Southern 100

Southern 100 Road Races
Region Isle of Man
Date 8–11 July (2013)
Type Road Course
Clerk of the Course Phil Taubman
Event Organiser Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Ltd
Principal sponsor Isle of Man Department of Economic Development
History
First race 1955
Number of races 56 (2012)
First winner England Terry Shepherd (1955)
Most wins Wales Ian Lougher 32
Lap record England Guy Martin 2 minutes 13.923 secs 114.245 mph (183.860 km/h) (2013)

The Southern 100 is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man in July of each year. The event was first held in 1955, when there were three races for different classes of motorcycles; the current calendar includes twelve races for various classes. The event is competed on the Billown Circuit in the south of the island, starting and finishing at Castletown.

History

In 1955, the Southern 100 races were started, featuring a race for each of the two traditional class; the 250cc and the 350cc. These were competed over 25 miles (40 km), consisting of 6 laps. A 500cc race was also included as the feature race; this took place over 24 laps, and was in excess of 100 miles (160 km).[1] The races that year received 73 entrants, and the first race was won by Manxman Derek Ennett. In 1958 the event was granted "National Status", and eleven years later was included in the British Championships.[2] The races were part of the Irish Regal Championships in 1992 and 1993,[1] and is now one of five Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) sanctioned International meetings in the British Isles.[2]

Sidecar racing was introduced in 1962,[2] and constitutes two of the twelve races currently included in the race calendar.[3]

Ian Lougher has achieved the most Solo victories, winning on 32 occasions, followed closely by Joey Dunlop with 31. Dave Molyneux leads the Sidecar victories, with 15.[4] The Billown Circuit has been lapped with an average speed over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) on a number of occasions, but it was first achieved by Dave Leech in the 1989 Southern 100 Solo Championship Race riding a 1000cc Yamaha at an average speed of 100.26 mph.[5]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Southern 100 Motorcycle Racing: History". Isle of Man Guide. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Edge, Phil (24 November 2009). "The history of the 'Southern 100'". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Steam Packet Southern "100" Races Results: 2011". Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Club Ltd. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "Most wins". Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Club Ltd. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  5. ↑ Southern 100 – Race Programme 1990 Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Ltd (1990) Castletown Press page 81

External links