It is proposed that the 2020 Isle of Man TT Races, promoted by the Department for Enterprise, will be run on a revamped schedule designed to improve spectator entertainment and mitigate the demands that are placed on teams, riders, volunteers including the TT Marshals Association and local residents. The proposed schedule will mean some changes to road closure periods and the established racing schedule.
Rob Callister MHK, Political Member with responsibility for tourism and motorsport, commented: “The proposed new schedule has been designed to optimise qualifying conditions and offer shorter race days, reducing the pressure placed on competitors, teams, volunteers and officials. This new format is also designed to minimise the impact that racing has on local residents and businesses with more clearly defined road closure schedules including the more definitive first weekend qualifying timetable and cutting the duration of road closures during race week which result in clearer, easier to follow road closure timetables. This will bring benefits to rider, visitors and locals throughout the TT period.”
The proposals mean the 2020 Isle of Man TT Races will begin a day later than previous years, starting on Sunday 31st May with an afternoon Qualifying Session. Evening Qualifying Sessions will then run as before from Monday 1st June to Thursday 4th June with the final session moved from the evening to a new afternoon slot on Friday 5th June. Provisional sessions remain in the schedule on Thursday afternoon and Friday evening now becomes a provisional session.
The new TT Race day format starts with a single lap ‘Morning Warm Up Session’ for solo competitors before the opening race of the week – the RST Superbike Race – which gets underway at midday on Saturday 6th June followed by the first Sidecar TT Race at 3pm.
Monday’s and Wednesday’s Race days – featuring the two Supersport Races, the RL360 Superstock and the Bennetts Lightweight Race – will also begin with a Solo Morning Warm Up Session, with a single lap Sidecar Shakedown Session added to the running order on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s second Sidecar Race and the Senior TT Race.
ACU Events Ltd, as race organiser for the TT Races, will now submit the programme to the Isle of Man Government Department of Infrastructure for consideration and approval.
This proposed new schedule will be integrated with a new entertainment programme that will be announced on Saturday 16th November at Motorcycle Live in Birmingham.
Words and Photo: IOMTT Races
