Alan Oversby : Pre-TT Classic Road Races Statement : 24th May 2026
STATEMENT ISSUED FROM THE SOUTHERN 100 ROAD RACES
Southern 100 Road Races regrets to confirm that Alan Oversby, aged 68, from Bolton-Le-Sands lost his life in an incident during the 400cc Race today at the Pre-TT Classic Road Races. The accident occurred on the approach to Ballakeighan, on the second lap of the race.
Alan was an experienced Pre-TT Classic Road Races competitor, first competing in 2005 and taking his first win in 2006.
In total, Alan took 16 wins including two today.
Southern 100 Road Races extend their deepest sympathy to Alan’s wife Julie, family, team and friends.
I have said this before, I will say it again and I will totally stand over it, there is no better way to start your TT Festival than the Pre-TT Classic Road Races at the Billown Circuit in Castletown, Isle of Man.
Held on the spectacular Southern 100 Course the Pre-TT Races mark the official start of the Manx Road Racing Season and given that it is run by the ‘Friendly Races’ you can be assured of a magical weekend of racing – featuring both 2 and 3 wheelers!
There is no better way to start your visit to the Isle of Man, for the TT Races, than a trip to Castletown and the Billown Circuit for the Blackford Financial Services Pre-TT Classic Road Races.
The Pre-TT Classic Road Races is multi start pure road racing with numerous classes being catered for including sidecars. It runs over the weekend prior to the start of the TT Festival Fortnight and is ran by the Southern 100 Club.
The racing is fast, tight and competitive and the event itself is free. There are viewing grandstands for a really reasonable fee, merch (we all love merch) and catering all at on site. So bring some cash and support the Club.
Castletown is a beautiful little village in the South of the Island with all the facilities you could need. You will love it.
For 2025 the Pre-TT Classic Road Races will take place on 23rd – 25th May 2025.
The next event on the 2025 Road Racing Calendar is the 2025 Pre-TT Classic Road Races at the Southern 100 Course, Castletown, Isle of Man.
So, if you are heading over to the Isle of Man for the 2025 Isle of Man TT Races, there is no better way to start your Festival Fortnight that getting yourself down to the Billown Circuit and enjoy some mutistart classic road racing on the Southern 100 Course!
Of course TBNI.Blog have everything to you need to start to plan your trip and links to everything else to make sure your start to the Isle of Man Road Racing Season gets off to the perfect start!
The Visitors’ Guide is packed with info on the course, ticketing, road closings schedules, race schedules, parking facilities, history, what the flags mean… a little bit of everything.
The 2024 Pre-TT Classic Road Races were held over Friday 24th May 2024 – Sunday 25th May 2024 on the Colas Billown Circuit, Castletown, Isle of Man.
With qualifying sessions held on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, the racing got underway on Saturday evening, followed by a full race schedule for Sunday.
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.
The 2023 Pre-TT Classic Road Races were held on the Billown, Southern 100, circuit on the Isle of Man over the 26th – 28th May 2023.
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.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
The 2023 Blackford Pre-TT Classic Road Races will run from Friday 26th May – Sunday 28th May 2023 with racing happening on all three dates.
Note though, that this year will see no Monday racing session for this event.
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.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
TBNI.Blog have compiled the most useful and popular of our posts in relation to the Isle of Man TT Races in order to bring you a basic 2023 Isle of Man TT Visitor’s Guide, to give you an idea and some knowledge of the course, the races and their preplanned times and some of the other racing events on the Island over the period of the TT Festival.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
The Post-TT Races will no longer be held after 31 years of the event.
The Southern 100 Club has confirmed the decision following the announcement of the schedule for next year’s TT on the Mountain Course.
Traditionally, the Post-TT Races have been held on the final Saturday of the TT fortnight.
However this would clash, in 2023, with the new TT programme with next year’s Senior race scheduled for Saturday, 10 June.
S100 officials says the decision is largely down to lack of available medical personnel and marshals after the TT festival.
Meanwhile the Pre-TT Classic Road Races will go ahead next year but on a revised timetable.
It will now run for three days straight on the Billown Course from Friday, 26 May through to Sunday, 28 May.
The Friday session will run from 6pm to 9.35pm; the Saturday session from 1pm to 4.30pm and between 6pm and 9pm; and the Sunday slot from 1pm until no later than 6pm.
The Southern 100 Road Races are due to be held as planned from 10-13 July next year.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
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