2011 TT schedule set

From the Isle of Man TT

The Isle of Man Government's Department of Economic Development, promoters of the Isle of Man TT Races Fuelled by Monster Energy, have announced the calendar for the 2011 event, which represents the centenary of racing on the iconic Mountain Course circuit.

The TT Races first took place in 1907 but the organizers changed the course to incorporate the Island's mountain region, Snaefell, in 1911 and apart from one or two small modifications, teams and riders will be competing on that same 37 ¾ mile circuit in 2011.

The 2011 calendar will feature broadly the same race programme as the previous seven years. This will include a Superbike race and the first Sidecar race on Saturday, June 4, Supersport Race 1 and the Superstock race on Monday, June 6, the second Sidecar and second Supersport race on Wednesday, June 8. The meeting will culminate with the Blue Riband Senior Race on Friday, June 10.

Following an extensive consultation with current TT teams and riders, the TT organizers have decided to drop the first, untimed, practice. This means that the TT Races programme will now begin with a timed qualifying session on the evening of Monday, May 30. Qualifying for both Sidecar and Solo machines will take place every evening that week.

For the third consecutive year, electric bikes will also compete in the TT Races, with the TT Zero Race scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 8. The Isle of Man Government has again offered a £10,000 prize to the first team to record a 100mph lap around the course. The prestigious mark was first recorded on a conventional machine in 1957 and has not yet been achieved by an electric bike, although the American team MotoCzysz from Portland, OR clocked an average lap speed of 96.82mph in the 2010 TT Zero Race.

The 2011 TT meeting will also feature some high profile celebrations for the 2011 Mountain Course centenary as well as a definitive programme of events to commemorate Yamaha's 50th anniversary of competing on the Isle of Man. Further details of this activity will be released in due course.