The 2024 Manx Grand Prix was held on the Isle of Man from 18th August – 26th August 2024.
The event was hampered by inclement weather which lead to numerous schedule changes and cancellations however racing got underway and lead to two race days on Saturday 24th August 2024 and Bank Holiday Monday 26th August 2024.
Full credit must go to the event organisers as well as the Marshals, riders, teams, spectators and residents for making the best out of a poor situation with everyone pulling together to get the best outcome for the 2024 Manx Grand Prix as possible.
2024 Manx Grand Prix : Updated Schedule as of 22/08/2024 :
The 2024 MAnx Grand Prix has been plagued by inclement weather an as such only one practice and qualifying session has gone ahead. The last three sessions have been cancelled due to deteriorating weather conditions and as a result the Clerk of the Course has deemed it necessary to implement the contingency sessions over the coming days to ensure all competitors get sufficient practice and qualifying sessions.
The new and revised schedule for the 2024 Manx Grand Prix is as follows :
Louis O’Regan : Statement Issued from the Manx Grand Prix – 18/08/2024
With great sadness, the organisers of the Manx Grand Prix can confirm that Louis O’Regan, 43, has died following injuries sustained in an accident at Kate’s Cottage during the opening qualifying session of the 2024 event.
Louis, an Irishman who lived in Didcot, England, was an experienced competitor at the Manx Grand Prix having made his debut in the 2013 Newcomers A Race, finishing 12th. He recorded his personal best lap speed in the 2019 Junior Race, lapping at an average speed of 114.7mph.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Louis’s partner Sarah, his family, loved ones, and friends.
The 2024 Armoy Road Races – The Race of Legends – were held over the weekend of 26th and 27th July 2024 and represents the last road race on the island of Ireland in 2024.
The Friday Schedule had a slight change this year with the day ending with 2 races. Saturday was the main race day and featured a full and exciting day of racing.
The Kilbroney Vintage Show returned to Kilbroney Forest Park on 15th June 2024 for another year and it was packed with cars from the early days of motoring right up to what could rather questionably be called vintage.
However, the standard of machinery on display was, as always, superb. With cars spanning the generations and club stands for every generation, Marque and area you could hope for, the selection on display was really rather impressive. The are some absolutely stunning cars tucked away in this country and beyond with plenty of vehicles making the trip from the South and the other side of the Irish Sea. The longest travelled award Officially coming from Scotland, but a little birdie tells me there was at least one other that didn’t wish to be included in that category that had quite the journey.
There were concerns about the weather, with a rough enough night the previous evening the weather forecast didn’t look great with a few days to go, but that is the good thing about coastal weather, it only takes a slight change in wind direction and the forecast becomes a work of fiction. The reality was that it was a bright and sunny day, there was one prolonged shower but once it blew over it was back to bright and sunny. The grounds of the park were also in great condition and even with the rain the previous day and that shower it maintained its integrity and every one was able to get out and home without issue, the tractors did not need to be called into action for a rescue mission for anything!
If you haven’t visited the show you really should add it to your calendar. My advice would be to
Arrive early and make a good full day of it, there is loads to see and do, just simply walking around the display and having a decent look at what is on show would take a good few hours.
Don’t leave during the rush, either go a little early or just enjoy the park and let the 5pm – 6pm exit rush calm down.
Consider bringing your own drinks, picnic or snacks. The food is expensive.
There are activities for the kids, they will be costly and loads of food options. They are really costly. Belfast Continental Market sort of prices. I had a ‘Gourmet’ Burger, it was delicious, but it was also £9. That’s pretty expensive for a car show burger! The Northern IReland Fire and Rescue Service also put on a few demonstrations throughout the day and they are well worth a watch to.
The absolute stars of the show though are the Vintage vehicles. The meticulous attention to detail in the maintenance and preparation is an absolute credit to their owners.
I do not envy the decisions to be made by the shows Organisers on who wins what as there is simply so much quality to choose from.
The Dakar Future Mission 1000 is a new initiative introduced as part of the Dakar Future programme. This mission offers constructors an opportunity to test vehicles with innovative technologies on Dakar terrain. The challenge will run for 100 km separate from the stages, adding up to 1,000 km.
Three engine types have been selected for Mission 1000: fully electric, fully hydrogen-powered, and hybrid technology. Entrants need to complete the entire route to score a grand total of 100 points in the challenge and will lose points for each unfinished stage.
Vehicles will be awarded points for driving skills depending on how their actual performances stack up against the established reference time. There are three modes: Eco Mode (+ 10% over the reference time and beyond), Normal Mode (within 5% of the reference time), and Sport Mode (−10% and under). Each mode awards different points.
In addition to this, there’s a unique timed challenge called “Launch Control” where the vehicles will break into a 100 m sprint from a standing start. The top-ranked entrant in each of the car and motorbike categories will be awarded 10 bonus points.
The 2025 Dakar Rally, the world’s most grueling and prestigious off-road endurance race, is set to take place from January 3rd to 17th, 2025. This year’s rally promises to be a thrilling spectacle, with several new features designed to challenge the competitors and captivate the audience.
2025 Dakar Rally Changes :
The first major change is the increased emphasis on navigation. The organizers have decided to make the rally more challenging by adding more navigation stages. This means that the competitors will need to rely more on their navigational skills and less on speed. This change is expected to level the playing field and make the race more unpredictable and exciting.
The second major change is the separation of stages for cars, bikes, and trucks. This is a significant departure from previous years, where all vehicles competed on the same stages. The separation of stages is expected to make the race safer and more competitive, as each class of vehicle will have stages designed specifically for them.
The 2025 Dakar Rally will also feature a mass start, a 48-hour Chrono stage, and a marathon stage. The mass start will see all competitors start the race at the same time, creating a thrilling spectacle for the spectators. The 48-hour Chrono stage will test the endurance and resilience of the competitors, as they will have to race non-stop for two days. The marathon stage, on the other hand, will be a test of the competitors’ mechanical skills, as they will have to service their vehicles without any assistance from their teams.
Update : 29/05/2026 : A new 2026 Race Week Schedule has been announced. Following the cancellation of any further sidecar racing for the 2026 event a new Race Week Schedule has been announced. Full details can be found here :
TBNI.Blog have compiled the most useful and popular posts in relation to the TT Road Races in order to bring you a basic Visitors’ Guide. Hopefully this guide will give you an idea and some knowledge of the course and plenty of other useful information.
History :
The Isle of Man TT, the oldest motorcycle racing event in the world, has been a spectacle of speed and skill since its inception in 1907.
The race was born out of necessity, as racing on the highways of Britain was forbidden by Act of Parliament. The Isle of Man, with its more lenient attitude towards automobile racing, became the perfect venue.
The first race was a time trial, organised by the Auto-Cycle Club (later renamed the Auto-Cycle Union). The course was a challenging 52.15-mile “Highlands” route. However, the steep climbs of the mountain section proved too much for the bikes of the time, leading to a redirection of the race. It wasn’t until 1911 that the race returned to the Mountain Course. The current Course takes riders on a 37.73 mile starting just outside Douglas and takes in numerous towns and villages and of course up and over the island’s highest mountain Snaefell.
The early races emphasised the road touring nature of the motorcycles, with regulations for saddles, pedals, mudguards, and exhaust silencers.
The first single-cylinder race was won by Charles Collier riding a Matchless, while Rem Fowler on a Norton took the twin-cylinder honours.
Over the years, the TT Course evolved from a horse and cart track, which included the odd gate between fields, into a world-renowned racing circuit. Lap speeds improved with road conditions, rising from 55.62 mph in 1920 to over 90 mph by the outbreak of World War 2. In 2023, Peter Hickman was the fastest lap holder with an average speed of 136.358mph or a lap time of 16m 36.114s
The TT returned after the War in 1947, with Harold Daniell winning the Senior once more.
The race has continued to grow in popularity, attracting thrill-seekers from around the globe.
As the TT Races celebrated its 100th race meeting in 2019, the spirit of competition and advancement that brought the original TT competition to the Island remains as strong as ever.
TBNI.Blog have compiled the most useful and popular posts in relation to the Pre-TT Classic Road Races in order to bring you a basic Visitors’ Guide. Hopefully this guide will give you an idea and some knowledge of the course and plenty of other useful information.
Updated for 2026
History :
The Pre-TT Classic Road Races came into being in 1988 at the request of the then TT organisers, the then Auto Cycle Union, Classics having first appeared on the Billown course twelve months earlier at the popular Southern ‘100’ Road Races.’ The first TT Classic Races were held on the 31st May1988, the meeting consisting of four races, 250cc/350c; 500cc; Unlimited and Sidecars and attracted 115 entries in all.
Honour of being the first race winner went to Graham Godward of Royston in Hertfordshire, riding a 350cc Aermacchi, whilst the 250cc category was dominated by ‘local’ classic man Mike Cain from Onchan on his 250cc Suzuki. Dave Pither, Seeley Matchless took the 500cc race from Richard Swallow on Syd Lawton’s Aermacchi with Alan Dugdale third. Riding a BSA Metisse, Stroud’s Robert Price finished first in the Unlimited race, whilst the controversial MV Agusta sidecar outfit of Mark Kay and Richard Battisson took the chequered flag in the final race of the day. The Classics had arrived at Billown!
Thirty plus years on, the Blackford’s Pre-TT Classic Road Races is rated as one of the most popular and ‘must do’ events in the annual Classic calendar attracting well over 250 entries for its nine-race event.
For further information on the Pre-TT Road Races click here.
Pre-TT Classic Road Races Tickets :
The Pre-TT Road Races is a free event. Spectators can visit and find any number of superb vantage spots (for free) around the 4.25 miles of the circuit. There are also a couple of grandstands run by the Southern 100 Club, they are very reasonably priced and if you fancy a guaranteed seat for the day they are a great way to go.
Even though the event is free, it is important to support the sport and one way to do this is to visit the Merchandise Tent, or the Club Hall or Burger van. The breakfasts are great and really well priced! Programmes are also available and are filled with interesting articles, stories, photographs and information about the event. Programmes are available for sale at the circuit.
The Pre-TT Classic Road Races Circuit shares its asphalt with the Southern 100. The circuit is at Billown, Castletown in the South of the Island and is 4.25 miles per lap.
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