Ultra-Lightweight TT

Last updated

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. [1]

Contents

Engine Capacity

The 1924 Isle of Man TT was the first race for Ultra-Lightweight motorcycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity, won by Jack Porter, on a New Imperial at an average speed of 51.21 mph (82.41 km/h) for three laps of the Snaefell mountain course. The Ultra-Lightweight TT race was re-introduced for the 1951 Isle of Man TT race for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity until dropped from the TT race meeting in 1974. The Ultra-Lightweight race was re-introduced for the 1989 TT races, again for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity and was part of the TT Festival until 2004.

Speed and Lap Records

The lap record for the Ultra-Lightweight TT is 19 minutes and 18.2 seconds [2] at an average speed of 110.52 mph (177.86 km/h) set by Chris Palmer during the 2004 Ultra-Lightweight 125 cc TT Race.

List of Ultra-Lightweight TT Winners

[3] [4]

YearRiderManufacturerAverage Race Speed
1924 Flag of Scotland.svg Jock Porter New Gerrard 51.21 mph
1925 Flag of England.svg Wal Handley Rex-Acme 53.45 mph
1926-1950Not Held
1951 Ulster Banner.svg Cromie McCandless Mondial 74.85 mph
1952 Flag of England.svg Cecil Sandford MV Agusta 75.54 mph
1953 Flag of England.svg Leslie Graham MV Agusta 77.79 mph
1954 Flag of Austria.svg Rupert Hollaus NSU 69.52 mph
1955 Flag of Italy.svg Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 69.67 mph
1956 Flag of Italy.svg Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 69.13 mph
1957 Flag of Italy.svg Tarquinio Provini Mondial 73.69 mph
1958 Flag of Italy.svg Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 72.86 mph
1959 Flag of Italy.svg Tarquinio Provini MV Agusta 74.06 mph
1960 Flag of Italy.svg Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 85.61 mph
1961 Flag of England.svg Mike Hailwood Honda 88.23 mph
1962 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Luigi Taveri Honda 89.88 mph
1963 Flag of New Zealand.svg Hugh Anderson Suzuki 89.27 mph
1964 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Luigi Taveri Honda 92.14 mph
1965 Flag of England.svg Phil Read Yamaha 94.28 mph
1966 Flag of England.svg Bill Ivy Yamaha 97.66 mph
1967 Flag of England.svg Phil Read Yamaha 97.48 mph
1968 Flag of England.svg Phil Read Yamaha 99.12 mph
1969 Flag of England.svg Dave Simmonds Kawasaki 91.08 mph
1970 Flag of Germany.svg Dieter Braun Suzuki 89.27 mph
1971 Flag of England.svg Chas Mortimer Yamaha 83.96 mph
1972 Flag of England.svg Chas Mortimer Yamaha 87.49 mph
1973 Ulster Banner.svg Tommy Robb Yamaha 88.91 mph
1974 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Clive Horton Yamaha 88.44 mph
1975-1988Not Held
1989 Ulster Banner.svg Robert Dunlop Honda 102.58 mph
1990 Ulster Banner.svg Robert Dunlop Honda 103.41 mph
1991 Ulster Banner.svg Robert Dunlop Honda 103.68 mph
1992 Ulster Banner.svg Joey Dunlop Honda 106.49 mph
1993 Ulster Banner.svg Joey Dunlop Honda 107.26 mph
1994 Ulster Banner.svg Joey Dunlop Honda 105.74 mph
1995 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Baldwin Honda 107.14 mph
1996 Ulster Banner.svg Joey Dunlop Honda 106.33 mph
1997 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Lougher Honda 107.89 mph
1998 Ulster Banner.svg Robert Dunlop Honda 106.38 mph
1999 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Lougher Honda 107.43 mph
2000 Ulster Banner.svg Joey Dunlop Honda 107.14 mph
2001 Not held
2002 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Lougher Honda 108.65 mph
2003 Flag of England.svg Chris Palmer Honda 108.65 mph
2004 Flag of England.svg Chris Palmer Honda 108.93 mph
2005-2007Not Held
2008 Flag of England.svg Chris Palmer Honda 94.042 mph
2009 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Lougher Honda 2 heats

50cc Ultra-Lightweight TT Winners

YearRiderMotorcycleAverage Speed
1962 Flag of Germany.svg Ernst Degner Suzuki 75.12 mph
1963 Flag of Japan.svg Mitsuo Itoh Suzuki78.81 mph
1964 Flag of New Zealand.svg Hugh Anderson Suzuki80.64 mph
1965 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Luigi Taveri Honda 79.66 mph
1966 Ulster Banner.svg Ralph Bryans Honda85.66 mph
1967 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stuart Graham Suzuki82.89 mph
1968 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barry Smith Derbi 72.90 mph

Ultra-Lightweight TT Race Winners

RiderWins
Joey Dunlop, Ian Lougher Carlo Ubbiali 4
Robert Dunlop, Chris Palmer3
Chas Mortimer, Phil Read, Tarquinio Provini*, Luigi Taveri 2
Hugh Anderson, M.Baldwin, Dieter Braun, Les Graham, Rupert Hollaus*, Wal Handley, C.Horton, Bill Ivy, Cromie McCandless, Mike Hailwood, Jack Porter, Tommy Robb, Cecil Sandford, Dave Simmonds 1

Ultra-Lightweight TT Race Winners by Marque

MarqueWins
Honda 20
Yamaha 8
MV Agusta 7
Mondial, Suzuki 2
Kawasaki, New Imperial, NSU, Rex-Acme 1

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Man TT</span> Annual motorcycle race held on the Isle of Man

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Grand Prix</span> Motorsport Event

The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period reduction from 14 to 9 days. 2023 saw the 100th Anniversary of the event where the Manx Motorcycle club did very little in the way of a celebratory program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Man TT Mountain Course</span> Motorcycle circuit on the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or TT 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senior TT</span> Motorcycle road race

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clypse Course</span>

The Clypse Course describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Isle of Man TT Races between 1954 and 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightweight TT</span> Motorcycle race on the Isle of Man

The Lightweight 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1954 Isle of Man TT</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidecar TT</span> Isle of Man motorcycle road race

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 Verandah, Isle of Man is a series of four bends which motorcyclists negotiate at high speed during road racing on the Snaefell Mountain Course on the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Costello</span> British motorcycle racer

Maria Costello MBE from Spratton in Northamptonshire, is a British motorcycle racer who held the Guinness World Record for being the fastest woman to lap the Isle of Man TT course at an average speed of 114.73 mph until Jenny Tinmouth took the record at the 2009 TT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billown Circuit</span>

The Billown Circuit is a motorcycle road-race course used for the Southern 100, the Pre-TT Classic races and the National Road Races meetings near Castletown on the Isle of Man. Racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Isle of Man TT</span>

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 2009 Manx Grand Prix was held between Saturday 22 August and Friday 4 September 2009 on the 37.733-mile Mountain Course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Isle of Man TT</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Manx Grand Prix</span>

The 2010 Manx Grand Prix races were held between Saturday 21 August and Friday 3 September 2010 on the 37.733-mile Mountain Course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Manx Grand Prix</span>

2012 Manx Grand Prix Festival and Races were held between Saturday 18 August and Friday 31 August 2012 on the 37.73-mile Snaefell Mountain Course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Isle of Man TT</span> Motorcycle road race

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929</span>

The Isle of Man TT and other motorcycle racing in the island did not restart after the end of the First World War until 1920. Changes were made to the Snaefell Mountain Course causing competitors to turn left and proceed up the hill at Cronk-ny-Mona to follow the primary A18 Snaefell Mountain Road through to Governor's Bridge with a new start/finish line at Glencrutchery Road lengthening the course to 37¾ miles.

References

  1. Manx Independent pp44 dated 22 November 2007
  2. 2006 Official TT Race Guide
  3. "TT Fact Zone". Duke Marketing Ltd.
  4. "TT & Manx Grand Prix - iMuseum". iMuseum.