The Sidecar TT is a motorcycle-with-sidecar road race competition held over two legs which takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1954 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship.
The 1923 races was the first time the Sidecar TT race was run, over 3 laps (113 miles) of the Mountain Course won by Freddie Dixon and passenger T.W.Denney with a special Douglas banking-sidecar at an average race speed of 53.15 mph. For the 1926 races the Sidecar TT and Ultra-Lightweight TT were dropped due to lack of entries.
The Sidecar TT race was re-introduced in the 1954 event for machines not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity, run on the Clypse Course. A non-championship 750 cc class for sidecars was introduced for the 1968 event. From 1975, the previous 500 cc and 750 classes were replaced by a 1000 cc engine capacity class. For 1976 the event became a race held over two-legs. The new FIM Formula 2 class for Sidecar outfits was introduced for the 1990 races.
The 2012 specification for entries into the Sidecar TT race were defined as any machine complying with the following specifications:
The lap record for the Sidecar TT is 18 minutes and 45.85 seconds, an average speed of 120.645 mph (194.159 km/h) set by Ben Birchall and passenger Tom Birchall during Race 2 in 2023. [3] [4] They also set a new race record of 56 minutes and 41.816 seconds, an average race speed of 119.784 mph (192.774 km/h) for 3 laps (113.00 miles) of the Mountain Course, bettering their own race-record set in 2018. [5]
| Rider | Wins |
|---|---|
| Dave Molyneux | 17 |
| Ben Birchall | 14 |
| Rob Fisher | 10 |
| Mick Boddice, Dave Saville, Siegfried Schauzu | 9 |
| Nick Crowe | 5 |
| Klaus Enders, Trevor Ireson, Jock Taylor | 4 |
| Max Deubel, Klaus Klaffenböck, Walter Schneider*, Rolf Steinhausen | 3 |
| Geoff Bell, Lowry Burton, Ryan Crowe, Dick Greasley, Fritz Hillebrand*, Mac Hobson, John Holden | 2 |
| Steve Abbott, Georg Auerbacher, Florian Camathias, Freddie Dixon, M. Hamblin, Roy Hanks, Conrad Harrison, Helmut Fath, Heinz Luthringshauser, George O'Dell, Eric Oliver*, Les Parker, C. Prichard, Tim Reeves, Nigel Rollason, Fritz Scheidegger, George H. Tucker, Chris Vincent, Terry Vinicombe | 1 |
| Rider | Wins |
|---|---|
| Tom Birchall | 14 |
| Rick Long, Dan Sayle | 8 |
| C.Birks, W.Kalauch | 6 |
| D.Hall | 5 |
| Bengt Johannson, H.Schneider, | 4 |
| R.Englehardt, Patrick Farrance, Darren Hope, E.Horner, C.Pollington, H.Strauss*, D.Williams | 3 |
| M.Grunwald*, K.Cornbill, Mark Cox, Callum Crowe, Pat.Cushnahan, R.Crossely, K.Ellison, P.Hill, B.Hutchinson, N.Roche, D.Wells, Andrew Winkle, Mick Wynn | 2 |
| Mike Aylott, K.Arthur, N.Burgess, M.Burns, N.Carpenter, S.Collins, A.Herzig, E.Bliss, J.Flaxman, J.Gibbard, H.Hahn, Craig Hallam, Colin Hardman, D.Jewell, J.Robinson, K.Morgan, L.Nutt*, J.Parkins, T.W.Denney, G.Russell, R.Smith, S.Smith, A.Wohlegemuth | 1 |
| Marque | Wins |
|---|---|
| Yamaha | 40 |
| Honda | 26 |
| BMW | 25 |
| Kawasaki, Suzuki | 3 |
| BSA, Konig, LMS, Norton | 2 |
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May and runs for thirteen days. It is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world as many competitors have died.
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. A motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a combination, an outfit, a rig or a hack.
FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949.
The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or TT Course or Jalmaf Mountain Course is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle TT Course is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the separate event of the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling for the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT Races held in September of each year. The start-line for the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course is located on Glencrutchery Road in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man.
The motorcycle sport of racing includes motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Other categories include hill climbs, drag racing and land speed record trials.
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the blue ribbon event of the festival that takes place on the Friday of race week, with "The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars trophy" awarded to the winner.
The 1957 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the Golden Jubilee event and the second race in the 1957 Motorcycle World Championships.
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
The Supertwin TT is a motorcycle road race that is a part of the Isle of Man TT festival - an annual motorcycle event traditionally held over the last week of May and first week of June. Prior to the 2022 edition of the TT, the race was known as the Lightweight TT.
The 1954 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the second race in the 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and proved highly controversial for TT Course and race changes. The 1954 Junior TT was the first race where the official race distance was reduced from 7 laps to 5 laps. The 1954 Senior TT Race was stopped at half distance due to the weather conditions on the Mountain Section of the course.
The Ultra-Lightweight TT was a motorcycle road race that took place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1951 and 1974 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season at world-level, representing the British round. The Ultra-Lightweight TT and the Lightweight TT races were both dropped from the 2005 Isle of Man TT race calendar due to lack of entries, but were later reinstated to the 2008 and 2009 TT race schedules held on the 4.25 mi (6.84 km) Billown Circuit.
Chris Vincent was a British motorcycle sidecar road racer who was very successful in short-circuit (tarmac) racing in the 1960s and early 1970s. He entered Grands Prix using BSA, BMW and URS engines. He also rode solo motorcycles, particularly in the smaller race classes and production-machine categories.
The 2009 Isle of Man TT Festival was held between Saturday 30 May and Friday 12 June on the 37.733-mile (60.725 km) Mountain Course. The 2009 TT races again include a second 600 cc Supersport Junior TT race and the Lightweight TT and Ultra-Lightweight TT races held on the 4.25-mile (6.84 km) Billown Circuit in the Isle of Man. A new event for the 2009 Isle of Man TT races was the one-lap TTXGP for racing motorcycles "to be powered without the use of carbon based fuels and have zero toxic/noxious emissions."
The 2010 Isle of Man TT Festival was held between Saturday 29 May and Friday 11 June on the 37.73-mile Isle of Man TT Mountain Course. The 2010 races again included a second 600 cc Supersport Junior TT race. The Lightweight TT and Ultra-Lightweight TT race class previously held on the 4.25-mile (6.84 km) Billown Circuit in the Isle of Man for the 2008 Isle of Man TT and 2009 Isle of Man TT were dropped from the 2010 race schedule. The 2010 Isle of Man TT Races included the one-lap TT Zero for racing motorcycles "to be powered without the use of carbon based fuels and have zero toxic/noxious emissions." which replaced the TTXGP and also a Suzuki 50th Anniversary Lap of Honour and the TT Classic Parade which were held before the main Senior TT race.
TT Zero was an electric motorsport event introduced for the 2010 Isle of Man TT races – replaced the similar TTXGP race as a 1-lap circuit of the Snaefell Mountain Course. The TT Zero event as an officially sanctioned Isle of Man TT race is for racing motorcycles where "The technical concept is for motorcycles to be powered without the use of carbon based fuels and have zero toxic/noxious emissions." The Isle of Man Government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first entrant to exceed the prestigious 100 mph average speed around the Mountain Course.
The 2011 Isle of Man TT Festival was scheduled to be held between Monday 30 May and Friday 10 June 2011 on the 37.73-mile Snaefell Mountain Course in the Isle of Man. The main celebration for the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races the Milestones of the Mountain Course special parade lap held on 10 June 2011 to commemorate the centenary of the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course included the former FIM World Champions Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read. The 2011 Isle of Man TT Festival also included the Pre-TT Classic Races on 27, 28 and 30 May 2011 and the Post-TT Races on 11 June 2011 and both events held on the Billown Circuit.
The Superstock TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival. The event for production based motor-cycles racing on treaded road tyres is based on the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship specifications.
The 2013 Isle of Man TT Races were held between the Saturday 25 May and Friday 7 June 2013 on the 37.73-mile Isle of Man TT Mountain Course in the Isle of Man. The event celebrated the 90th anniversary of the first Sidecar TT with a special parade lap for racing sidecar outfits. The 2013 Isle of Man TT Festival also included the Pre-TT Classic Races on 24, 25 & 27 May 2013 and the Post-TT Races on 8 June 2013 and both events held on the Billown Circuit.
The 2014 Isle of Man TT Festival was held between Saturday 24 May and Friday 6 June 2014 on the 37.73-mile Isle of Man TT Mountain Course. The main races were six solo motorcycle races and two sidecar races. The festival also included Pre-TT Classic Races held on 23, 24 & 26 May 2014 at the Billown Circuit in Castletown. Post-TT races scheduled for 7 June 2014 were cancelled by race organisers on safety grounds due to a thunderstorm and heavy overnight rain.
Ben Birchall and Tom Birchall,, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, are English motorcycle-with-sidecar road race World Championship-winning competitors in both the F1 and F2 categories and again in the 2017 season – when all competitors used 600 engines.