THE ISLE OF MAN TT RACES
The Isle of Man is an island nation and self-governing British Crown Dependency
in the middle of the Irish Sea. Although it is usually described as being between Great Britain and Ireland, Manx lore says that from the top of the Island's
only mountain, Snaefell, on a clear day, six "kingdoms" can be seen:
1. The Kingdom of Wales (56 miles away)
2. The Kingdom of Ireland (42 miles)
3. The Kingdom of England (38 miles)
4. The Kingdom of Scotland (29 miles)
5. The Kingdom of the Isle of Man (0 miles)
6. The Kingdom of Heaven
Circling the mid to northern part of the Island, from the capital, Douglas, in the east, going west almost to the coastal town of Peel, then north
to the coastal town of Ramsey, and finally across the mountains back to Douglas, are public roads that make up the
Isle of Man TT Mountain Course.
The course is home to the TT Races, which have been held on the Island since 1911 (and from 1904 to 1910 on the St John's Short Course).
The circuit is 37.73 miles (60.72 km) around, and is closed for the races during two weeks each year around the end of May and beginning of June
(it is also closed or partially closed at other times of the year for other events).
Over the years many classes of motorcycle have raced around the circuit, including sidecars, but the premier event is the Senior TT, currently run under
the Superbike class rules, and held over 6 laps of the circuit.
This event was most recently (2024) won by Davey Todd on a BMW M1000RR in 1h 8m 9.761s at a record average speed of 132.847 mph (213.797 kpm).
The most wins for the race of 7, is jointly held by Mike Hailwood (1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1979)
and John McGuiness (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2015).
Michael Dunlop holds the record for the most wins across all classes, with 29 victories since 2009. With three victories in 2024, he surpassed his uncle Joey's previous record of 26 wins, set between 1977 and 2000.
The fastest lap is held by Peter Hickman who circled the course in 2023 in 16m 36.114s at an average speed of 136.358 mph (219.447 kph).
The reality of the dangers of racing on public roads at speeds of up to 200 mph (322 kph) is apparent with the 156 rider deaths (as of 2024, not including the Classic TT or Manx Grand Prix) that have
occurred in the history of the races. When these deaths occur, there is always an outcry from many that the races should be banned. But it's not that simple,
and there is much that needs to be considered when supporting the races or calling for an end to them. Too much to put here, so instead check out this well
written opinion piece at
motorsport.com. In that piece are the words of the fourteen-time winner, Peter Hickman, who in 2022 after 6 riders had lost their lives, had this to say
after winning the Blue Riband event, the Senior TT:
"[My] thoughts are with the families and friends of the people who are not making it home.
It's a difficult sport, we've had a difficult couple of weeks. Not everyone understands that, and I get that. But we're all here for our own choice.
We want to be here and not one of us would want to see it stopped if we don't make it home, should we not make it home.
I get people don't understand that, but that's the way we are. If you're here and you're racing, you accept the risks before you start."
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