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