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Timeline

Timeline

An Act of Parliament in 1904 was the beginning of a story which is still being written to this day. In this section we detail the key moments and decisive events from more than 100 years of motor racing in the Isle of Man.

ISLE OF MAN TT RACES TIMELINE

1904: Highways Light Locomotive act passed in Tynwald allowing automobile racing on IOM

International Cup road racing trials, UK qualifiers for European racing circuit, commence

1905: Highways (Motor Car) act passed. Tourist Trophy race added to calendar.

1907: 28th May. First race for bikes is run on the old St Johns course. Plumstead’s Charlie Colyer and Rem Fowler are race winners..

1910: Scouts assist in races for first time

1911: First motorcycle race on the mountain circuit. TT organisation handed to ACU.

1913: Suffragettes protest littering the course with glass. Team colours introduced for the first time.

1914: Crash Helmets compulsory for the first time

1920: 15th June – first post war TT

1922: Lightweight class introduced.

1923: First win by Stanley Woods

1923: First sidecar race

1924: Jimmy Simpson records first 60mph lap

1925: Wal Handley first rider to win 2 races in a week

1926: Jimmy Simpson records first 70mph lap

1930: Manx Government makes first cash grant to ACU to assist with prize money

1932: HRH, Prince George, future king, first royal to visit TT. Jimmy Simpson first 80mph lap.

1934: Jimmy Simpson’s finally wins his first TT

1935: First travelling marshal employed

1937: Introduction of the first evening practice

1938: Harold Daniel breaks 90mph

1939: Stanley Woods 10th TT win

1947: First Post war TT

1949: First year as British Grand Prix within new FIM Motorcycle World Championship

1950: Geoff Duke wins his first TT with a new new lap record 93.33mph

1952: Reg Armstrong crosses line to win as chain breaks

1954: Sidecars return to the TT for the first time since 1925

1955: Geoff Duke 100mph lap, later amended to 99.97mph

1956: John Surtees wins Senior TT on an MV Augusta

1957: First 100mph lap by Scotsman Bob McIntyre in Golden Jubilee meeting

1958: Mike Hailwood’s first TT

1961: Mike Hailwoods 3 wins in a week, the first hat trick. Honda also records first win at TT.

1964: Mountain section of course first made one way for ‘Mad Sunday’

1965: Manx Radio, first licensed commercial station in British Isles, begins live TT commentaries

1966: Giacomo Agostini wins TT with a new lap record 103.09mph

1967: Diamond Jubilee TT between Agostini and Hailwood with Hailwood becoming first to 4 in a row

1968: First 100mph lap on a 125 by Billy Ivy

1971: Barry Sheene’s only TT appearance ends in failure with first lap withdrawl

1975: Mick Grants new lap record

1976: Joey Dunlop’s first TT

1977: Phil Read wins F1 TT

1978: Mike Hailwood returns and wins with new lap and race record, his 13th win on the course

1979: Special parade lap to celebrate Tynwald’s millenium

1980: Joey Dunlop raises course record to 115mph

1980: Graeme Crosby wins his first TT

1981: Jock Taylor does 108mph lap

1981: Honda ‘black Friday’ protest

1982: Ron Haslam wins Formula 1 race, Tony Rutter wins 350cc Senior TT at races 75th anniversary

1987: Joey Dunlop wins fifth Formula 1 race in a row

1988: Another Dunlop Joey hat trick

1992: Steve Hislop wins on Norton

1992: Carl Fogerty raises Senior Lap record to 123.61mph

1995: Dave Molyneux and Pete Hill become first sidecar to lap at 110mph

1996: Phillip McCallen wins 4 in a week

1996: Joey Dunlop wins four in a week

2000: Joey Dunlop records hat trick of wins at the age of 48

2000: David Jeffries wins 3 in a week and new lap record 125.69

2001: Foot and mouth disease leads to races being cancelled

2002: David Jeffries – ‘DJ’ – wins 3 races for third successive time

2003: Adrian Archibald wins Senior after losing team mate DJ

2004: ACU signs 20 year agreement to hand over control of TT to Manx Motor Cycle Union

2004: John McGuinness first hat trick of wins

2006: John McGuinness does 129.4 and wins 11th TT

2007: John McGuinness wins Superbike and Senior titles, setting a lap record 130.354mph

Dave Molyneux joins McGuinness on 13 wins with a sidecar double

2008: John McGuinness is outshone by Australian Cameron Donald who wins the Superbike and Superstock but McGuinness battles back to win the Senior from Donald and join Hailwood on 14 outright wins

2009: McGuinness moves ahead of Hailwood on all-time list with 15 wins following his Superbike victory. His team-mate Steve Plater records his maiden win and takes the inaugural title awarded to overall aggregate champion. Molyneux records 14th victory in sidecars. Ian Hutchinson scores two in a day with victories in Supersport 1 and Superstock races. New Dunlop name on winners list as Michael wins Supersport 2 race.

Sources: Duke Top 100 TT moments; Peter Kneale 90 years of TT; Magic of the TT: Mac McDiarmud

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