The Isle of Man TT is without doubt one of the most famous road races in the World. Established in 1904, it has provided the ultimate test for both man and machine for umpteen generations of competitors and manufacturers.
But whilst you might have heard of the Isle of Man TT, maybe even seen it on TV or at the cinema, nothing compares to actually being there. Over the years I have taken great delight in gauging the reaction of TT first-timers at some of the most heart-in-mouth viewing areas like the terrifyingly fast 11th milestone, Gorse Lea or the bottom of Barregarrow dip. The speed, the noise, the rush of hot air, the smell, the sparks and the sheer insane violence of the spectacle can – and often does – reduce grown adults to slack-jawed jabbering idiots.
It’s insane.
But the pilgrimage to the Isle of Man is both expensive and difficult. Ferries and flights sell out up to a year in advance and with only seventeen hundred hotel beds on the island and in excess of 30,000 visitors during race week it’s a real battle of the wits to plan a trip over that doesn’t involve sleeping bags, misery and tents.
But watching pure road racing might have just got easier and cheaper.
The Diamond Road races, scheduled to run in October 2021, brings a slice of the Isle of Man to the Isle of Wight. And if like me, you’re wondering why they’re called Diamond Races it’s got nothing to do with De Beers, it’s because if you squint a bit when you’re looking at the map of the Isle of Wight, it looks a bit like a diamond.
With full cooperation from the sport’s governing body and the Isle of Wight council this 12.4 mile road circuit takes in the blisteringly fast coastal military road and a succession of pretty villages and undulating back roads on the West side of the island. The predicted average speed is going to be in the region of 130mph and it’s proposed to run the even as a time trial with riders set off at intervals. The circuit was deemed too narrow in places for a massed start.
Mindful of how much cash the TT feeds into the public coffers with its fortnight-long captive audience, the event is seen by Isle of Wight legislative as a shrewd way to extend the tourism and holiday season by another crucial month.
October also sees the end of the traditional race season, meaning most top teams and riders will have an empty diary, allowing them to participate. Ferry crossings are more abundant than the Isle of Man, quicker and roughly half the price. There’s also a great deal many more hotels, inns and bed and breakfast establishments.
October 2021, you can count me in to make the pilgrimage to the Isle of Wight, a place I’d never formerly considered visiting. The only downside I can see in this cunning plan is that October is the Isle of Wight’s rainiest month by some margin.
I’ll be taking my umbrella.
www.diamondraces.com
Keyword: Isle of Wight motorcycle road racing