2016 Isle of Man TT Schedule Revised

It’s been 2015 Isle of Man TT since the Isle of Man TT, but preparations are already underway for the 2016 event.

Announcing a new timetable of events for the 2016 Isle of Man TT, the Manx organizers have made it so the solo class and sidecar class champions crowned on the same day.

Accordingly, this means that the Senior TT will remain on the final Friday (June 10th) of racing, capping the fantastic road racing event, but now it will be joined by the second Sidecar TT race as well, which will lead the final day’s activities.

Making way for the sidecars, the Lightweight TT will be moved to the now vacant racing slot, on Wednesday (June 8th). Additionally, the TT race organizers have made the Lightweight TT a four-lap race, so as to reflect the growing popularity and stature of the class.

Other changes to the Isle of Man TT include a revamping of the qualifying schedule. A such, the opening session on Saturday, May 28th will feature solo and sidecar newcomer speed-controlled sighting laps, as well as an extended timed qualifying session for the Lightweight and Supersport machines.

This means that the regular sidecar entries will no longer feature in the opening qualifying session and will begin their qualifying program on Monday, May 30th, with additional sessions during race week.

The timings throughout qualifying have also been tweaked to ensure the maximum amount of track time is made available to the 1000cc solo machines, and they will feature first on track during each evening qualifying session.

Speaking about the changes to the schedule for TT 2016, TT & Motorsport Development Manager, Department of Economic Development, Paul Phillips commented:

“The changes to the schedule for TT 2016 announced today are being implemented to improve the experience for the riders, the teams and the race fans all at the same time. We believe that crowning both the sidecar and solo champions on the final day of racing will be a fitting finale to the programme and reinforce our commitment to the sidecar class as an integral part of the programme.”

“Increasing the Lightweight Race from three laps to four is an obvious step and highlights the growing importance of this class in our race programme and will ensure the riders go head to head over the race distance with everyone having to stop for fuel on the same lap. This change will also help us attract more of the leading Superbike riders into the class by moving the race away from the Senior Race in the schedule.”

“We have also been able to revise the qualifying schedule to accommodate the ever changing nature of the event and to ensure the time we have available for qualifying is maximised and prioritized.”