Isle of Man TT

"Isle of Man Tourist Trophy" redirects here. For a series of car races held on the Isle of Man between 1905 and 1922, see RAC Tourist Trophy.

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy
Region	Isle of Man
Course	Snaefell Mountain Course
date	28th May to 10th June 2016
Type	Road Course
Clerk of the Course	Gary Thompson MBE BEM
Event Organiser	ACU Events Ltd
Principal sponsor	Isle of Man Department of Economic Development
History
First race	1907
Number of races	96 (through 2015)
First winner	Charles R. Collier (1907)
Most wins	Joey Dunlop 26 (1977–2000)
Lap record	John McGuinness 17 minutes, 3.567 seconds 132.701 mph or 213.562 km/h (2015)

The International Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race is a motorcycle sport event held annually on the Isle of Man in May or June of each year since the inaugural race in 1907. The Isle of Man TT for many years was the most prestigious motor-cycle race in the world and also seen as the ultimate test for competitors and machines alike. The Isle of Man TT has been administered by the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) (previously the Auto-Cycle Club) since 1907 and is currently managed since 2008 by ACU Events Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of the ACU.

The Isle of Man TT has been traditionally run in a time-trial format on public roads closed for racing by the provisions of an Act of Tynwald (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 on motor-cycles 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’ motor-cycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mud-guards.

From 1911 the Isle of Man TT transferred to the much longer Snaefell Mountain Course of 37.40 miles (current length 37.73 miles). 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 motor-cycles and the Blue Riband event the 500cc Senior TT 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 race was added to the Isle of Man TT programme in 1922 followed by a Sidecar TT race in 1923.

There was no racing on the Isle of Man between 1940 and 1945 due to the Second World War. It recommenced with the Manx Grand Prix in 1946 then 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 Motor-cycle Grand Prix World Championship as the British round of the World Motor-Cycling Championship during the period 1949–1976. Following safety concerns with the Snaefell Mountain Course and problems over inadequate ‘start-money’ for competitors, a boycott of the Isle of Man TT races occurred from the early 1970s by many of the leading competitors, motor-cycle manufactures and national motor-cycle sporting federations. In 1976, the Isle of Man TT lost its world championship status and was transferred to the United Kingdom by the FIM and run as the British Grand Motor-Cycle Grand Prix 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 to 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 Isle of Man Pre-TT Classic Races in 1989 followed by the Isle of Man Post-TT Races from 1991 and both held on the Billown Circuit. 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 motor-cycles and along with the Manx Grand Prix now forms part of the ‘Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling’ now held in late August of each year

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 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) Highlands 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 Highlands 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 Highland 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

Competitors line up at the start of the 2010 Senior TT race

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.

Race classes

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)

• Over 400 cc up to 600 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke
• Over 600 cc up to 750 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke
• Over 600 cc up to 675 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke

Minimum Weight 161 kg

Superstock TT

Main article: 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

Main article: Lightweight TT

Winner of the 2012 Lightweight TT Ryan Farquhar 650 cc Kawasaki, (2) at the startline

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

Main article: Sidecar TT

Sidecar TT race competitors line up to start the race

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

Main article: Senior TT

Ian Hutchinson on the start-line of the Senior TT Race on 11 June 2010

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

Main article: 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.

Discontinued race classes

Ultra-Lightweight TT

Main article: 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 50 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

2013 TT start of the Newcomers Speed Control Lap with John McGuinness (left) and Bruce Anstey (right)

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 Lap

18:35 – 19:00 Sidecar Newcomers' Control Lap

18:50 – 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

2012 TT Zero race - Mark Miller Motoczysz (2) followed by John McGuinness (3) at Parliament Square, Ramsey

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:

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

See also: List of Snaefell Mountain Course fatal accidents

Between 1907 and 2015 there have been 141 competitor fatalities during official practices or races for the Isle of Man TT Races.

Total overall race winners

Rider	Wins
Joey Dunlop	26
John McGuinness	23
Dave Molyneux	17
Mike Hailwood	14
Michael Dunlop, Steve Hislop, Ian Hutchinson, Phillip McCallen	11
Giacomo Agostini, Bruce Anstey, Robert Fisher, Ian Lougher, Stanley Woods	10
Mick Boddice, David Jefferies, Siegfried Schauzu, Charlie Williams	9
Jim Moodie, Chas Mortimer, Phil Read	8
Mick Grant, Tony Rutter	7
Geoff Duke, Jimmie Guthrie, Jim Redman, John Surtees	6
Alec Bennett, Nick Crowe, Brian Reid, Robert Dunlop, Carlo Ubbiali	5
Klaus Enders, Freddie Frith, Wal Handley, Trevor Ireson, Dave Leach, Ray Pickrell, Tarquinio Provini, Michael Rutter, Bill Smith, Jock Taylor, John Williams	4
Adrian Archibald, Ray Amm, Simon Beck, Ben Birchall, Graeme Crosby, Max Deubel, Harold Daniell, Carl Fogarty, Alex George, Tom Herron, Alan Jackson, Ryan Farquhar, Tony Jefferies, Klaus Klaffenböck, Dave Leech, Rob McElnea, Bob McIntyre, Phil Mellor, Dave Morris, Chris Palmer, Walter Schneider, Ian Simpson, Darren Carguillo, Rolf Steinhausen, Luigi Taveri, Barry Woodland	3
Fergus Anderson, Hugh Anderson, Manliff Barrington, Artie Bell, Geoff Bell, Lowry Burton, Kel Carruthers, Charlie Collier, Steve Cull, Howard R Davies, Freddie Dixon, Charlie Dodson, Cameron Donald, Iain Duffus, Marc Flynn, Dick Greasley, Shaun Harris, John Hartle, Fritz Hillebrand, Gary Hocking, Tim Hunt, Bill Ivy, Gary Johnson, Alistair King, Con Law, Eddie Laycock, Bill Lomas, Graeme McGregor, Brian Morrison, Trevor Nation, Gary Padgett, Cecil Sandford, Dave Saville, Tom Sheard, Edwin Twemlow, Nigel Piercy, Steve Plater, Jock Porter, Malcolm Uphill, Eric Williams, Paul Williams	2
Steve Abbott, Dario Ambrosini, Frank A Applebee, Ivor Arber, Reg Armstrong, Georg Auerbacher, Mark Baldwin, W.H. Bashall, Ian Bell, Dieter Braun, Eric Briggs, Norman Brown, Ralph Bryans, Jimmy Buchan, Trevor Burgess, Roger Burnett, Florian Camathias, Maurice Cann, Phil Carpenter, Shannon Carpenter, Phil Carter, Harold Clark, Rod Coleman, Harry A Collier, Syd Crabtree, Dave Croxford, J.D. Daniels, Leo Davenport, G.S. Davison, Steve Day, Tommy de la Hay, Ernst Degner, Eddie Dow, P.J. Evans, Helmut Fath, Jack Findlay, Rem Fowler, Sid Gleave, Oliver Godfrey, Les Graham, Stuart Graham, Werner Haas, Conrad Harrison, Dean Harrison, Ron Haslam, R.J. Hazlehurst, F.G. Hicks, James Hillier, Mac Hobson, Bill Hodgson, John Holden, Robert Holden, Rupert Hollaus, Colin Hopper, Clive Horton, Eric Housley, Dennis Ireland, Mitsuo Itoh, Brian Jackson, Nick Jefferies, C. W. Johnston, Ken Kavanagh, Bob Keeler, Neil Kelly, Ewald Kluge, Ray Knight, David Lashmar, Ivan Lintin, Monty V. Lockwood, Frank Longman, Heinz Luthringshauser, Jack Marshall, Keith Martin, Hugh Mason, Cromie McCandless, Bill McVeigh, Georg Meier, Ted Mellors, Mark Miller, Derek Minter, George O'Dell, Eric Oliver, Mat Oxley, Les Parker, Denis Parkinson, Graham Penny, A. Phillips, Derek Powell, Cliff Pritchard, Cyril Pullin, Brian Purslow, Richard Quayle, Johnny Rea, Tim Reeves, Harry Reed, Tommy Robb, Brett Richmond, Tony Rogers, Nigel Rollason, Dave Roper, Fritz Scheidegger, Martyn Sharpe, Dave Simmonds, Bill Simpson, Jimmie Simpson, Barry Smith, Omobono Tenni, Steve Tonkin, G.H. Tucker, Kenneth Twemlow, Henry Tyrell-Smith, Chris Vincent, Terry Vinicombe, Graham Walker, Frank Whiteway, Cyril Williams, Peter Williams, Stan Wood, T.L. Wood	1

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.

Year	50 cc (Ultra-Lightweight TT)		125 cc (Lightweight TT)		250 cc (Lightweight TT)		350 cc (Junior TT)		500 cc (Senior TT)		Report
	Rider	Manufacturer	Rider	Manufacturer	Rider	Manufacturer	Rider	Manufacturer	Rider	Manufacturer
1976					Tom Herron	Yamaha	Chas Mortimer	Yamaha	Tom Herron	Yamaha	Report
1975					Chas Mortimer	Yamaha	Charlie Williams	Yamaha	Mick Grant	Kawasaki	Report
1974					Charlie Williams	Yamaha	Tony Rutter	Yamaha	Phil Carpenter	Yamaha	Report
1973			Tommy Robb	Yamaha	Charlie Williams	Yamaha	Tony Rutter	Yamaha	Jack Findlay	Suzuki	Report
1972			Chas Mortimer	Yamaha	Phil Read	Yamaha	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Report
1971			Chas Mortimer	Yamaha	Phil Read	Yamaha	Tony Jefferies	Yamsel	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Report
1970			Dieter Braun	Suzuki	Kel Carruthers	Yamaha	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Report
1969			Dave Simmonds	Kawasaki	Kel Carruthers	Benelli	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Report
1968	Barry Smith	Derbi	Phil Read	Yamaha	Bill Ivy	Yamaha	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Report
1967	Stuart Graham	Suzuki	Phil Read	Yamaha	Mike Hailwood	Honda	Mike Hailwood	Honda	Mike Hailwood	Honda	Report
1966	Ralph Bryans	Honda	Bill Ivy	Yamaha	Mike Hailwood	Honda	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	Mike Hailwood	Honda	Report
1965	Luigi Taveri	Honda	Phil Read	Yamaha	Jim Redman	Honda	Jim Redman	Honda	Mike Hailwood	MV Agusta	Report
1964	Hugh Anderson	Suzuki	Luigi Taveri	Honda	Jim Redman	Honda	Jim Redman	Honda	Mike Hailwood	MV Agusta	Report
1963	Mitsuo Itoh	Suzuki	Hugh Anderson	Suzuki	Jim Redman	Honda	Jim Redman	Honda	Mike Hailwood	MV Agusta	Report
1962	Ernst Degner	Suzuki	Luigi Taveri	Honda	Derek Minter	Honda	Mike Hailwood	MV Agusta	Gary Hocking	MV Agusta	Report
1961			Mike Hailwood	Honda	Mike Hailwood	Honda	Phil Read	Norton	Mike Hailwood	Norton	Report
1960			Carlo Ubbiali	MV Agusta	Gary Hocking	MV Agusta	John Hartle	MV Agusta	John Surtees	MV Agusta	Report
1959			Tarquinio Provini	MV Agusta	Tarquinio Provini	MV Agusta	John Surtees	MV Agusta	John Surtees	MV Agusta	Report
1958			Carlo Ubbiali	MV Agusta	Tarquinio Provini	MV Agusta	John Surtees	MV Agusta	John Surtees	MV Agusta	Report
1957			Tarquinio Provini	Mondial	Cecil Sandford	Mondial	Bob McIntyre	Gilera	Bob McIntyre	Gilera	Report
1956			Carlo Ubbiali	MV Agusta	Carlo Ubbiali	MV Agusta	Ken Kavanagh	Moto Guzzi	John Surtees	MV Agusta	Report
1955			Carlo Ubbiali	MV Agusta	Bill Lomas	Moto Guzzi	Bill Lomas	Moto Guzzi	Geoff Duke	Gilera	Report
1954			Rupert Hollaus	NSU	Werner Haas	NSU	Rod Coleman	AJS	Ray Amm	Norton	Report
1953			Leslie Graham	MV Agusta	Fergus Anderson	Moto Guzzi	Ray Amm	Norton	Ray Amm	Norton	Report
1952			Cecil Sandford	MV Agusta	Fergus Anderson	Moto Guzzi	Geoff Duke	Norton	Reg Armstrong	Norton	Report
1951			Cromie McCandless	Mondial	Tommy Wood	Moto Guzzi	Geoff Duke	Norton	Geoff Duke	Norton	Report
1950					Dario Ambrosini	Benelli	Artie Bell	Norton	Geoff Duke	Norton	Report
1949					Manliff Barrington	Moto Guzzi	Freddie Frith	Velocette	Harold Daniell	Norton	Report

Current lap records

Category	Rider(s)	Machine	Year	Time	Average speed		Source
					mph	km/h
Outright (all categories)	John McGuinness	Honda CBR1000RR	2015	17:03.567	132.701	213.562
Superbike TT	Bruce Anstey	Honda CBR1000RR	2014	17:06.682	132.298	212.913
Supersport TT	Michael Dunlop	Honda CBR600RR	2013	17:35.659	128.666	207.068
Lightweight TT	James Hillier	Kawasaki ER650	2015	18:43.955	120.848	194.486
Ultra-Lightweight TT	Chris Palmer	Honda RS125	2004	20:20.87	110.52	177.86
Senior TT	John McGuinness	Honda CBR1000RR	2015	17:03.567	132.701	213.562
Superstock TT	Michael Dunlop	Honda CBR1000RR	2013	17:15.114	131.220	211.178
TT Zero	John McGuinness	Mugen Shinden	2015	18:58.743	119.279	191.961
Sidecar TT	Dave Molyneux and Benjamin Binns	DMR Suzuki 600 Sidecar	2015	19:23.056	116.785	187.947

Current race records

Category	Rider(s)	Machine	Year	Race time	Average speed
					mph	km/h
Superbike TT (6 laps)	Bruce Anstey	Honda CBR1000RR	2015	01:45:29.902	128.749	207.201
Supersport TT (4 laps)	Michael Dunlop	Honda CBR600RR	2013	01:11:52.091	125.997	202.773
Lightweight TT (3 laps)	Ivan Lintin	Kawasaki ER650	2015	57:06.070	118.936	191.409
Senior TT (6 laps)	John McGuinness	Honda CBR1000RR	2013	01:45:20.394	128.943	207.514
Senior TT (4 laps)	John McGuinness	Honda CBR1000RR	2015	01:09:23.903	130.481	209.989
Superstock TT (4 laps)	Ian Hutchinson	Kawasaki ZX-10R	2015	01:10:05.298	129.197	207.922
TT Zero (1 lap)	John McGuinness	Mugen Shinden	2015	18:58.743	119.279	191.961
Sidecar TT (3 laps)	Ben Birchall and Tom Birchall	LCR Sidecar	2015	58:24.971	116.259	187.101

Awards in 2015

Race winner trophies

Race	Trophy	Rider(s)	Machine	Year	Average speed
					mph	km/h
Senior TT	Senior Tourist Trophy	John McGuinness	Honda 1000 cc	2015	130.481	209.989
TT Superbike	TT Superbike Trophy	Bruce Anstey	Honda 1000 cc	2015	128.749	207.201
TT Superstock	John Hartle Trophy	Ian Hutchinson	Kawasaki 1000 cc	2015	129.197	207.922
TT Supersport Race 1	Junior Tourist Trophy	Ian Hutchinson	Yamaha 600 cc	2015	125.451	201.894
TT Supersport Race 2	Classic TT Trophy	Ian Hutchinson	Yamaha 600 cc	2015	125.803	202.460
TT Lightweight	Lightweight TT Trophy	Ivan Lintin	Kawasaki 650 cc	2015	118.936	191.409
TT Sidecar Race 1	Fred W. Dixon Trophy	Ben Birchall Tom Birchall	LCR Honda 600 cc	2015	115.770	186.314
TT Sidecar Race 2	Sidecar TT Trophy	Ben Birchall Tom Birchall	LCR Honda 600 cc	2015	116.259	187.101

• ^1 Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars Trophy.

Fastest lap awards

Race	Trophy	Rider(s)	Machine	Year	Average speed		Time
					mph	km/h
Overall	Jimmy Simpson Trophy	John McGuinness	Honda CBR1000RR	2015	132.701	213.562	17:03.567
Senior TT	Norman Brown Trophy	John McGuinness	Honda CBR1000RR	2015	132.701	213.562	17:03.567
TT Superbike	John Williams Trophy	Bruce Anstey	Honda 1000 cc	2015	131.797	212.107	17:10.587
TT Superstock	Don Ryder Trophy	Michael Dunlop	BMW 1000 cc	2015	130.932	210.715	17:17.392
TT Supersport Race	Formula 2 TT Trophy	Ian Hutchinson	Yamaha 600 cc	2015	127.751	205.595	17:43.224
TT Sidecar Race	Jock Taylor Trophy	Dave Molyneux Benjamin Binns	DMR Suzuki 600 cc	2015	116.785	187.947	19:23.056

Special awards

Race	Trophy	Rider(s)	Machine	Year
TT Solo Championship	Joey Dunlop Trophy	Ian Hutchinson	Kawasaki 1000 cc	2015
TT Privateer’s Champion	TT Privateer’s Champion	Daniel Cooper	Honda 600/1000 cc	2015
Overall Sidecar Championship	RAC Sidecar Trophy	Ben Birchall Tom Birchall	LCR Honda 600 cc	2015
Sidecar Passenger Championship	Craig Trophy	Tom Birchall	LCR Honda 600 cc	2015
Supersport Championship	TT Supporters’ Club Trophy	Ian Hutchinson	Yamaha 600 cc	2015
Sidecar Chassis Championship	Fred Hanks Trophy	Ben Birchall Tom Birchall	LCR Honda 600 cc	2015
Newcomers Sidecar Driver Championship	Peter Chapman Trophy	Lionel Mansuy	Windle 600 cc	2015
Newcomers Sidecar Passenger Championship	Dave Wells Trophy	Matty Ramsden	LCR 600 cc	2015
British competitor British manufacturer	Joe Craig Trophy	Guy Martin	Triumph 675 cc	2015
Irish (North or South) solo competitor	Martin Finnegan Trophy	Michael Dunlop	BMW 1000 cc	2015
Isle of Man solo competitor	Gavin Lee Trophy	Conor Cummins	Honda 1000 cc	2015

Other Special awards

• Fastest Newcomer - The Vernon Cooper Trophy

Rider(s)	Machine	Year	Average speed		Time
			mph	km/h
Derek McGee	Honda 1000 cc	2015	121.928	196.224	18:33.999

• Most Meritorious Female - The Susan Jeness 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.

Rider(s)	Race Category	Year
Jenny Tinmouth	solo rider	2010
Jenny Tinmouth	solo rider	2011
Debbie Baron	as driver, Ireson Kawasaki Sidecar 600 cc	2012
Estelle Leblond	as driver, Sidecar 600 cc	2013
Estelle Leblond	as driver, Sidecar 600 cc	2014
(undecided)		2015

See also

• Snaefell Mountain Course
• List of named corners of the Snaefell Mountain Course
• Manx Grand Prix
• North West 200
• Outline of motorcycles and motorcycling

Notes

References

• Barker, Stuart (2007). 100 One Hundred Years of the TT. EMAP ISBN 1-84605-235-1
• Duckworth, Mick (2007). TT 100 – The Authorised History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Racing. Lily Publications ISBN 9781899602674
• Harris, Nick (1991). Motocourse History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races 1907–1989 Hazelton Publishing ISBN 0-905138-71-6
• Mac McDiarmid (2004). The Magic of The TT. A Century of Racing over The Mountain Haynes Publishing. ISBN 1-84425-002-4
• Noyes, Denis (1999) 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix. Hazelton Publishing Ltd ISBN 1-874557-83-7
• Pidcock, Fred & Snelling, Bill (2007) History of the Isle of Man Clubman's TT Races 1947–1956. Amulree Publications ISBN 1-901508-10-2
• Savage, Mike (1997) TT Heroes. Amulree Publications ISBN 0-9521126-9-8
• Snelling, Bill (1996). The Tourist Trophy in Old Photographs Collected by Bill Snelling. Sutton Publishing ISBN 1-84015-059-9
• Stroud, Jon (2007). The Little Book of the TT. Green Umbrella Publishing ISBN 1-905828-24-1
• Wright, David (2007). 100 Years of the Isle of Man TT Races. A Century of Motorcycle Racing. Crowood Press ISBN 1-86126-906-4
• Wright, David (2006). TT Topics and Tales. Amulree Publications ISBN 1-901508-09-9

External links

• Isle of Man TT Unofficial web site
• Isle of Man TT official web site
• Route of Isle of Man TT (Google Maps)
• Motorcycle Classics article on the 100th anniversary of the Isle of Man TT
• Video of TT Access Road traffic TVIM