The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual
motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
event run on the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in
1907
Events
January
* January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000.
February
* February 11 – The French warship ''Jean Bart'' sinks off the coast of Morocco. ...
. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world as
many competitors have died.
Overview
The Isle of Man TT is run in a
time-trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...
format on public roads closed to the public by an
Act of Tynwald
An Act of Tynwald is a statute passed by Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man.
Structure
Acts of Tynwald are structured in a similar format to Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Commencement
Originally, each Act began with the f ...
(the parliament of the Isle of Man). The event consists of one week of practice sessions followed by one week of racing. It has been a tradition, perhaps started by racing competitors in the early 1920s, for spectators to tour the
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
on motorcycles during the Isle of Man TT on Mad Sunday, an informal and unofficial sanctioned event held on the Sunday between Practice Week and Race Week.
The first Isle of Man TT race was held on Tuesday 28 May 1907 and was called the International
Auto-Cycle Tourist Trophy. The event was organised by the Auto-Cycle Club over 10 laps of the Isle of Man
St John's Short Course of 15 miles 1,470 yards for road-legal 'touring' motorcycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mudguards.
From 1911, the Isle of Man TT transferred to the much longer
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
of (current length ). Its elevation goes from near sea-level to . The race programme developed from a single race with two classes for the 1907 Isle of Man TT, expanding in 1911 to two individual races for the 350cc
Junior TT
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Engine c ...
motor-cycles and the
Blue Riband
The Blue Riband () is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest average speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until after 1910. T ...
event the 500cc
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
race. The race did not take place from 1915 to 1919 due to the First World War. It resumed in 1920. A 250cc
Lightweight TT
The Lightweight TT is a motorcycle road race that is a part of the Isle of Man TT festival - an annual motorcycle event traditionally held over the last week of May and first week of June.
History
The Lightweight class was first present at the ...
race was added to the Isle of Man TT programme in 1922, followed by a
Sidecar TT
The Sidecar TT is a motorcycle-with-sidecar road race competition held over two legs which takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1954 and 1976 this race was part of the Gr ...
race in 1923.
There was no racing on the Isle of Man between 1940 and 1945 due to the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It recommenced with the
Manx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...
in 1946 and the Isle of Man TT in 1947, with a greatly expanded format that included the new Clubman's TT races. The Isle of Man TT became part of the
FIM
FIM may refer to:
Organizations and companies
* Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation
* Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States
* Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media
* ...
Motor-cycle Grand Prix World Championship (now
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
) as the British round of the World Motor-Cycling Championship during the period
1949
Events
January
* January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022.
* January 2 – Luis ...
–
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
. Following safety concerns with the
Snaefell
Snaefell ( on, snjœ-fjall/snjó-fall – snow mountain) – ( gv, Sniaull) is the highest mountain and the only summit higher than on the Isle of Man, at above sea level. The summit is crowned by a railway station, cafe and several communic ...
Mountain Course and problems over inadequate "start-money" for competitors, there was a boycott of the Isle of Man TT races from the early 1970s by many of the leading competitors, motorcycle manufacturers and national motorcycle sporting federations.
It is regarded as the most dangerous motorsport event in the world; ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said in 2017 that the number of deaths had risen "to 146 since it was first run in 1907; if one includes fatal accidents occurring during the Manx Grand Prix ... the figure rises above 250".
An account of the 2003 race by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' writer
Franz Lidz
Franz Lidz (born September 24, 1951) is an American writer, journalist and pro basketball executive.
A ''New York Times'' archaeology, science and film essayist, he's a former ''Sports Illustrated'' senior writer, called the TT "a test of nerves and speed that may be sports' most dangerous event."
In 1976, the Isle of Man TT lost its world championship status; this was transferred to the United Kingdom by the
FIM
FIM may refer to:
Organizations and companies
* Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation
* Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States
* Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media
* ...
and run as the
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor race organised in the United Kingdom by the Royal Automobile Club. First held in 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a round of the FIA Formula One World C ...
for the
1977 season. The Isle of Man TT Races then became an integral part of the new style
TT Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 World Championships between 1977 and 1990 to develop and maintain the international racing status of the Isle of Man TT races.
The event was redeveloped by the Isle of Man Department of Tourism as the ''Isle of Man TT Festival'' from 1989 onwards. This included new racing events for the new Isle of Man TT Festival programme, including the Pre-TT Classic Races in 1989 followed by the Post-TT Races from 1991, both held on the
Billown Circuit
The Billown Circuit is a motorcycle road-race course used for the Southern 100, the Pre-TT Classic races and the National Road Races meetings near Castletown on the Isle of Man. Racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynw ...
. In 2013, the Isle of Man ''Classic TT'' was developed by the Isle of Man Department of Economic Development and the Auto-Cycle Union for historic racing motorcycles, and along with the
Manx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...
now forms part of the 'Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling' held in late August of each year.
There has been criticism of the event. In 2007, an incident during the Senior Race resulted in the deaths of a rider and two spectators. The resultant inquest made several recommendations and included several comments, such as: 'Senior Marshals may well have been elevated beyond the sphere of their competence'. The coroner also noted that "I am more than aware of the fact that the witnesses from the Manx Motor Cycle Club and the marshals are all volunteers. They give their time freely and without paid reward. Having said that however, if it were suggested because they were volunteers there should be some allowance in the standards expected of them, then I regret I cannot agree."
In 2018, a solo competitor was seriously injured during a head-on collision with an official Course Car being driven at high speed when conveying police officers to officiate at the scene of a fatality further along the course. He was one of seven riders who had been halted on the course and turned back by marshals, being instructed to proceed back to the paddock area in the reverse-direction after the red flag stoppage.
The 2020 and 2021 TT races were cancelled because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Early Isle of Man TT race history (1904–1910)
Gordon Bennett and Tourist Trophy car races
Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial, restricted to touring automobiles. As the
Motor Car Act 1903
The Motor Car Act 1903 (3 Edw.7, c. 36) was an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament that received royal assent on 14 August 1903, which introduced motor vehicle registration, driver licensing and increased the speed limit.
Context
The Act followe ...
placed a speed restriction of on automobiles in the UK, Julian Orde, Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man for the permission to race automobiles on the island's public roads. The Highways (Light Locomotive) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man for the
Highroads Course
Highroads Course was a road-racing circuit used for the Gordon Bennett British Eliminating Trial held in the Isle of Man for the 1904 and 1905 Tourist Trophy Race involving touring automobiles and cars. The events were held on public roads clos ...
for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial which was won by Clifford Earl (Napier) in 7 hours 26.5 minutes for five laps () of the
Highroads Course
Highroads Course was a road-racing circuit used for the Gordon Bennett British Eliminating Trial held in the Isle of Man for the 1904 and 1905 Tourist Trophy Race involving touring automobiles and cars. The events were held on public roads clos ...
. The 1905 Gordon Bennett Trial was held on 30 May 1905 and was again won by Clifford Earl driving a Napier automobile in 6 hours and 6 minutes for six laps of the Highroads Course. This was followed in September 1905 with the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race for racing automobiles, now known as the
RAC Tourist Trophy
The RAC Tourist Trophy (sometimes called the International Tourist Trophy) is a motor racing award presented by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) to the overall victor of a motor race in the United Kingdom. Established in 1905, it is the world's ol ...
and was won by John Napier (Arrol-Johnston) in 6 hours and 9 minutes at an average speed of .
International Motor-Cycle Cup Race (1905)
For the 1905 Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial it was decided to run an eliminating trial for motorcycles the day afterwards for a team to represent Great Britain in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Races. An accident at Ramsey Hairpin forced out one of the pre-race favourites, and the inability of the competitors to climb the steep Mountain Section of the course forced the organisers to use a section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. This ran from
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
south to
Castletown and then north to
Ballacraine
__NOTOC__
Ballacraine (, "McCrayne" or "Craine's farm"; archaic ) is located between the 7th and 8th milestones of the TT course, at the junction of the A1 Douglas to Peel and A3 Castletown to Ramsey primary roads in the parish of German in t ...
along the primary
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road or London Road in sections, is a major road connecting the City of London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified ...
and returning to the start at the
Quarterbridge
Quarterbridge Crossing ''('' Manx'': Crossag Droghad y Cherroo)'' was the first major crossing point of the Isle of Man Railway's first line from Douglas to Peel. It opened in 1873, but closed in 1968, with the rest of the line.
History
A gated ...
in Douglas via
Crosby Crosby may refer to:
Places
;Canada
*Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario
*Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario
;England
*Crosby, Cumbria
*Crosby, Lincolnshire
*Crosby, Merseyside
** Crosby (U ...
and Glen Vine along the current
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
in the reverse direction. The 1905 International Motor-Cycle Cup Race for five laps () was won by J.S. Campbell (Ariel) despite a fire during a pit stop in 4 hours, 9 minutes and 36 seconds at an average race speed of .
Format of the races
![Start Senior TT 2010 IMG P0001185](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Start_Senior_TT_2010_IMG_P0001185.jpg)
The TT Races since the first race in 1907 have been in the format of time-trial. The races held on the
Clypse Course
The Clypse Course describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Isle of Man TT Races between 1954 and 1959.
The course is long and is in the parish of Onchan in the Isle of Man. The course uses two short sections of the Snaefell Mountai ...
during the period 1954–1959 were the more traditional full grid starts along with the 1924 Lightweight TT Race and Clubmen TT Races from 1948, which were also "mass-start" races. The current format is a "clutch start" and race competitors will be "started singly at 10-second intervals".
Race procedure
* Start Preliminaries
**First Signal – 45 minutes before the start with a warm-up of engines in the Race Paddock and assembly area.
**Second Signal – 30 minutes before start.
**Third Signal – 15 minutes before start, race competitors move to the start-line and form-up in qualification order.
**Fourth Signal – 5 minutes before start, signal to clear the grid and race competitors move towards the exit-gate.
Eligibility
Entrants must be in possession of a valid National Entrants or FIM Sponsors Licence for Road Racing.
Entrants must also cite pre-filled documentation of completion of a UK driver's licence or motorcycle certification, or a driver's licence from a comparable country that is recognised by UK comparable department of transportation standards and may withhold due to any pre race or post race suspensions.
Race classes
; Current
*
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
(1909–present)
*
Lightweight TT
The Lightweight TT is a motorcycle road race that is a part of the Isle of Man TT festival - an annual motorcycle event traditionally held over the last week of May and first week of June.
History
The Lightweight class was first present at the ...
(1922–1976, 1995–2004, 2012–present)
*
Junior TT
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Engine c ...
/ Supersport TT (1911–present)
* Superbike TT (2005–present)
*
Superstock TT
The Superstock TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival. The event for production based motor-cycles racing on treaded road tyres is based on the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship specifications.
Engine c ...
(2005–present)
*
Sidecar TT
The Sidecar TT is a motorcycle-with-sidecar road race competition held over two legs which takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1954 and 1976 this race was part of the Gr ...
(1923–1925, 1951–1967, 1977–present)
; Former
* Singles TT (1907–1908, 1994–2000)
* Twin TT (1907–1908)
* Sidecar 1000 TT (1975–1976)
* Sidecar 750 TT (1968–1974)
* Sidecar 500 TT (1968–1976)
*
Ultra-Lightweight TT
The Ultra-Lightweight TT was a motorcycle road race that took place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1951 and 1974 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season at ...
(1924–1925, 1951–1974, 1989–2004, 2008)
* Clubman Senior TT (1947–1956)
* Clubman Junior TT (1947–1956)
* Clubman Lightweight TT (1947–1950)
* Clubman 1000 TT (1949–1950, 1953)
* 50 TT (1962–1968)
* Classic TT (1975–1984)
* Formula 1 TT (1977–2004)
* Formula 2 TT (1977–1987)
* Formula 3 TT (1977–1982)
* Production 1500 TT (1985–1985)
* Production 1000 TT (1974, 2002–2004)
* Production 750 TT (1967–1973, 1984–1985)
* Production 500 / 600 TT (1967–1974, 2002–2004)
* Production 250 TT (1967–1974, 1984–1985)
* Production TT (1975–1976, 1996–2000)
* Production A TT (1986–1988)
* Production B TT (1986–1988)
* Production C TT (1986–1988)
* Production D TT (1986–1988)
* Supersport 600 TT (1989–1994)
* Supersport 400 TT (1989–1994)
* Lightweight 400 TT (1999–2004)
*
TTXGP
TTXGP are the official promoters of FIM eRoadRacing, an electric motorsport race series. Founded by Azhar Hussain MBE in 2008, TTXGP started life as the first zero-carbon, clean-emission race to take place at the Isle of Man TT as teams from aro ...
(2009)
*
TT Zero
TT Zero – an electric motorsport event introduced for the 2010 Isle of Man TT races – replaced the similar TTXGP race as a 1-lap (37.733 miles) circuit of the Snaefell Mountain Course. The TT Zero event as an officially sanctioned Isle of M ...
(2010–2019)
Superbike TT
The 2015 specification for entries into the Superbike TT race are defined as:
* Any machine complying with the following specifications:
** TT Superbike: (Machines complying with the
2015 FIM Superbike Championship specifications)
*** Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke
*** Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke
*** Over 850 cc up to 1200 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke
Minimum Weight . Other machines admitted at the discretion of the Organisers
Supersport TT
The
1911 Isle of Man TT
The 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races took place for the first time over the ''Isle of Man TT Mountain Course''. The whole organisation of the races was given over to the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU), which announced the use of the longer mountain ...
was the first time the
Junior TT
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Engine c ...
race took place, open to 300 cc single-cylinder and 340 cc twin cylinder motorcycles, contested over five laps of the new Snaefell Mountain Course. The first event on the new course was the Junior TT Race contested by 35 entrants, won by Percy J. Evans riding a Humber motor-cycle at an average race speed of . The
1912 event was the first to limit the Junior TT to only 350 cc machines and this engine capacity prevailed until 1976, after which the category was dropped. The event was instead run for 250 cc machines until 1994 when replaced by the 600 cc Supersport class.
:* 1911 For single cylinder motorcycles not exceeding 300 cc engine capacity and 340 cc twin cylinder motorcycles.
:* 1912–1948 For motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity.
:* 1949–1953 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the
Snaefell mountain course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
.
:* 1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the
Clypse Course
The Clypse Course describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Isle of Man TT Races between 1954 and 1959.
The course is long and is in the parish of Onchan in the Isle of Man. The course uses two short sections of the Snaefell Mountai ...
.
:* 1960–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.
:* 1977–1994 for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.
:* 1995 onwards for motorcycles not exceeding 600 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.
The 2015 specifications for entries into the Supersport TT race are:
:* TT Supersport: (Machines complying with the
2015 FIM Supersport Championship specifications)
::* Over 400 cc up to 600 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke
::* Over 600 cc up to 675 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke
::* Over 600 cc up to 750 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke
Minimum Weight 161 kg
Superstock TT
The 2015 specifications for entries for the
Superstock TT
The Superstock TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival. The event for production based motor-cycles racing on treaded road tyres is based on the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship specifications.
Engine c ...
, an event for production based motorcycles racing with treaded road tyres, are based on the FIM Superstock Championship specifications, as follows:
* Superstock TT: (Machines complying with the
2012 FIM Superstock Championship specifications)
** Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke
** Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke
** Over 850 cc up to 1200 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke
Minimum (Dry) Weight 170 kg
Lightweight TT
![Start lightweight TT IMG 0018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Start_lightweight_TT_IMG_0018.jpg)
The
1922 event was the first time the
Lightweight TT
The Lightweight TT is a motorcycle road race that is a part of the Isle of Man TT festival - an annual motorcycle event traditionally held over the last week of May and first week of June.
History
The Lightweight class was first present at the ...
race took place, won by a motorcycle-journalist Geoff S. Davison, riding a
Levis at an average speed of for seven laps of the
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
. In the changes following the loss of FIM World Championship status after the 1976 event, the Lightweight TT event was dropped with the 250 cc machines running for the Junior TT in place of the now defunct 350 cc formula. The Lightweight TT returned in 1995 before being split into two distinct events from 1999, dropping from the schedule again after 2003. As with the Ultra-Lightweight TT Race, it was reintroduced 2008–2009 when held on the
Billown short road circuit and then dropped again from the race schedule on cost grounds.
:* 1924–1948 For motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity.
:* 1949–1953 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the
Snaefell mountain course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
.
:* 1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the
Clypse Course
The Clypse Course describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Isle of Man TT Races between 1954 and 1959.
The course is long and is in the parish of Onchan in the Isle of Man. The course uses two short sections of the Snaefell Mountai ...
.
:* 1960–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.
:* 1977–1994 event not run (250 cc formula run as Junior TT).
:* 1995–1998 for 2-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity and 4-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 400 cc, held on the Mountain Course.
:* 1999–2003 Lightweight 400 TT for 4-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 400 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.
:* 1999–2002 Lightweight 250 TT for 2-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course (the category running within Junior TT in 2003).
:* 2008–2009 for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the
Billown Circuit
The Billown Circuit is a motorcycle road-race course used for the Southern 100, the Pre-TT Classic races and the National Road Races meetings near Castletown on the Isle of Man. Racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynw ...
.
:* 2012– The event was re-introduced from the
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
event for water-cooled four-stroke twin cylinder not exceeding an engine capacity of 650 cc and complying with the ACU Standing Regulations.
The 2019 specifications for entries into the Lightweight TT race are:
:* Machines must comply with general technical rules as per ACU Standing Regulations and 2019 Isle of Man TT race regulations.
:** Any four-stroke twin cylinder motorcycle originally sold for road use with a water-cooled engine of up to 650 cc engine capacity.
:** Eligible machines must be from models homologated for UK road use 2009 or later.
Mininium weight for the Lightweight TT class is .
Sidecar TT
![2013 Isle of Man TT 14](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/2013_Isle_of_Man_TT_14.jpg)
The
1923 TT was the first time the Sidecar TT race was run, over three laps () of the
Mountain Course and was won by
Freddie Dixon
Frederick William Dixon (21 April 1892 – 4 November 1956) was an English motorcycle racer and racing car driver. The designer of the motorcycle and banking sidecar system, he was also one of the few motorsport competitors to have been success ...
and passenger Walter Denny with a
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
and special ''banking-sidecar'' at an average race speed of . For the
1926 event the Sidecar and
Ultra-Lightweight TT
The Ultra-Lightweight TT was a motorcycle road race that took place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1951 and 1974 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season at ...
classes were dropped due to lack of entries.
The Sidecar race was re-introduced from the
1954 event for Sidecars not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity, run on the
Clypse Course
The Clypse Course describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Isle of Man TT Races between 1954 and 1959.
The course is long and is in the parish of Onchan in the Isle of Man. The course uses two short sections of the Snaefell Mountai ...
. A non-championship 750 cc class for sidecars was introduced at the
1968 event. For the
1976 event the race was held over two-legs. From 1975, the previous 500 cc and 750 cc classes for Sidecars were replaced by a 1000 cc engine capacity class.
The new
FIM
FIM may refer to:
Organizations and companies
* Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation
* Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States
* Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media
* ...
Formula 2 class for Sidecars was introduced for the 1990 Isle of Man TT.
* 1954–1959 FIM World Championship Event for Side-Cars not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity. Race held on the
Clypse Course
The Clypse Course describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Isle of Man TT Races between 1954 and 1959.
The course is long and is in the parish of Onchan in the Isle of Man. The course uses two short sections of the Snaefell Mountai ...
.
* 1960–1976 FIM World Championship Event held on
Mountain Course.
* 1968–1974 Non-Championship event for Sidecars not exceeding 750 cc.
* 1975–1989 Sidecars not exceeding 1000 cc engine capacity.
* 1990– FIM Formula 2 Sidecar race for two-stroke engines not exceeding 350 cc or four-stroke engines not exceeding 600 cc.
The 2015 specifications for entries into the Sidecar TT race are:
* Machines must comply with general technical rules as per ACU Standing Regulations and 2015 Isle of Man TT regulations.
** Engine Types
***501 – 600 cc, 4 stroke, 4 cylinder, Production based motorcycle engines.
Senior TT
![2010 senior TT IMG 1188](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/2010_senior_TT_IMG_1188.JPG)
For the
1911 Isle of Man TT
The 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races took place for the first time over the ''Isle of Man TT Mountain Course''. The whole organisation of the races was given over to the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU), which announced the use of the longer mountain ...
, the first TT event using the
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
or ''Mountain Course'', two separate races were introduced. The first event was a four lap
Junior TT
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Engine c ...
race and a separate
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
race for 500 cc single-cylinder and 585 cc twin-cylinder motorcycles, over five laps of the new Snaefell Mountain Course. The new technical challenges of the Mountain Course forced changes on entrants and motorcycle manufacturers alike. The American Indian motorcycle factory fitted a two-speed gearbox and chain-drive. This proved to be the winning combination when Oliver Godfrey won the 1911 Senior TT race riding an
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
at an average speed of . Fitted with a six-speed belt drive
Charlie Collier
Charles Richard Collier (1885–1954) of Plumstead, London, was a British motorcycle racer famous for winning Isle of Man TT races twice in his career. After competing in the 1906 International Cup Races on the European continent, Charlie Col ...
riding a Matchless motorcycle finished second in the 1911 Senior TT race and was later disqualified for illegal refuelling. During an early morning practice session for the 1911 Isle of Man TT races,
Victor Surridge
Victor John Surridge (1892 Chipping Ongar, Essex, UK – 27 June 1911 Glen Helen, Isle of Man) was an English motor-cycle racer who raced for the Rudge team. After the works Rudge factory team visited the Isle of Man TT Races for the first ...
died after crashing his
Rudge motorcycle at
Glen Helen, the first death of a competitor on the Snaefell Mountain Course and the first death in the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
of a person in an automotive accident.
:* 1911 For single cylinder motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity and 585 cc twin cylinder motorcycles.
:* 1912–1939 For motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity.
:* 1947–1948 For motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity and a ban on engine supercharging.
:* 1949–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity.
:* 1977–1984 for motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity.
:* 1985–2004 for motorcycles complying with ACU TT Formula 1 rules not exceeding 1,010 cc engine capacity.
:* 2004 onwards for motorcycles complying with ACU/FIM Superbike rules not exceeding 1,000 cc engine capacity.
The 2015 specifications for entries into the Senior TT race are:
* TT Superbike: (Machines complying with the 2015 FIM Superbike Championship specifications)
** Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke
** Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke
** Over 850 cc up to 1200 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke
:*Supersport
Junior TT
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Engine c ...
(without limitation of tyre choice)
:** TT Superstock (without limitation of tyre choice)
:** Other machines admitted at the discretion of the Organisers.
TT Zero
Starting from the
2010 races, the TT Zero event over one lap () of the
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
replaced the
TTXGP
TTXGP are the official promoters of FIM eRoadRacing, an electric motorsport race series. Founded by Azhar Hussain MBE in 2008, TTXGP started life as the first zero-carbon, clean-emission race to take place at the Isle of Man TT as teams from aro ...
. The TT Zero event as an officially sanctioned TT race is for
racing motorcycle
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
s where "''The technical concept is for motorcycles (two wheeled) to be powered without the use of carbon based fuels and have zero toxic/noxious emissions''". The Isle of Man Government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first entrant to exceed the prestigious (22 minutes and 38.388 seconds) average speed around the Mountain Course. This was achieved by
Michael Rutter
Sir Michael Llewellyn Rutter CBE FRS FRCP FRCPsych FMedSci (15 August 1933 – 23 October 2021) was the first person to be appointed professor of child psychiatry in the United Kingdom. He has been described as the "father of child psychol ...
of team
MotoCzysz
MotoCzysz (pronounced ) was an American motorcycle company based in Portland, Oregon that intended to compete in MotoGP. The C1 prototype engine was designed with perfect balance not needing a balance shaft. Some of the patented innovations inclu ...
in the 2012 race, and has been exceeded every year since.
In 2019, a moratorium on further events in this class was announced, due to the slow take-up in electric motorcycles. Speaking about the future of the event, Enterprise Minister
Alex Allinson
Alexander John Allinson (born 1966) is an English-born Manx physician and politician who serves as an independent member of the House of Keys, representing Ramsey since 2016. Allinson serves on the Council of Ministers as the current Minister f ...
has ruled out further competition in this class until at least 2024.
Discontinued race classes
Ultra-Lightweight TT
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...
was the first time the
Ultra-Lightweight TT
The Ultra-Lightweight TT was a motorcycle road race that took place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1951 and 1974 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season at ...
race took place for motorcycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity. It was won by
Jock Porter
John Adam Porter (1894–1952) was the first Scotsman to win the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race, and was a European Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion.
Career
From 1922 to 1940 he also marketed his own brand of motorcycle, New Gerrard. ...
, riding a
New Gerrard
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
motorcycle at an average speed of over three laps of the
Snaefell mountain course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
. The Ultra-Lightweight class was re-introduced in
1951
Events
January
* January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950).
* January 9 – The Government of the United ...
for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc until discontinued in 1974, and then re-introduced for 1989, again for two-stroke 125 cc motorcycles, until dropped again due to lack of entries after 2004. The event was reintroduced 2008–2009 held on the four-mile Billown Circuit and then dropped from the race schedule on cost grounds for the
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
races.
:* 1924–1925 For motorcycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity.
:* 1951–1953 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the
Snaefell mountain course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
.
:* 1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the
Clypse Course
The Clypse Course describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Isle of Man TT Races between 1954 and 1959.
The course is long and is in the parish of Onchan in the Isle of Man. The course uses two short sections of the Snaefell Mountai ...
.
:* 1960–1974 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.
:* 1989–2004 for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.
:* 2008–2009 for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the
Billown Circuit
The Billown Circuit is a motorcycle road-race course used for the Southern 100, the Pre-TT Classic races and the National Road Races meetings near Castletown on the Isle of Man. Racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynw ...
.
:*50 cc race 1962–1968, an additional World Championship event for Ultra-Lightweight motorcycles not exceeding 50 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.
Clubman TT and Production TT
The Clubman races with Lightweight, Junior and Senior classes were held for production motorcycles from
1947
It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Events
January
* January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...
until
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...
. A Senior 1000 cc class provided an opportunity for
Vincent motorcycles
Vincent Motorcycles was a British manufacturer of motorcycles from 1928 to 1955. The business was established by Philip Vincent who bought an existing manufacturing name HRD, initially renaming it as ''Vincent HRD'', producing his own motorcy ...
. The riders were little-known, but as the stars were barred from entering the class, it provided a stepping-stone for future-stars but resulted in less spectator-interest. The series became dominated by one model – the
BSA Gold Star
The BSA Gold Star is a motorcycle made by BSA from 1938 to 1963. They were 350 cc and 500 cc single-cylinder four-stroke production motorcycles known for being among the fastest bikes of the 1950s. Being hand built and with many opt ...
,
and with little competition from other manufacturers, was discontinued. When previewing the impending re-introduction of a specification-controlled, roadster-based class in March 1967, ''David Dixon'' wrote: "''lack of inter-make rivalry probably put the final nail in the coffin''".
[ ''Motor Cycle'', 9 March 1967, pp.284–286 ''Roadsters on the Magic Lap. A Production-TT Recce in Manxland'' by ''David Dixon''. Accessed 26 September 2015]
Writing in UK monthly magazine ''Motor Cyclist Illustrated'', racing journalist Ray Knight, who had achieved a lap speed of nearly 88 mph on a
Triumph Tiger 100
The Tiger 100 (T100) was a standard motorcycle first made by the British motorcycle company Triumph in 1939. Production ceased when the Triumph factory was destroyed by German bombing in 1940 during World War 2, but recommenced in 1946. Several ...
roadster-based racing motorcycle in the
Manx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...
, commented in early 1965 that the
ACU had refused a request from manufacturers to run a production TT race, which he thought was a missed opportunity, particularly considering the dwindling support for the 500 cc race.
A Production TT for roadster-based motorcycles having classes for maximum engine capacities of 250 cc, 500 cc and 750 cc was introduced from
1967
Events
January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 5
** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
until
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
when the class was discontinued.
The Production TT was reintroduced for the 1984 races in three classes, reduced to two classes on safety grounds for the 1990 races. For the
2005 races the Superstock class replaced the previous 1000 cc and 600 cc Production TT classes that had been part of the race schedule since 1989.
TT course official vehicles
After the completion of a practice or race period, an official course vehicle displaying the notice ''Roads Open'' proceeds around the Mountain Course, passing each point opening the roads including side-access junctions to public use. On the
Snaefell mountain road
The A18 Snaefell Mountain Road or ''Mountain Road'' ( gv, Giat y Clieau) is a primary main A-road of in length which connects the towns of Douglas and Ramsey in the Isle of Man.
Description
The Mountain Road is part of Isle of Man TT Mountai ...
section from Ramsey to Douglas, the official vehicle displays the notice ''Roads Open One Way.''
Travelling Marshals
Originally introduced in 1935, there are eight machines positioned around the course to
provide a rapid response to any incidents. Selected riders have previous race experience and are first-aid trained, with machines carrying medical equipment that can assist in managing a casualty. They also have other duties such as course inspection, observation of machines on the course for visible faults, and review and report any course incidents.
Crossing places during practice and races
The 1982 Road Racing Act (Isle of Man) and the supplementary TT Road Races Orders allow vehicles and pedestrians to cross the Snaefell Mountain Course at certain points between scheduled race periods under the supervision of a police officer. Several permanent pedestrian overbridges have been erected. These points include:
In Douglas
*
A2 St Ninian's Crossroads with the
A22 Ballaquayle Road and the A22 Ballanard Road
* A2 junction at
Bray Hill
Bray Hill ( Lowland Scots: ''Brae'' a slope) was formerly a country lane known as the ''Great Hill'' during the time of the ownership of the Duke of Atholl, and was previously known as ''Siberia'', originally a triangle-shaped parcel of land i ...
with the Tromode Road and Stoney Road
*
A1 Peel Road between
Braddan Bridge
Braddan Bridge (Irish: ''Naomh Breandán'', Saint Brendan of Clonfert, ''the Navigator'' or ''the Voyager'') is a bridge over the river Dhoo on the Douglas to Peel road, from which a halt on the Isle of Man Railway's first line to Peel took i ...
(Jubilee Oak) and the
Quarterbridge
Quarterbridge Crossing ''('' Manx'': Crossag Droghad y Cherroo)'' was the first major crossing point of the Isle of Man Railway's first line from Douglas to Peel. It opened in 1873, but closed in 1968, with the rest of the line.
History
A gated ...
* A2 Governor's Road, Onchan, the A2 Glencrutchery Road and Victoria Road at
Governor's Bridge
* A2 Glencrutchery Road between Second & Third Avenues and Victoria Road
* A18 Bemahague Road at
Bedstead Corner,
Onchan
Onchan (; glv, Kione Droghad) is a village in the parish of Onchan on the Isle of Man. It is at the north end of Douglas Bay. Administratively a district, it has the second largest population of settlements on the island, after Douglas, with wh ...
File:Footbridge Glencrutchery Road Douglas Geograph 2389882.jpg, Pedestrian overbridge at Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, close to start/finish and TT Grandstand
The TT Grandstand including the startline, pit lane, re-fuellers, merchandising, scoreboard and paddocks for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix races is situated on the A2 Glencrutchery Road, in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man.
History ...
File:Footbridge over the TT course near Hailwood Avenue Geograph 3936898.jpg, Pedestrian overbridge at Bedstead Corner, Douglas, with ''Hailwood Avenue'' junction to right
Elsewhere
* A1 Douglas to Peel road with the
A23 Eyreton Road and the B36 Old Church Road,
Crosby Crosby may refer to:
Places
;Canada
*Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario
*Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario
;England
*Crosby, Cumbria
*Crosby, Lincolnshire
*Crosby, Merseyside
** Crosby (U ...
*
A3 Castletown to Ramsey road junction with B10 Sartfield Road and the Ballaleigh Road at
Barregarrow
Barregarrow ( gv, Bayr Garroo ) is a district located between the 13th milestone and 14th milestones on the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road including the area of the Barregarrow cross-road junction and the C4 Ballaleigh Road and B10 Sartfield (Bran ...
Crossroads,
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
* A3 junction with
A10 Station Road and C37 Ballaugh Glen Road at
Ballaugh Bridge
__NOTOC__
Ballaugh Bridge is located on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey road and adjacent to the road junctions with the A10 Ballaugh to Ramsey coast road and the tertiary C37 Ballaugh Glen Road in the parish of Ballaugh in the Isle of Ma ...
* A3 junction with
A14 Sandygate Road and A14 Tholt-y-Will Glen Road at Sulby Crossroads
* A2 Albert Square and Princes Road,
Ramsey
Ramsey may refer to:
Geography British Isles
* Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England
* Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England
** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey"
* Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...
at the junction with
A18 A18 or A-18 is a three-character acronym that may refer to:
* A18 road (disambiguation), in several countries
* A-18 Shrike, a Curtiss Model 76A twin radial engine monoplane service test aircraft of the mid-1930s
* Aero A.18, a Czech fighter aircra ...
Snaefell Mountain Road, close to May Hill
File:School house corner IMG 0159.JPG, Pedestrian overbridge before School House Corner, western approach to Ramsey
Ramsey may refer to:
Geography British Isles
* Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England
* Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England
** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey"
* Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...
town
File:May Hill Isle of Man.jpg, Pedestrian overbridge exiting Ramsey
Ramsey may refer to:
Geography British Isles
* Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England
* Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England
** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey"
* Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...
town centre, looking south-east towards May Hill
File:Footbridge over the TT course near Bungalow Station Geograph 2537938.jpg, Pedestrian overbridge at The Bungalow
The Bungalow was an institution for Aboriginal children established in 1914 in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. It existed at several locations in Alice Springs (then called Stuart), Jay Creek and the Alice Springs Tele ...
, on Snaefell mountain
TT Course access road
![Steam Heritage Trail Isle of Man Geograph 2112551](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Steam_Heritage_Trail_Isle_of_Man_Geograph_2112551.jpg)
The TT Access Road runs parallel to a section of the
A1 Peel Road, which is part of the
Snaefell Mountain Course
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...
, and operates during practice and race periods to enable vehicles to pass from inside of the race course to the outside. It runs along a section of former railway line on the historic Douglas to
Peel route, from the junction of the
A5 ''New Castletown Road'' at the
Quarter Bridge, passing under the course at
Braddan Bridge
Braddan Bridge (Irish: ''Naomh Breandán'', Saint Brendan of Clonfert, ''the Navigator'' or ''the Voyager'') is a bridge over the river Dhoo on the Douglas to Peel road, from which a halt on the Isle of Man Railway's first line to Peel took i ...
, to an exit at Braddan School Road in Douglas outskirts, near the former
Braddan Railway Halt and the
A23/Ballafletcher Road junction. The access road is a narrow,
single-track width with passing places and is restricted to cars and light vans below a weight limit of . When used for vehicular traffic, pedestrian access is prohibited, but at other times it is part of a system of
nature trails
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. T ...
.
Safety
Between 1907 and 2022, there have been 155 fatalities during official practices or races on the Snaefell Mountain Course, and 265 total fatalities (this number includes the riders killed during the Manx Grand Prix, and Clubman TT race series of the late 1940s/1950s).
In 2016, 5 riders died on the course during official practices or races. There were six fatalities among competitors in the 1970 Isle of Man TT
The 1970 Isle of Man TT, the fourth round of the 1970 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, involved a number of races on the Mountain Course on the Isle of Man. For the third consecutive year, Giacomo Agostini won both the Junior and Senior race ...
, making it the deadliest year in the history of the event.
2018 Course Car incident
On 30 May 2018, an experienced TT rider, Steve Mercer,[Isle of Man TT outlines changes after Mercer course car collision](_blank)
''Autosport
''Autosport'' is a global motorsport publishing brand headquartered based in Richmond, London. It was established in 1950 at the same time as the origins of the Formula One World Championship.
Autosport began life as a weekly magazine in 1950 ...
'', 18 April 2019, Retrieved 26 January 2020 was seriously injured during a head-on collision with an official Course Car at Ballacrye. The car, being driven at high speed, was conveying police officers to officiate at the scene of a fatality involving Dan Kneen. Mercer was unconscious for five days and hospitalised for five months due to multiple injuries. He was one of seven riders who had been halted on the course and turned back by marshals, being instructed to proceed back to the TT Grandstand
The TT Grandstand including the startline, pit lane, re-fuellers, merchandising, scoreboard and paddocks for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix races is situated on the A2 Glencrutchery Road, in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man.
History ...
area in the reverse direction after the red flag stoppage.[Mercer crash report still unavailable one year on](_blank)
bikesportnews, 10 June 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020 Immediately after the accident the organisers changed their protocols, requiring that returning riders must be controlled by motorcycle-mounted travelling marshals to the front and rear. An independent inquiry into the circumstances was arranged by ACU Events, the event organisers.
The Auto-Cycle Union
The Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) is the governing body of motorcycle sport in Great Britain, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, but excluding Northern Ireland. , the Isle of Man Department for Enterprise, and the inquiry report author, lawyer Rob Jones, a former chief executive of the Motor Sports Association
Motorsport UK, formerly known as the Motor Sports Association (MSA), is a national membership organisation and governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the United Kingdom. Legally, it is a not-for-profit private company limited by guarantee.
...
, all refused to release the report as it was confidential and privately owned by the ACU.[TT organisers refuse to reveal contents of serious crash investigation](_blank)
''BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
'', 7 December 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2020
The ACU admitted liability for the accident, but instructed that any legal claim for compensation by Mercer must be filed in the Isle of Man. The ACU stated that Mercer was receiving financial assistance through its "extensive insurance arrangements".
In 2019, it was reported that the driver of the car in the collision had quit after criticism that he exceeded a newly introduced speed limit recorded by a GPS tracking device
A GPS tracking unit, geotracking unit, satellite tracking unit, or simply tracker is a GPS device, navigation device normally on a vehicle, Asset management, asset, person or GPS animal tracking, animal that uses satellite navigation to deter ...
when he drove to attend a fatality involving Chris Swallow at Ballaugh
Ballaugh ( ; , ) is a small village on the Isle of Man in the parish of Ballaugh (parish), the same name, in the sheading of Michael (parish), Michael. It is the only village in the parish.
The parish adjoins Jurby to the north, Lezayre to the e ...
in August's Senior Classic TT. Gary Thompson, Clerk of the Course and an ACU employee, had been criticised in 2018 for also fulfilling the role of Safety Officer; consequently a new incumbent was in place for 2019.
Cancellations
World Wars I and II
From 1915 to 1919, and 1940 to 1946, no TT events took place, due to the outbreak of World Wars I and II. Events continued from 1920 to 1939 and 1947 to 2000.
Since TT 1947, the Isle of Man TT has only been cancelled three times; 2001, 2020 and 2021, all of which were due to viral outbreaks.
2001 cancellation
The 2001 Isle of Man TT races were cancelled because of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK in the spring and summer of 2001. Disinfecting 40,000 spectators and competitors (and their motorcycles) to ensure the disease was kept off the island proved difficult.
2020 and 2021 cancellations
In March 2020, the Isle of Man Government announced the cancellation of the 2020 TT due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The Classic TT was subsequently cancelled in May, and in December 2020, it was announced that 2021's TT races would also not go ahead, due to the continued worldwide spread of the virus. In 2020, the Isle of Man Government lost an estimated £4.8 million of its annual projected revenue due to the cancellation of the TT races.
The event returned in 2022 after a two-year absence.
Total overall race winners
FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship Rounds (1949–1976)
The Isle of Man TT was part of the FIM
FIM may refer to:
Organizations and companies
* Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation
* Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States
* Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media
* ...
Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship (now MotoGP) between 1949 and 1976. During this period the Isle of Man TT Races counted as the United Kingdom round including the Sidecar TT
The Sidecar TT is a motorcycle-with-sidecar road race competition held over two legs which takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1954 and 1976 this race was part of the Gr ...
, 50 cc Ultra-Lightweight TT, 125 cc Lightweight TT, 250 cc Lightweight TT, 350 cc Junior TT and 500 cc Senior TT races counted towards the FIM Motor-Cycle Grand Prix World Championship. After the 1972 races, multiple world champion and dominant motorcycle racer of his time Giacomo Agostini
Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian multi-time world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed Ago, he amassed 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500  ...
announced he would never race again at the Isle of Man, declaring it too dangerous for international competition and that it was outrageous that such a race should ever be part of a scenario professional riders were forced into; at this point the Isle of Man TT was not suited to the growing professionalism and business aspects of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. More and more riders joined his boycott, and after 1976 the race was stricken from the championship and replaced by the British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor race organised in the United Kingdom by the Royal Automobile Club. First held in 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a round of the FIA Formula One World C ...
.
Multiple winners (riders)
Multiple winners (manufacturers)
By year
Current lap records
Current race records
Race awards
Race winner trophies
* Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars Trophy.
Fastest lap awards
Special awards
Other Special awards
::*''Fastest Newcomer'' – The Vernon Cooper Trophy
::::
::*''Most Meritorious Female'' – The Susan Jenness Trophy is awarded yearly by the Executive Committee of the TT Supporters' Club, in recognition of the "most meritorious performance by a female competitor" during the previous TT meeting.
:::::
Video games
There have been numerous videogames based on the Isle of Man TT, the first being the 1995 Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
arcade game Manx TT Super Bike
''Manx TT Super Bike'' is a 1995 arcade racing game developed jointly by Sega AM3 and Sega-AM4. It is a motorcycle racing game built for the Sega Model 2 arcade board. Up to 8 players can race in this game if enough arcade cabinets are linked ...
, which was later ported to the Sega Saturn
The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...
in 1997. Several other games have followed since, including Suzuki TT Superbikes (2005), TT Superbikes: Real Road Racing Championship and TT Superbikes Legends (both 2008), all of which were released exclusively for the PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, and developed by Jester Interactive
Jester Interactive is a video game developer based in North Wales in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1997 as a trading arm of Morgan Computing Limited. It would later trade under the name Jester Interactive Limited, and after going into ...
.
Bigben Interactive
Nacon (formerly Bigben Interactive) is a French video game company based in Lesquin. It designs and distributes gaming accessories, and publishes and distributes video games for various platforms. In 2020 Bigben Group was consolidated to form Na ...
has since revived the TT game license, releasing TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge in 2018 and TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 in 2020.
See also
* List of named corners of the Snaefell Mountain Course
The Snaefell Mountain Course, a motorsport racing circuit that was once part of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, has more than 60 named corners, bends, straightaways, and other features. Unlike the closed-circuit race tracks now used in all Gran ...
* North West 200
The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...
* Outline of motorcycles and motorcycling
The following outline is provided as an overview of motorcycles and motorcycling:
Motorcycle — two-wheeled, single-track motor vehicle. Other names include: motorbike, bike, and cycle.
Motorcycling — act of riding a motorcycle, around wh ...
Notes
Citations
References
* Barker, Stuart (2007). ''100 One Hundred Years of the TT.'' EMAP
* Duckworth, Mick (2007). ''TT 100 – The Authorised History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Racing.'' Lily Publications
* Harris, Nick (1991). ''Motocourse History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races 1907–1989'' Hazelton Publishing
* Mac McDiarmid (2004). ''The Magic of The TT. A Century of Racing over The Mountain'' Haynes Publishing.
* Noyes, Denis (1999) ''50 Years of Moto Grand Prix.'' Hazelton Publishing Ltd
* Pidcock, Fred & Snelling, Bill (2007) ''History of the Isle of Man Clubman's TT Races 1947–1956.'' Amulree Publications
* Savage, Mike (1997) ''TT Heroes.'' Amulree Publications
* Snelling, Bill (1996). ''The Tourist Trophy in Old Photographs Collected by Bill Snelling.'' Sutton Publishing
* Stroud, Jon (2007). ''The Little Book of the TT.'' Green Umbrella Publishing
* Wright, David (2007). ''100 Years of the Isle of Man TT Races. A Century of Motorcycle Racing.'' Crowood Press
* Wright, David (2006). ''TT Topics and Tales.'' Amulree Publications
External links
* by IoM Department for Enterprise
Route of Isle of Man TT
(Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...
)
{{coord, 54, 10, 02, N, 4, 28, 44, W, region:GB_source:kolossus-cawiki, display=title
1907 establishments in the Isle of Man
Recurring sporting events established in 1907
Summer events in the Isle of Man
Annual sporting events in the United Kingdom