entrant behind the works teams. Joe Craig could scarcely continue to ignore his abilities, and later in the season he was recruited into the works team. Harold’s first appearance was in the 500cc class of the Dutch TT, partnering Guthrie who retired while leading the race. The finishing order was Gall (BMW) in first place, followed by Daniell after a most consistent ride. Two weeks later in the 350 class of the German Grand Prix, Harold scored his first works victory ahead of team mate John White, but any satisfaction was later soured by Guthrie’s tragic death in the Senior event.
Isle of Man 1938
For the 1938 season the Norton team comprised Harold Daniell, Freddie Frith and John White. The work’s machines had undergone major changes since 1937; the obvious external difference was telescopic forks to replace the traditional girders. Extensive testing was carried out at the DoningtonPark circuit, and Harold’s teammates were generally enthusiastic about the arrangement; despite the lack of damping and limited movement. But Harold held strong reservations about the changes and felt more at ease using a Lancefield-prepared practice hack at the TT. He recorded some impressive times with it, but during a practice session he crashed in spectacular fashion. The bike was wrecked and Harold was more knocked about than he dared to admit.
Record-breaking Senior TT
Friday’s Senior race proved to be one of the most exciting in years. Norton’s most serious challenge was expected to come from Georg Meier on a work’s BMW and Velocette-mounted Stanley Woods.
Previous year’s winner Frith set a cracking pace from the outset and until lap five he held a narrow lead over Woods on the Velocette. On lap six a relentless Woods assumed first place and seemed poised for a Velocette victory. But it was not to be. Daniell had not featured strongly in the opening stages and on the seventh circuit he came through with a record lap of 91 mph to beat the Irishman by sixty seconds.
World War 2
The outbreak of war in September 1939 put an end to any racing activities, much to the disappointment of many aspiring riders. Harold was keen to enlist in the armed forces but to his dismay he was rejected on the grounds of defective eyesight. It seems rather ironic that the current holder of the lap record on the Isle of Man was deemed unfit for military service. Eight long years were to elapse before Harold resumed an interrupted career where once again he was in the top echelon of road racing, initially as Norton team leader for the 1947 round of classic events.
Read the concluding chapter in Harold Daniell Norton Teamster.
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