A motorcycle garage proprietor and professional motorcycle racer from Hawick Roxburghshire, Jimmie Guthrie was known as the “Flying Scotsman,”[1] with a hard-charging motor-cycle racing style winning 14 European Continental Grand Prix in a three-year period 1934–1937 out of a total of 19 European Grand Prix victories .

[2] While racing with the works Norton motorcycle team, Jimmie Guthrie won the 500cc FICM 500cc European motor-cycle championship for three consecutive years 1934–1937 and the 350cc category in 1937.

While leading on the last lap of the 1937 German Motorcycle Grand Prix, Jimmie Guthrie crashed for reasons that are still not entirely clear, speculated to be an incident with another competitor, or a mechanical issue.

The 4th Bn Kings Own Scottish Borders were part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division and while moving from Scotland to Gallipoli were involved in the Quintinshill rail crash near Gretna Green with the 1/7th Bn Royal Scots which resulted in the death of 210 officers and men from the 52nd Division.

After his death in 1937 when competing in the 1937 German Grand Prix, a memorial funded by public subscriptions was erected on the TT course in 1939, at the place where he retired in his last race, previously known as The Cutting, called Guthrie's Memorial (Ordnance Survey Map SC 435 935 GB Grid) ever since.

Erected to the memory of Jimmy Guthrie, of Hawick, a brilliant Motor Cycle Rider, famous on the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Course for his wonderful riding and great sportsmanship.

He died while upholding the honour of his country in the German Grand Prix, August, 1937.A further memorial was created on the Hohenstein-Ernstthal or Sachsenring course in 1949 at the site of the fatal accident and is called the "Guthrie Stone."

It was an inauspicious beginning for Guthrie, starting the 1923 Junior Race at number 38 riding a Matchless motorcycle and retiring at Kirk Michael on lap 1 with valve problems.

Starting the Junior race with number 36 riding a New Hudson motorcycle, Guthrie retired on lap 5 at Ballacraine with a broken petrol pipe.

After lying in 6th place during 1928 Junior TT race Guthrie was 2½ minutes behind the leader Alec Bennett.

[14] After his first Isle of Man TT win for the 1931 season, Guthrie joined the works Norton team run by the engineer Joe Craig.

After hitting the bank at Hillberry Corner on lap 1 of the 1933 Junior TT race, Guthrie lost valuable time.

After Tim Hunt had retired from racing following a 1933 Swedish Grand Prix crash, it was Irishman Stanley Woods who became the de facto Norton team-leader.

However, after a dispute over prize-money, Stanley Woods left to join Moto Guzzi, promoting Guthrie to the vacant team-leader position.