The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race

April 29, 2008

The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race, commonly known as the “TT,” is an event that has been held on the Isle of Man since 1907. The race is run in time trials on public roads on the northern part of the island, and the public is invited to watch the races for free at designated points around the course. The race is attended by motorcycle racing enthusiasts from all over the world who flock to the island every year during the last week in May through the first week in June.The inaugural race was called the International Tourist Trophy and was held on May 28, 1907, and was organized by the Auto-Cycle Club (now known as the Auto Cycle Union, or ACU). It was run over ten laps of the of 15 mile, 1470 yard St. John’s Short Course, which is south of the current course, and was designed for road-legal touring motorcycles.

The winner of the single-cylinder class, and overall winner of the first event in 1907, was Charlie Collier, in the time of 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds. His average race speed was 38.21 mph. The winner of the twin-cylinder class was Rem Fowler, with a time of 4 hours 21 minutes and 52 seconds at an average race speed of 36.21 mph.

The Marquis De Mouzilly St. Mars donated the trophy that was presented to the winner of the race. It had a model of the Greek god Hermes riding a winged wheel, and was fashioned after the Montague Trophy, which was given to the winner of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy car race. The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars Trophy is now presented every year to the winner of the Isle of Man TT.

Last year was the 100^th Anniversary TT race, which was held between May 26 and June 8, 2007. There was a special re-enactment of the 1907 TT. Held on the village green next to Tynwald Hill in St. John’s on May 28, 2007, the parade of 100 vintage motorcycles re-enacted the original St. John’s Short Course race. It was flagged away by Geoff Duke, the former World Motorcycle Champion. The first of the riders to ride the course was on the recently restored Rem Fowler twin-cylinder Peugeot-Norton, which was ridden in the first Isle of Man TT. Also participating in the re-enactment was TT race competitor Guy Martin, riding a 1938 Triumph Tiger 100. Other former TT competitors also completed the re-enactment lap.

The first TT race over the Snaefell Mountain Course, or “Mountain Course,” was in 1911. The course is 37.73 miles (60.72 km) long and the highest point of the course climbs quickly to 422 meters above sea level. The course includes a number of public roads, and all roads included in the course are closed at 9 a.m. during race times and reopened again at 6 p.m., and also opened for one hour during the noon lunch break. The roads are closed for racing by the provisions of an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man) during the official race times. The course in manned by volunteer Marshals throughout the route. These marshals are vital to the safety and competent running of the race, and are trained comprehensively in Incident Management Control and first aid. 1923 was the introduction of a race for amateurs run on the same Mountain Course. It was known as the Manx Amateur Motorcycle Road Races until 1930, when the name was changed to the Manx Grand Prix.

Two separate races were introduced for the 1911 event: a four-lap race (150.92 miles) for 300cc single-cylinder and 340cc twin cylinder motorcycles. It was the first event on the new course, had 35 entries, and was won by Percy J. Evans. His winning time was 3 hours, 37 minutes and 7 seconds, at an average speed of 41.45 mph. A new race was open for 500cc single-cylinder and 585cc twin-cylinder motor-cycles called the “Senior TT,” and was run over five laps of the Snaefell Mountain Course. The technical challenges of the Mountain Course forced entrants and motorcycle manufacturers to change everything about their motorcycles. The Indian Motorcycle Company of the U.S.A. installed a two-speed gearbox and chain-drive, an innovation at the time. This proved to be the winning combination when they won the 1911 Senior TT race in 3 hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds, with an average speed of 47.63 mph. The Matchless Motorcycle Company went with a different idea; a six-speed belt drive. A Matchless motorcycle finished second in the 1911 Senior TT race, but was later disqualified for illegal refueling.

For the 1912 event, the single and twin cylinder classes were combined with a 350cc motor size limit for the Junior TT. The Senior TT implemented a 500cc top limit. In 1913 Major Tommy Loughborough became the new secretary of the Auto-Cycle Club and immediately decided to make the races more difficult. The Junior and Senior races were to be run in sections. The Junior TT race was divided into two races of two laps (75.46 miles) and four laps (150.92 miles). The Senior TT race consisted of a three-lap race (113.19 miles), followed by a four-lap race combined with the Junior TT event. In 1914 the Junior TT was reduced to five laps and the starting line moved to the top of Bray Hill, in Douglas, to increase pit space for the competitors. Crash helmets were made mandatory.

The 1914 Junior TT was held in heavy rain and mist on the Mountain Section of the course and was won with a time of 4 hours, 6 minutes and 50 seconds at an average speed of 45.58mph. The race was marred by the death of racer on a Royal Enfield motorcycle that had been leading until a tire puncture during the third lap. He fell twice while chasing the leaders, and on the last lap over-shot the finish line at Ballanard Road in Douglas and crashed into a wooden barrier placed across the road. The ACU race committee posthumously declared the rider, Frank Walker, the third place finisher.

Now, in modern races, TT racing motorcycles complete the Snaefell course at an average speed exceeding 120 mph (193km/h). Record holders include David Jefferies, who set a lap record of 127.29 mph (204.81km/h) in 2002. John McGuinness, on a Yamaha R1, improved upon this record during the 2004 TT riding a Yamaha R1. He set a new record time of 17 minutes 43.8 seconds, with an average lap speed of 127.68 mph (205.43km/h). He went on to set yet another record at the 2007 TT, with a time of 17 minutes 21.99, with an average speed of 130.35mph (209.35km/h). The most successful rider of all time was Joey Dunlop, who won 26 times in various classes from 1977 to 2000.

This year the Isle of Man TT will be held from Saturday, May 24 until Saturday, June 7, 2008. The Isle of Man government, the TT Race Association, the Manx Motorcycle Club and various other private and public organizations organize several special events during the racing period. To find out about all of the events in store during this racing season you can visit the official Isle of Man TT website at www.iomtt.com.

(Sources courtesy of Wikipedia.)