Deaths on August 8

Jimmie Guthrie, Scottish motor cycle racer (b. 1897)

James Guthrie (23 May 1897 – 8 August 1937) was a Scottish motorcycle racer.

A motorcycle garage proprietor and professional motorcycle racer from Hawick Roxburghshire, Jimmie Guthrie was known as the “Flying Scotsman,” 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 .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. During the 1930s, Jimmie Guthrie won the North West 200 races on three occasions and a further six wins at the Isle of Man TT races.

While leading on the last lap of the 1937 German Grand Prix, Jimmie Guthrie crashed avoiding a collision with another motorcycle competitor and died later in hospital from the injuries.