Isle of Man TT

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 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph (32 km/h) 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 52.15-mile (83.93 km) Highroads Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial which was won by Clifford Earl (Napier) in 7 hours 26.5 minutes for five laps (255.5 mi or 411.2 km) of the Highroads Course. 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 and was won by John Napier (Arrol-Johnston) in 6 hours and 9 minutes at an average speed of 33.90 mph (54.56 km/h).

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 after 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 motorcycle competitors to climb the steep Mountain Section of the course forced the organisers to use a 25-mile (40 km) section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. This ran from Douglas south to Castletown and then north to Ballacraine along the primary A3 road and returned to the start at the Quarterbridge in Douglas via Crosby and Glen Vine along the current Snaefell Mountain Course in the reverse direction. The 1905 International Motor-Cycle Cup Race for five laps (125 mi or 201 km) 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 30.04 mph (48.34 km/h).

Format of the races

The TT Races since the first race in 1907 have been in the format of time-trial. The races held on the Clypse Course 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.

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 165 kg (364 lb). Other machines admitted at the discretion of the Organisers

Supersport TT

The 1911 Isle of Man TT was the first time the Junior TT race took place, open to 300 cc single-cylinder and 340 cc twin cylinder motorcycles, contested over five laps of the new 37.5-mile (60.4 km) 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 41.45 mph (66.71 km/h). The 1912 event was the first to limit the Junior TT to only 350 cc machines and this engine capacity prevailed 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.

1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the Clypse Course.

1960–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.

1977–1993 for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.

1994 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)

Minimum Weight 161 kg

Superstock TT

The 2015 specifications for entries for the Superstock TT, 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

The 1922 event was the first time the Lightweight TT race took place, won by a motorcycle-journalist Geoff S. Davison, riding a Levis at an average speed of 49.89 mph (80.29 km/h) for seven laps of the Snaefell Mountain Course. As with the Ultra-Lightweight TT Race, the event was dropped from the race schedule in 2004, but was reintroduced 2008–2009, 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.

1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Clypse Course.

1960–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.

1977–2004 for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.

2008–2009 for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Billown Circuit.

2012– The event was re-introduced from the 2012 event for water-cooled four-stroke twin cylinder not exceeding a capacity of 650 cc and complying with the ACU Standing Regulations.

The 2015 specifications for entries into the Lightweight TT race are:

Machines must comply with general technical rules as per ACU Standing Regulations and 2015 IOM TT 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 road use 2006 or later.

Sidecar TT

The 1923 TT was the first time the Sidecar TT race was run, over three laps (113 mi or 182 km) of the Mountain Course and was won by Freddie Dixon and passenger Walter Perry with a Douglas and special banking-sidecar at an average race speed of 53.15 mph (85.54 km/h). For the 1926 event the Sidecar and Ultra-Lightweight TT 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. 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 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.

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

For the 1911 Isle of Man TT, the first TT event using the Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course, two separate races were introduced. The first event was a four lap Junior TT race and a separate Senior TT race for 500 cc single-cylinder and 585 cc twin-cylinder motorcycles, over five laps of the new 37.5-mile (60.4 km) 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 at an average speed of 47.63 mph (76.65 km/h). Fitted with an obsolete six-speed belt drive, Charlie Collier 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 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 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 (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 (37.73 mi or 60.72 km) of the Snaefell Mountain Course replaced the TTXGP. The TT Zero event as an officially sanctioned TT race is for racing motorcycles 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 100 mph (160 km/h) (22 minutes and 38.388 seconds) average speed around the Mountain Course. This was achieved by Michael Rutter of team MotoCzysz in the 2012 race, and has been exceeded every year since.

Ultra-Lightweight TT

1924 was the first time the Ultra-Lightweight TT race took place for motorcycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity. It was won by Jack Porter, riding a New Imperial motorcycle at an average speed of 51.21 mph (82.41 km/h) over three laps of the Snaefell mountain course. The Ultra-Lightweight class was re-introduced in 1951 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 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.

1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Clypse Course.

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.

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 until 1956. A Senior 1000 cc class provided an opportunity for Vincent motorcycles. 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, 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".

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 roadster-based racing motorcycle in the Manx Grand Prix, 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 until 1976 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 & 600 cc Production TT classes that had been part of the race schedule since 1989.

Practice sessions

At the TT races there is usually one week of practice and one week of racing. Historically there was an early morning practice session from 05:00–07:30 am but this was discontinued from the 2004 races. During an early morning practice at the 1927 Isle of Man TT, Archie Birkin, brother of Tim Birkin of the Bentley Boys, was killed at Rhencullen. From 1928 practice sessions for the Isle of Man TT Races and Manx Grand Prix were held on closed roads. Evening practice sessions were introduced for the 1937 Isle of Man TT and continue to this day. The Thursday afternoon practice session from 13:45–17:00, introduced in the late 1950s, was discontinued from the Centenary races in 2007.

A schedule for practice sessions is announced each year well in advance. For the 2016 races a provisional schedule was announced by mid-July 2015, and changes in the schedule were highlighted.

But for example, the 2015 event began with a Saturday evening untimed practice session from 18:00 – 21:30, with the public roads that comprise the Snaefell Mountain Course closed. The section of the primary A18 Snaefell Mountain Road from Ramsey Hairpin to Creg-ny-Baa was to close at 16:45 for the practice periods (from 17:00 hours from the Bungalow), 1 hour and 15 minutes before the rest of the course.

The first practice session in 2015 was to provide four controlled laps for newcomers, two for new Solo competitors and two for new Sidecar competitors. Competitors would be escorted for one lap of the Mountain Course by the Travelling Marshals at a steady pace and accompanied by experienced Isle of Man TT and/or Manx Grand Prix competitors.

The schedule for the first Saturday untimed session in 2015 was:

18:20 – 18:45 Solo Motor-Cycles Newcomers Speed Control Lap18:35 – 19:00 Sidecar Newcomers' Control Lap18:50 – 19:50 Lightweight TT / Newcomers (all solo classes)19:55 – 20:50 Sidecar practice session.

Practice week sessions

The main practice and timed practice sessions are usually held on Monday-Friday of the next week. The public roads forming the Mountain Course were to be closed in 2015 between 18:00 – 21:30 for the Solo and Sidecar classes. Some would-be racers need to qualify for races by achieving satisfactory practice times during these sessions.

Schedule for the five-day timed session Monday-Friday of practice week in 2015:

18:20 – 19:55 Solo Motor-Cycles timed practice session.20:00 – 20:50 Sidecar timed practice session.

Race week practice sessions

Further scheduled timed practice sessions after the race periods for the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races:

Saturday 6 June:

16:40 – 17:40 Solo Motor-Cycles timed practice session.

Mad Sunday, 7 June: No practice sessions were scheduled during "Mad Sunday", a day when many fans ride the TT course themselves. An exception to this non-scheduling was in 2013 when there was racing on the afternoon of Mad Sunday. In 2013, Inspector Derek Flint said: "Even though the benefits of the mountain being one way are in place for the entire two weeks these days, Mad Sunday is traditionally a time for that little bit of extra exuberance, which creates us problems when people run out of skill, then run out of road". Police are out in force, and in 2013 large numbers of fans were expected to ride due to very favourable weather forecasts.

Monday 8 June:

12:30 – 13:00 Sidecar timed practice session.

Wednesday 10 June:

15:50 – 16:45 Solo Motor-Cycles timed practice session for the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races.

Practice TT Zero

Schedule for the TT Zero Challenge timed sessions in 2015 was:

Friday 5 June 20:30 – 20:50

Saturday 6 June 17:45 – 18:30

Monday 8 June 16:00 – 16:30

In the event of inclement weather either delaying or leading to the cancellation of one or more timed practice sessions, a reserve morning session could be held with the public roads closed 06:00 – 07:30 on the Mountain Course. Further untimed practice sessions are held during race week after the racing has been completed for selected race classes.

Race schedule

In 2015 there were four scheduled race days:

Saturday 6 June:

11:00 Superbike Race, 6 laps (236.38 mi or 380.42 km)14:00 Sidecar Race 1, 3 laps (113.00 mi or 181.86 km)

Monday 8 June:

10:45 Supersport Race 1, 4 laps (150.92 mi or 242.88 km)14:00 Superstock Race, 4 laps (150.92 mi or 242.88 km)

Wednesday 10 June:

10:45 TT Zero Challenge Race, 1 lap (37.73 mi or 60.72 km)12:00 Supersport TT Race 2, 4 laps (150.92 mi or 242.88 km)14:30 Sidecar Race 2, 3 laps (113.00 mi or 181.86 km)

Friday 12 June:

10:15 Lightweight TT Race, 3 laps (113.00 mi or 181.86 km)13:00 Senior TT Race, 6 laps (236.38 mi or 380.42 km)

The section of the primary A18 Snaefell Mountain Road from Ramsey Hairpin (Barrule Park, Ramsey) to Creg-ny-Baa was to close for the race periods 45 minutes before the rest of the course (30 minutes from the Bungalow).

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 section from Ramsey to Douglas, the official vehicle displays the notice Roads Open One Way.

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 with the Tromode Road and Stoney Road

A1 Peel Road between Braddan Bridge (Jubilee Oak) and the Quarterbridge

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

Elsewhere

A1 Douglas to Peel road with the A23 Eyreton Road and the B36 Old Church Road, Crosby

A3 Castletown to Ramsey road junction with B10 Sartfield Road and the Ballaleigh Road at Barregarrow Crossroads, Michael

A3 junction with A10 Station Road and C37 Ballaugh Glen Road at Ballaugh Bridge

A3 junction with A14 Sandygate Road and A14 Tholt-y-Will Glen Road at Sulby Crossroads

A2 Albert Square and Princes Road, Ramsey at the junction with A18 Snaefell Mountain Road, close to May Hill

TT Course access road

The TT Access Road runs parallel to a section of the A1 Peel Road, which is part of the Snaefell Mountain Course, 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, 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 3,500 kilograms (3.4 long tons; 3.9 short tons). When used for vehicular traffic, pedestrian access is prohibited, but at other times it is part of a system of nature-trails.

Description

The Oxford Companion to World Sports and Games notes:

The oldest motor-cycle racing circuit still in use is the Snaefell Mountain Course over which the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races are run. Starting at the town of Douglas on the south-east coast, the course takes a wide sweep to the west and north to enter the town of Ramsey on the north-east coast and thence return to the starting point, each lap measuring 37 ³⁄₄ miles (60.7 km) and taking in over 200 bends while climbing from sea level to an altitude of over 1,300 ft (396 m). This circuit is the epitome of the natural road course, all the roads used being ordinary public highways closed for the racing and practice sessions.

During race week, the TT races create a carnival atmosphere with picnicking spectators flanking vantage points on the circuit similar to other community festivals in another form of cycle racing – the Tour de Yorkshire and Le Tour de France.

Safety and danger

Between 1907 and 2015 there have been 246 fatalities, of which 141 were competitors, during official practices or races for the Isle of Man TT Races. In 2016, 5 riders died on the course during official practices or races, bringing the total number of fatalities to 251. There were six fatalities among competitors in the 1970 Isle of Man TT, making it the deadliest year in the history of the event.

FIM Championship Rounds (1949–1976)

The Isle of Man TT was part of the FIM Motor-Cycle 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, 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.

Race winner trophies

^1 Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars Trophy.