Billown Circuit
The Billown Circuit describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Southern 100, Pre-TT Classic Races and the National Road Races Meeting in Castletown in the Isle of Man. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man).
The course is 4.25 miles (6.44 km) long and is in the parishes of Arbory and Rushen in the Isle of Man. The course start-line is in Castletown in the Isle of Man which includes the primary A5 New Castletown Road, A28 Castletown to Ballabeg Road, A7 Ballasalla to Port Erin Road and the A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road.
History
Following the closure of the former RAF Station at Andreas to motor-cycle racing in 1954 and to celebrate the success of George 'Sparrow' Costain and Derek Ennett at the 1954 Manx Grand Prix it was proposed at a meeting of the Southern Motor-Cycle Club (SMCC) that a motor-cycle circuit would be developed in area around Castletown in the Isle of Man.[1] The proposal of a "South TT"[2] using roads around the new Castletown A5 by-pass and the Billown Mansion was met with a luke-warm response and an application for a grant of £500 for race expenditure was rejected by the Tynwald Race Committee in April 1955.[3] A grant of £500 from local business including T.H.Coleburn Ltd for a public address system enabled the first Southern 100 Road Race meeting to be scheduled for July 1955 as a club motor-cycle racing meeting.[4]
The Billown Circuit became a regional registered circuit in 1956 and a National Racing circuit in 1957 with a maximum of 45 entries per class[1] In 1988 a new race meeting was introduced with the Pre-TT Classic Races followed by the National Road Races in 1990. The re-introduction of two-stroke motor-cycle racing at the 2008 Isle of Man TT with a Lightweight TT and Ultra-Lightweight TT race, the first time the Billown Circuit hosted Isle of Man TT races as part of the 2008 National Road Race meeting.
Speed and Race Records
The lap record for the Billown Circuit is 2 Minutes and 15.951 seconds at an average speed of 112.541 mph set by Michael Dunlop during the 2011 Southern 100 Races.
Total Overall Races Winners
| Rider |
Wins |
| Joey Dunlop, Ian Lougher |
42 |
| Jason Griffiths, Chris Palmer |
22 |
| Ryan Farquhar |
21 |
| Dave Madsen-Mygdal |
19 |
| Kenny Harrison |
18 |
| Dave Leech |
17 |
| Bob Heath, Dave Molyneux |
15 |
| William Dunlop, Bill Swallow |
14 |
| Bill Smith |
13 |
| Lowry Burton, Bob Jackson, Jason Griffiths |
12 |
| Derek Walley |
11 |
| Barry Wood, Robert Dunlop |
10 |
| Geoff Bell, Ray McCullough |
9 |
| Mike Hose, Bud Jackson, Guy Martin |
8 |
| Ian Bell, Nick Crowe, Selwyn Griffiths, Darran Lindsay |
7 |
| Charlie Freeman, Bob Jackson, Phillip McCallen, Alan Oversby, Tim Poole, |
6 |
| Colin Bevan, Blair Degerholm, John Knowles, Dave Pither, Roy Richardson, Meryvn Stratford, Alan Steele, Charlie Williams, Derek Young, John Watson |
5 |
| Ian Bell, Tony Baker, Mick Burcombe, Bill Davie, Geoff Hands, Alan Oversby |
4 |
| Michael Dunlop |
3 |
| Bill Currie, Peter Hardy, Kenny Howles, Klaus Klaffenböck, Greg Lambert, Dan Sayle, Geoff Young, Rob Bellas |
2 |
See also
Sources
- ^ a b Southern 100 Silver Jubilee Road Racing Meeting pp33 SMCC Ltd (1979)
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner pp1 dated 14 January 1955
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner pp1 dated 22 April 1955
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner pp1 dated 13 May 1955
External links
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