Freddie Frith wins the Belgian Grand Prix, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, aboard a Velocette. It is his fourth consecutive win enroute to becoming the 1949 World Champion in the first-ever 350cc Class. Freddie would win all five races in the inaugural class, Isle of Man, Swiss Grand Prix, Dutch TT, Belgian Grand Prix and the Ulster Grand Prix.
Known as a Norton rider for whom he won the 1935 Junior Manx Grand Prix and then in 1936 he won the Junior TT and had a dramatic second-place finish to Jimmie Guthrie in the Senior TT as well as winning the 350cc European Championship . In 1937 he went one better in the Senior with a brilliant win over Jimmie Guthrie and setting the first 90 mph plus lap of the Snaefell Mountain Course. Freddie would eventually leave Norton for Velocette in 1948 and would win the Junior Race, putting notice to all that Velocette was no to be taken lightly.
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Alongside other riders from BSA, Ariel and Matchless Works teams, he served in the army during World War II at the Infantry Driving & Maintenance School stationed at Keswick. They taught officers and NCOs how to ride cross-country. Sgt. Freddie Frith taught teams of four on Norton 500cc motorcycles riding over Skiddaw Mountain in the Lake District National Park in England in all types of weather conditions.
