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Rose Hanks made history as the first woman to stand on the Isle of Man TT winners’ podium in 1968, breaking barriers in one of motorsport’s most dangerous and male-dominated arenas as a sidecar passenger.

EARLY YEARS

Born Rosetta Barty in Bedworth in 1938, Rose was the eldest of nine children—six sisters and two brothers—in a family where motorcycles were simply part of life.[1] Her father owned three bikes, her brother rode, and she grew up surrounded by the smell of fuel and the roar of engines. “I’ve been around bikes most of my life,” she later recalled.[2] It wasn’t an unusual hobby or a rebellion; it was Tuesday.

By her early twenties, Rose was working as a gas welder, making hoods for sports cars—a job that required steady hands and nerves to match.[2] She wasn’t afraid of hard work, heat, or heavy machinery. And she certainly wasn’t afraid of speed.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond racing, Rose became deeply embedded in the Hanks family’s legendary motorcycle business on Slade Road in Erdington, Birmingham.[3] Fred Hanks Motorcycles was a local institution for 60 years, and Rose—after marrying into the family—was known to serve in the shop alongside her mother-in-law Beryl.[4] The shop wasn’t just a business; it was the nerve center of a racing dynasty.

EARLY SUCCESS

Rose began passengering in her early twenties, riding with Freddie Wallis for a season in 1966 on UK short circuits.[5] But her main ambition was always the Isle of Man TT—the most treacherous, unforgiving race in the world. In 1967, she teamed up with her brother-in-law Norman Hanks for her first TT attempt in the 500cc Sidecar Race.[2] They had engine problems and limped home 27th.[6] Not exactly glamorous. But Rose wasn’t finished.

The following year, 1968, everything changed. Rose and Norman competed in the 750cc Sidecar TT and finished second, roaring across the line behind Terry Vinicombe and John Flaxman.[7] Rose became the first woman ever to stand on the TT winners’ podium—a moment that sent shockwaves through a sport that had barely acknowledged women existed, let alone belonged on the rostrum.

“Dozens of weekends we spent racing,” she said, reflecting on those years. The podium finish wasn’t luck—it was earned through grit, precision, and an absolute refusal to be sidelined.[6]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 1967: Competed in first Isle of Man TT 500cc Sidecar Race with Norman Hanks, finishing 27th.[6]
• 1968: Second place finish in Isle of Man TT 750cc Sidecar Race with Norman Hanks—first woman to stand on TT winners’ podium.[7][8]
• 1968: Presented to Prince Philip at Hillberry during the TT—a recognition of her historic achievement.[9]
• 1969: Finished seventh in Isle of Man TT 500cc Sidecar Race with Norman Hanks.[10]
• 1970: Competed in Isle of Man TT with husband Roy Hanks, finishing 11th in the 500cc race and retiring in the 750cc race due to engine failure.[11][12]

INSPIRATIONS

Rose’s inspiration came from proximity, not propaganda. Growing up in a household where motorcycles were tools, toys, and transportation meant she never saw riding as something forbidden. Her father and brother didn’t treat bikes as boys-only territory, and neither did she.[2] The TT itself became her North Star—not because it was easy, but because it was the ultimate test.

REPUTATION

Rose Hanks was quiet about her accomplishments, but her legacy roared louder than any engine. She didn’t just passenger—she mastered the art of weight distribution, timing, and trust at speeds that could kill you in a heartbeat. “The word ‘passenger’ might make it sound easy,” she once said, “but I had to lie flat on the straights and put my weight where it was needed on the bends.”[13] It was athletic, dangerous, and required absolute synchronization with the driver.

During the 1970s, she married Roy Hanks and became an integral part of the Hanks Racing Dynasty, a family synonymous with sidecar racing on the Isle of Man for over 60 years.[2][14] Her daughter Julie followed in her footsteps, competing alongside her husband Paul Elliott, and Julie’s twin daughters Jamie and Bobby continued the family tradition—ensuring that Rose’s trailblazing spirit lived on through generations.[15]

In 1998, Rose did a parade lap with Roy on his winning Ireson outfit from the previous year—a moment that proved her speed hadn’t dulled with time. She was as quick as she’d been 30 years earlier.[16]

Rose Hanks passed away peacefully in February 2024 at the age of 86.[17] She never sought the spotlight, but she earned every bit of it. She proved that women didn’t just belong in motorsport—they could podium at its most legendary and lethal race.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Rose Hanks passed away in 2024. Her legacy continues through her daughter Julie Hanks-Elliott and granddaughters Jamie and Bobby, who carry forward the family’s racing tradition.

REFERENCES

[1] Remembering Rose Hanks, Erdington’s pioneering TT sidecar racer – Erdington Local
[2] Rose Hanks – The Official TT Supporters Club
[3] Isle of Man TT: The story of the Hanks family, a sidecar dynasty – IOM Today
[4] Fred Hanks Motorcycles – Slade Road – Birmingham History Forum
[5] Rose Hanks: The first woman to podium at an Isle of Man TT – IOM Today
[6] Remembering Rose Hanks – Erdington Local
[7] 1968 Sidecar 750 TT – Race event – iMuseum
[8] Norman Hanks and Rose Arnold, 750 cc Isle of Man Tourist Trophy – iMuseum
[9] Features – Females – Rose Hanks – The Isle of Man TT Website
[10] TT 1969 Sidecar 500cc TT Race Results – iomtt.com
[11] Rose Hanks – Motorsport Biographies – iMuseum
[12] Rose Hanks [Mrs.] Isle of Man TT Race Results – iomtt.com
[13] Newspaper – Erdington Local
[14] Hanks family sidecar dynasty – IOM Today
[15] Rose Hanks legacy – Erdington Local
[16] Rose Hanks 1998 parade lap – IOM Today
[17] Local Ambassadors – Erdington Local