Isle of Man TT

History

Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial, restricted to touring automobiles. The Motor Car Act 1903 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph on all automobiles in the UK, effectively restricting road racing activities. Julian Orde, Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities on the Isle of Man for the permission to race automobiles on the island's public roads. The Manx government agreed, and passed the Highways (Light Locomotive) Act. This gave permission for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial to take place on the Isle of Man around the 52.15 mi Highroads Course. The first year of the trial was won by Clifford Earl (Napier) in 7 hours 26.5 minutes, driving five laps of the Highroads Course for a total of 255.5 mi. The following year, the Gordon Bennett Trial was held again, on 30 May 1905 and was again won by Clifford Earl driving a Napier automobile, completing six laps in 6 hours and 6 minutes. In September 1905, the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race for automobiles, now known as the RAC Tourist Trophy was held. This race was won by John Napier (Arrol-Johnston) in 6 hours and 9 minutes at an average speed of 33.90 mph.

In 1905, it was decided to run an eliminating trial for motorcycles the day after the Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial. This was to qualify a team to represent Great Britain in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Race held in Austria. The inability of the motorcycles to climb the steep Mountain Section of the course forced the organisers to use a smaller 25 mi section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course that included less elevation. This ran from Douglas south to Castletown and then north to Ballacraine along the primary A3 road, returning 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 consisted of five laps, and was won by J.S. Campbell (Ariel) despite a fire during a pit stop. Campbell completed the 125 mi (201 km) race distance in 4 hours, 9 minutes and 36 seconds at an average race speed of 30.04 mph.

The 1906 International Motor-Cycle Cup race was plagued by accusations of cheating and fraudulence. Frustrated by the experience, the Secretary of the Auto-Cycle Club, Freddie Straight, brothers Charlie Collier and Harry Collier of Matchless Motorcycles, and the Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars (president of the FICM) had a conversation on the train journey home that led to a suggestion of a race the following year for road touring motorcycles based on the automobile races held on the Isle of Man.

Early history (1907–1948)

At the Annual Auto Cycle Club dinner party on 17 January 1907, the editor of Motorcycle Magazine formally proposed this new race for motorcycles on the Isle of Man. This new race, named the Auto-Cycle Tourist Trophy, was to take inspiration from the earlier motorcycle trial race that was held in 1905, running on a shorter course with less elevation than the mountain course used by automobiles. This shorter course, named the St. John’s Short Course formed a 15.85 mile triangular shape, and the race was set at 10 laps for a 158.5 mi (255 km) overall distance. Based on the touring oriented style racing at the time, two classes were established for the Auto Cycle Tourist Trophy based on number of cylinders and fuel economy. The first was a single cylinder class, with a fuel economy limit of 90 miles per gallon of fuel, and the second was a two cylinder class, with fuel economy limit of 75 miles per gallon of fuel throughout the race. The machines competing were mandated to be touring motorcycles equipped with saddles, pedals, mudguards, exhaust silencers, and a toolkit.[[File:Norton TT 1907 02.jpg|thumb|Rem Fowler and his Peugeot engined Norton]] The first Isle of Man TT race was held on Tuesday 28 May 1907. Charles Collier won the single cylinder class riding a Matchless machine at an average speed of 38.22 mph. Rem Fowler won the two cylinder class riding a Peugeot engined Norton at an average speed of 36.22 mph. Of the 25 race entrants, only 12 finished the race. Auto-Cycle Tourist Trophy Races continued for the next four years on the St John's Short Course. For the 1908 race, the fuel consumption was raised to 100 mpg for single-cylinder machines and 80 mpg for twin-cylinder machines and the use of pedals was banned. The 1908 race was won by Jack Marshall on a Triumph motorcycle at an average speed of 40.49 mph (65.16 km/h). In 1909, the fuel consumption regulations were abandoned along with the use of exhaust silencers. The single-cylinder machines were limited to a capacity of 500cc and the twins to a 750cc engine capacity. Due to the concern over increasing lap-speed, the 1910 event saw the capacity of the twin-cylinder machines reduced to 670cc. By 1910, the last year of the short course, the average speed had risen to 55.15 mph, achieved by Charlie Collier riding on a Matchless motorcycle.

Due to the ever increasing speeds and technical innovations seen in previous years competitions, the 1911 TT was moved to the much longer and challenging Snaefell Mountain Course. At the time this course was 37.40 miles (60.19 km) long, with its layout differing slightly from the current mountain course. Similar to the short course of the previous years, much of the mountain course consisted of unpaved dusty tracks with loose rutted surfaces that created many obstacles for the riders to overcome. The two classes were changed and renamed as the Senior and Junior classes. The Senior class permitted single cylinder machines with engines displacing up to 500cc and two cylinder machines with engines up to 500cc. The Junior class permitted 300cc single cylinder and 340cc two cylinder motorcycles. Each class was run in their own separate race, instead of together as in previous years. The Senior race was five laps and the Junior race was four laps. The steep gradients of the mountain course made the single gear machines of the past years obsolete, requiring manufacturers to develop some type of transmission to be competitive. American built Indian motorcycles proved to be well suited to the mountain course and won the top three positions in the Senior TT race. Oliver Godfrey won the Senior class with an average speed of 47.63 mph. The 1911 TT recorded the first fatality at the motorcycle race with Victor Surridge dying from a crash during practice.

The Isle of Man TT continued in a similar format for the next three years. The 1912 race was boycotted due to protests from some Isle of Man residents regarding the safety of the event. Despite this the TT continued, albeit with a much reduced entry list. Additionally the classes were tweaked for 1912 with both single and two cylinder motorcycles being held to the same engine displacement, 500cc for the Senior, and 350cc for the Junior. The 1913 race saw a large rebound in the number of entrants compared to the previous year. The race format was changed, now with two races per class. A six lap Junior race was split up into two races, a two lap event, and a four lap event. The seven lap Senior race was split up, starting with a three lap event, with another 4 lap race being run concurrently with the 4 lap Junior race. The 1914 race was the last to be held before the outbreak of World War I, motorcycle racing would not return to the Isle of Man until 1920.

With sufficient entries to satisfy the ACU, the TT returned in 1920 with multiple changes made to the event. The course was altered to its current 37.75 mile format, with the riders now starting at the top of Bray Hill. A new Lightweight class was added as part of the Junior race. This Lightweight class permitted motorcycles displacing up to 250cc. The first and second place winners of the 1920 Senior TT were the first to finish a TT with an average speed over 50 miles per hour. In the following 1921 TT, Howard Davies became the first and only rider to have ever won a Senior TT while riding a Junior TT machine. By 1922, the Lightweight class had proved to be popular enough that it became its own five lap race, for a total of three separate races in the event. The 1923 running of the TT saw Stanley Woods win his first TT in the Junior race. Another class change came in 1923 with the introduction of the Sidecar class being run in its own three lap race. Freddie Dixon and Walter Perry won this inaugural sidecar race at an average speed of 53.15 miles per hour.

A new Ultra-Lightweight Class was added for the 1924 TT, which permitted machines displacing up to 175cc, competing in their own race. The 1924 Lightweight TT was unique in that it was a "mass start" event in which the entire grid started at the same time. This is in contrary to the typical TT races in which the riders are started one by one with a set time interval. In 1925 Wal Handley became the first rider ever to win two TT races in one week, taking first place in both the Junior and Ultra-Lightweight races. In 1926 the ACU removed both the Sidecar and the Ultra-Lightweight classes due to a lack of entries. Additionally, there was pressure from the manufacturers to remove the sidecar class due to their feelings that racing was not the best way to promote sidecar sales. This left only the Senior, Junior and Lightweight classes, each running in their own seven lap race. The 1926 TT also produced the first ever 70 mile per hour lap, set by Jimmy Simpson who had also set the first 60 mile per hour lap average. Throughout the 1920s road conditions the Mountain Course gradually improved, and by the end of the decade almost the entire mountain section was paved. The improved course, combined with motorcycle development saw lap records consistently broken during this period.

From the first Isle of Man TT in 1907 all the way through 1927, practice occurred with the roads open. Therefore, riders had to avoid pedestrians and vehicles that were going about their daily business. During a practice session for the 1927 TT, rider Archie Birkin swerved to dodge a fish van on the road and ended up hitting a wall. He died from his injuries, and this incident prompted the ACU to close roads for practice every year thereafter.

The popularity of the TT had been building throughout the 1920s and by 1930, portions of the Senior TT were broadcast by BBC for the first time. The increase in popularity brought an increase in the prize money, which in turn attracted more participants. The 1930 race saw entrants from 19 different countries, cementing the Isle of Man TT as a significant international motorcycle racing event. This is further proved by the 1931 event, in which 153 machines of 22 different makes entered, including eight foreign factory teams. Jimmy Simpson again raised the bar in the 1931 Senior TT and set the first 80 mile per hour lap record. Despite being the first rider to set 60, 70, and 80 mile per hour laps, Jimmy Simpson had still not won a TT by 1931. In the face of mounting international factory competition, British built bikes remained the most competitive over the first half of the 1930’s. The two most dominant British makes at the time were Norton and Rudge and their battles to be the fastest at the TT bred significant innovations in their race bikes such as overhead camshafts and multi-valve heads. The British dominance would come to an end in 1935 when experienced rider Standley Woods switched to Moto Guzzi motorcycles. He went on to win both the Senior and the Lightweight races, setting a new course record in the process.

To remain competitive, British manufacturers such as Norton and Velocette, chose to focus on the handling of their single cylinder motorcycles. With more advanced suspension systems front and rear, the singles remained in the fight and in 1938, Harold Daniell riding a Norton, set the first ever average race speed above 90 miles per hour. This record of 91 mph over seven laps of the Mountain course would stand for 12 years until being broken after World War II. The 1938 TT was also the first to have a German made motorcycle win a race, with a two-stroke DKW winning the Lightweight TT. The German manufacturers returned in force for the 1939 race with BMW, NSU and DKW fielding factory machines. The supercharged BMW twin would go on to win the Senior TT, ridden by Georg Meier. The 1939 TT was the last to be held before the outbreak of World War II.

The Isle of Man TT returned for the first time after World War II in 1947. Based on the performance of the BMWs in the 1939 Senior TT, superchargers were banned from the race. Introduced was a new Clubman’s set of classes which allowed essentially standard road going motorcycles to compete, so long as they were fitted with lights and kick starter. The Clubman's classes mirrored the existing classes, with a Clubman's Lightweight, Clubman's Junior, and Clubman's Senior class all competing in their own races. The riders were little-known, but as the stars were barred from entering the class, it provided a stepping-stone for future-stars. Like the early Lightweight TT races, the Clubman's races were "mass start" events. The Senior TT remained the ultimate race of the weekend and Harold Daniel, riding a Norton, went on to repeat his success of 1938 taking first place. Due to the much lower quality of petrol after the war, his fastest lap was only 84.07 mph, significantly slower than nine years prior. By 1948 running, the TT had firmly recovered from the post war slump with over 100 entrants across the four classes.

Grand Prix World Championship (1949–1976)

The Isle of Man TT became part of the FIM Motor-cycle Grand Prix World Championship (now MotoGP) as the British round of the World Motor-Cycling Championship during the period 1949–1976. During this period the Isle of Man TT races included 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.

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 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.

Beryl Swain became the first woman to compete in a TT race for solo motorcycles when she competed in the Isle of Man TT in 1962. There was subsequently a ban on women in the race from 1962 until Hilary Musson competed in 1978.

Following safety concerns with the Snaefell 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. After the 1972 races, multiple world champion, 10-time TT race winner and dominant motorcycle racer of his time Giacomo Agostini 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 Isle of Man TT lost its world championship status; this was transferred to the United Kingdom by the FIM and run as the British Grand Prix for the 1977 season.

Formula TT (1977-1990)

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.

Modern era (1991–present)

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.

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."

The TT Zero was a one lap race for electric bikes running from 2010 to 2019. It was announced that the race would take a two-year break after 2019, but it never came back on the schedule since.

In March 2020, the Isle of Man Government announced the cancellation of the 2020 TT due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 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.

Event format

The Isle of Man TT typically begins on the Spring Bank Holiday which falls on the last Monday of May and runs for 13 days into the beginning of June. The first 5 days of the event are known as qualifying week and consist of several practice and qualifying sessions for the different classes. Races begin on the weekend after qualifying and run through the following week. There are typically one or two rest days in the middle of race week. The rest days are held as contingency days in the schedule in the case of poor weather disrupting the earlier qualifying or racing sessions.

Eligibility

To be eligible to race in the Isle of Man TT, competitors must hold a National or International race licence and have recent, relevant experience in motorcycle racing events. Newcomers to the TT are assessed on a case by case basis with officials looking at their track record in competitive racing. Entrants must be able to demonstrate that they have been competitive in other recognized road race events, by having scored points or placing within the top six finishers. A common stepping stone into the Isle of man TT is the Manx Grand Prix, which is an amateur version of the TT held in the late summer.

Entrants are accepted in an order of priority based on the riders finishing position in the previous year's TT, and then the riders fastest lap speed in any previous TT. Up to 15 newcomers are allowed per race. For the Superbike and Superstock classes, entries are limited to a maximum of 72 starters. The Supersport, Supertwin, and Sidecar classes are limited to a maximum of 78 starters. One driving factor to the limit on the number of starters is the start procedure which spaces out each competitor by 10 seconds. With 78 starters, it takes 13 minutes for every competitor to have set off. With a single lap taking around 17 minutes to complete, that leaves only 4 minutes for the start gate and personnel to leave the start finish line before the first riders return.

Qualifying

There are several qualifying sessions throughout the first week of the Isle of Man TT. The qualifying sessions group several classes together, with Superbike, Superstock and Supersport commonly all running in the same session. The Sidecar class always runs in its own dedicated session. Newcomers are given priority during qualifying, and are allowed to participate in the majority of sessions regardless of their class. This is to ensure that newcomers can gain as much exposure to the track prior to the races.

To qualify for a race, an entrant's qualifying time must be within a certain percentage of the time set by the third fastest qualifier in the class. For the solo races, it is within 112% of the third fastest qualifier. For the sidecar race, it is within 120% of the third fastest qualifying time. The qualifying results are based on any of the times set in any of the sessions before the close of qualifying.

Races

The Senior race is typically the last race held and is considered the most important of the TT. The Senior race is unique because is it not limited to machines conforming to the Superbike class rules. Riders are permitted to change machine to any other eligible machine on which the rider has qualified to race or has raced during the meeting. It is not uncommon for riders to enter the Senior TT riding on their Superstock class machines. In some cases, the Superstock class machines can be faster than the Superbike class, despite their less extensive performance modifications. In fact, the current lap record on the Mountain Course was set by Peter Hickman during a Superstock race.

In the case of inclement weather, races may be postponed to later in the day, or later in the week. If the schedule necessitates, the number of laps per race may be reduced to fit them in the remaining schedule.

Pit stops

Most races will require a pit stop at some point to refuel. Typically TT motorcycles can complete two laps before needing to refuel. The Superbike class machines will also have the rear tyre changed during one of their pit stops. Fuel is gravity fed to the motorcycles from elevated tanks and can take up to a minute for a full refill during a stop. In the meantime, the rider is able to clean their helmet visor, drink water, and receive information from the pit crew regarding their performance.

Race classes

The racing classes that compete at the Isle of Man TT are broadly similar to the standard FIM race classes with additional TT specific regulations.

Superbike TT (2005–present)

The superbike class represents the highest performance motorcycles that compete at the Isle of Man TT. These machines must appear on the FIM homologated motorcycles list. Commonly these machines are 1000cc four cylinder sport bikes that have been heavily modified for racing purposes. General specifications are as follows:

Other machines may be admitted at the discretion of the Organisers.

Supersport TT (2005–present)

The supersport class can be considered the modern incarnation of the Junior TT class. Supersport motorcycles are more limited in the amount and types of modifications they can make. Specifications are based on the FIM Supersport Championship.

Superstock TT (2005–present)

Main article: Superstock TT

Superstock TT utilizes similar machines to the Superbike class, but severely limits modification. Motorcycles in this class compete on treaded road tyres. Specifications are based on the FIM Superstock Championship.

Supertwin TT (2022–present)

2022 saw the introduction of the supertwin race run over 3 laps, increased to 4 laps the following year. The class is very similar to the lightweight class which last ran in 2019, although with some differences. The maximum capacity has been increased to 700cc allowing the Yamaha YZF-R7 and Aprilia RS660 to compete. In 2022 bikes with capacities of 651cc+ were required to run 10 kg heavier than the 150 kg limit for the 650cc machines, but 2023 saw this changed and all bikes in the class now have a minimum weight of 150 kg.

Sidecar TT

Main article: Sidecar TT

The 1923 TT was the first time the Sidecar TT race was run, over three laps (113 mi) of the Mountain Course and was won by Freddie Dixon and passenger Walter Denny with a Douglas and special banking-sidecar at an average race speed of 53.15 mph. For the 1926 event the Sidecar and Ultra-Lightweight TT classes were dropped due to lack of entries.

• 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.

Current specifications

Machines must comply with general technical rules as per ACU Standing Regulations and 2015 Isle of Man TT regulations.

• 501 – 600 cc, 4 stroke, 4 cylinder, production based motorcycle engines.

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.

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. Until 2024, all travelling marshals rode Honda CBR1000RR Fireblades. From 2025, BMW Motorrad announced a 3-year deal with the Isle of Man TT to supply a mixture of S1000RR and M1000RR machinery.

Course crossings

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 File:Footbridge Glencrutchery Road Douglas Geograph 2389882.jpg|Pedestrian overbridge at Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, close to start/finish and TT Grandstand 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
• 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 File:School house corner IMG 0159.JPG|Pedestrian overbridge before School House Corner, western approach to Ramsey town File:May Hill Isle of Man.jpg|Pedestrian overbridge exiting Ramsey 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, on Snaefell mountain

TT 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 3500 kg. When used for vehicular traffic, pedestrian access is prohibited, but at other times it is part of a system of nature trails.

Incidents and controversies

Main article: Isle of Man TT Mountain Course#Safety

Between 1907 and 2023, there have been 156 fatalities during official practices or races on the Snaefell Mountain Course, and 269 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 and 2022 Isle of Man TTs, making them the two deadliest years in the history of the event.

2018 Course Car incident

On 30 May 2018, an experienced TT rider, Steve Mercer, 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 area in the reverse direction after the red flag stoppage. 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 Isle of Man Department for Enterprise, and the inquiry report author, lawyer Rob Jones, a former chief executive of the Motor Sports Association, all refused to release the report as it was confidential and privately owned by the ACU.

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 when he drove to attend a fatality involving Chris Swallow at Ballaugh 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.

Champions and records

Total overall race winners

Updated in June 2025

FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship rounds (1949–1976)

Multiple winners (riders)

Multiple winners (manufacturers)

By year

Current lap records

Current race records

Record for fastest newcomer

Race awards

Most Meritorious Female Competitor – The Susan Jenness Trophy, named after Susan Jenness in memory of losing her life some years ago whilst marshalling a UK off-road event, was 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. The award has not been awarded since 2019.

In media

Video games

There have been numerous video games based on the Isle of Man TT; the first was the 1995 Sega arcade game Manx TT Super Bike, which was later ported to the Sega Saturn 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, and developed by Jester Interactive.

Bigben Interactive has since revived the TT game license, releasing TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge in 2018 and two sequels in 2020 and 2023.

Connected events

The Ramsey Sprint has been run since 1978 and is one of the biggest events during the TT race festival. The Sprint is run along the 1 km long Mooragh Promenade. The music festival Sprintfest is also held in the same town, Ramsey, on the weekend between practice week and race week.

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

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