Sidecar TT
The Sidecar TT is a motorcycle sidecar road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1954 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Engine capacity
The 1923 Isle of Man TT was the first time the Sidecar TT race was run over 3 laps (113 miles) of the Mountain Course and was won by Freddie Dixon and passenger T.W.Denney with a special Douglas banking-sidecar at an average race speed of 53.15 mph. For the 1926 Isle of Man TT Races the Sidecar TT and Ultra-Lightweight TT were dropped for the lack of entries.
The Sidecar TT Race was re-introduced for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Race for Sidecars not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity and the Sidecar TT Race was run on the Clypse Course. A non-championship 750 cc class for sidecars was introduced for the 1968 Isle of Man TT Race. For the 1976 Isle of Man TT Race the event became a race held over two-legs. From 1975, the previous 500 cc and 750 classes for Sidecars was replaced by a 1000 cc engine capacity class. The new FIM Formula 2 class for Sidecars was introduced for the 1990 Isle of Man TT.
- 1954–1959 Side-Cars not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity. Race held on Clypse Course.
- 1960–1976 World Championship Event held on Mountain Course.
- 1968–1974 Non-Championship event for Sidecars not exceeding 750 cc.
- 1975–1989 Sidecars not exceeding 1000 cc engine capacity.
- 1990– FIM Formula 2 Sidecar race for two-stroke engines not exceeding 350 cc or four-stroke engines not exceeding 600 cc.
Eligibility
Entrants
- Entrants must be in possession of a valid National Entrants or FIM Sponsors Licence for Road Racing.
- Sidecar Passengers must hold a TT Course Licence as a passenger.
Formula Two Sidecar TT Specifications
The 2012 specification for entries into the Sidecar TT race are defined as;-
- Any machine complying with the following specifications:
- Machines must comply with general technical rules as per ACU Standing Regulations and 2012 IOM TT regulations.
- Engine Types
- 501 – 600cc, 4 stroke, 4 cylinder, Production based motor-cycle engines.
- Rotary engines are not permitted.
- Fuel injection systems are permitted using only the throttle-bodies as homologated for the motor-cycle engine used by the entrant.
- Electronic traction control system is prohibited. Wheel speed sensors are not permitted.
- General Construction
- The Sidecar may be placed either side of the motor-cycle. Hinged sidecars and steerable sidecar wheels are prohibited.
- The three road wheels may be disposed as to give two or three tracks.
- If three tracks are made then the centres of the tracks of the motorcycle shall not be more than 75mm apart.
- The main chassis frame must consist of a minimum, of a steering head, a frame to accommodate the engine and a main spar to the sidecar wheel which will be made from good quality steel tube.
- The tubing used for the construction of the frame may be of a circular or non-circular section. and the outside diameter shall not exceed 101.6mm.
- Minimum suspension travel to be no less than 20mm.
- Monocoque construction is prohibited and the use of composite construction is forbidden with the single exception of the sidecar platform (i.e. aluminium or carbon fibre skinned honeycomb).
- Engine Position
- The engine must be positioned behind the steering head and in front of the driver.
- The final drive must be transmitted to the road through the rear wheel of the motor-cycle. An engine positioned behind the driver and in front of the rear drive wheel is prohibited.
- The engine must be positioned that the centre line of the engine will not exceed 160mm beyond the centre line of the rear wheel of the motor-cycle.
- Dimensions
- Width (Overall Maximum) 1575 mm. Wheelbase (Maximum) 1651 mm. Track 800 mm minimum, 1105mm maximum. Height (Overall Maximum) 800 mm
- Weight (Minimum) 136.5 kg without fuel. The addition of ballast to reach this the official minimum weight is prohibited.
- Wheels
- The wheel rim 254 mm in diameter and 64mm in width. The diameter of the tyre must be as least 400mm and the width 100mm, maximum front tyre width 220mm. The use of slick tyres is permitted.
- Steering
- Steering of the front wheel must be by a non-adjustable handlebars securely fixed to the forks or yokes of the motor-cycle with no intermediate push or pull rods and all steering elements must be located on the sprung portion of the front suspension unit.
- Brakes
- All three wheels must be braked and the use of only ferrous brake discs permitted.[1]
Official Qualification Time
- 120% of the time set by the third fastest qualifier in the class.[2]
Speed and lap records
The lap record for the Sidecar TT is 19 minutes and 24.24 seconds at an average speed of 116.667 mph set by Nick Crowe and passenger Daniel Sayle during the 2007 Sidecar Race B.[3] The race record for the Sidecar TT is 58 minutes and 59.28 seconds an average race speed of 115.132 mph for 3 laps (113.00 miles) of the Mountain Course held by Dave Molyneux and Daniel Sayle during the 2009 Sidecar Race A.[4]
Sidecar TT Race Winners
| Rider | Wins |
| Dave Molyneux | 17 |
| Rob Fisher | 10 |
| Mick Boddice, Dave Saville, Siegfried Schauzu | 9 |
| Nick Crowe | 5 |
| Klaus Enders, Trevor Ireson, Jock Taylor | 4 |
| Max Deubel, Klaus Klaffenböck, Walter Schneider*, Rolf Steinhausen | 3 |
| Geoff Bell, Lowry Burton, Fritz Hillebrand*, Dick Greasley, Mac Hobson | 2 |
| Steve Abbott, Georg Auerbacher, Florian Camathias, Ben Birchall, Freddie Dixon, M. Hamblin, Roy Hanks, Conrad Harrison, John Holden, Helmut Fath, Heinz Luthringshauser, George O'Dell, Eric Oliver*, Les Parker, C. Prichard, Tim Reeves, Nigel Rollason, Fritz Scheidegger, George H. Tucker, Chris Vincent, Terry Vinicombe | 1 |
Sidecar TT Passengers Race Winners
| Rider | Wins |
| Rick Long, Dan Sayle | 8 |
| C.Birks, W.Kalauch | 6 |
| D.Hall | 5 |
| Bengt Johannson, H.Schneider, | 4 |
| R.Englehardt, Patrick Farrance, Darren Hope, E.Horner, C.Pollington, H.Strauss*, D.Williams | 3 |
| M.Grunwald*, K.Combill, Mark Cox, Pat.Cushnahan, R.Crossely, K.Ellison, P.Hill, B.Hutchinson, N.Roche, D.Wells, Mick Wynn | 2 |
| Mike Aylott, K.Arthur, Tim Birchall, N.Burgess, M.Burns, N.Carpenter, S.Collins, A.Herzig, E.Bliss, J.Flaxman, J.Gibbard, H.Hahn, C.Hallam, Colin Hardman, D.Jewell, J.Robinson, K.Morgan, L.Nutt*, J.Parkins, T.W.Denney, G.Russell, R.Smith, S.Smith, A.Winkle, A.Wohlegemuth | 1 |
Sidecar TT Race Winners by Marque
See also
References
- ↑ International Tourist Trophy Regulations 2012 page 36-39 Appendix B ACU Events (Isle of Man) Limited (2012) Isle of Man Department of Economic Development
- ↑ International Tourist Trophy Regulations 2012 page 19 ACU Events (Isle of Man) Limited (2012) Isle of Man Department of Economic Development
- ↑ Isle of Man Courier page 55 dated 7 June 2007 – Isle of Man Newspapers Ltd ISSN 1471-7905
- ↑ Bike Sport News – TT 2009 Special Issue 238 page 7 dated 16 June 2009 BSN Ltd
