In the 1948 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy festival Harold Daniell, lap record holder since 1938, failed to finish the 1948 Senior TT on his Norton, and victory went to Norton team member, Artie Bell, the flying Ulsterman. Norton dominated, taking the first three places, losing fourth to Geoff Murdoch's AJS, and then filling the next four places. There were thirty three Nortons in a field of fifty six. Three Clubman races were again included, for the second year, in the festival with the Clubman Senior race allowing entires of bikes up to 1,000 cc engine capacity.