Road Racing: Isle of Wight TT Announced for October 2021

The Isle of Wight is set to host motorcycle road racing for the first time ever in 2021.

Branded as the Diamond Races, the event is scheduled to debut in October next year and will run over a 12.4-mile lap with speeds predicted to reach 200mph-plus.

The meetings will run under ACU (Auto Cycle Union) guidelines and Isle of Man TT Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson will perform the same duties on the Isle of Wight.

The Event

Initially, Superbike, Supersport and Lightweight classes will race while sidecars and electric bikes will complete demonstration laps.

Two practice days are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday with Isle of Man TT-style time trial races taking place on Saturday – riders will start alone every 10 seconds as some of the circuit was deemed too narrow for massed starts.

An exact date is yet to be confirmed, but the races are planned to run immediately after the British Superbikes season finale.

“As an Isle of Wight local resident, I am very excited to welcome motorsport fans from across the globe to this beautiful island, for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of racing action and entertainment for the whole family. The Diamond Races is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and planning by the whole team, and we’re very lucky to have the best of the best involved with its setup. No stone is being left unturned in striving to deliver a spectacular event which we have every reason to believe will be a regular back-stop to the island’s tourist season and put the Isle of Wight on the international motorcycle road racing map.”

Paul Sandford, CEO and Co-Founder of the Diamond Races

The Diamond Races will be the first road races held on public roads – as opposed to parkland circuits like Aberdare Park or Scarborough – in Britain. Legislation previously prohibited speed-events on roads in Scotland, Wales and England, making the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland the home of UK road racing. A recent change in law however now allows for the Isle of Wight TT to go ahead.

The Course

The 12.4-mile anti-clockwise course has been mapped out and approved by former Isle of Man TT winners James Hillier and Steven Plater. Running on the island’s south-west, the lap twists and turns through undulating country roads and along the spectacular coastline and features technically difficult sections as well as stunning views.

The course starts with a five mile blast down the Military Road on the coast – a straight that’s more than double the length of Sulby Straight on the Isle of Man circuit. Afterwards, the lap gets more technical, winding through Chale before heading north and through Chale Green. The circuit remains challenging leading through Kingston, Shorewell, Limerstone and Brighstone before returning to the Military Road.

The estimated lap speed is approximated to be 130mph with a lap time of about eight minutes.

The Organisation

The organising team behind the Diamond Races has worked tirelessly together with the Isle of Wight council and brings a host of experience in road racing to the event.

TT Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson, TT winner Steve Plater, former Honda UK team boss Neil Tuxworth, British Touring Car champion Matt Neal and event co-founder and former BTCC driver James Kaye have all been involved in the planning.

The organisational costs of the Diamond Races are estimated to be as much as £5 million which the promoters hope to finance through television rights and sponsorship deals.

The 2020 road racing calendar was depleted as the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200 fell victim to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ulster GP was scrapped due to financial problems. A new event for 2021 is therefore more than welcome.

Furthermore, keen interest in the event from both, seasoned road racing fans as well as new ones, is expected due to the geographical proximity to London.