The Isle of Man TT is one of the most spectacular motorcycle races in the world. No gravel pits and tire walls to help protect the riders from a fall or a crash—on the Isle of Man, mistakes can be deadly. That’s also why the racers bold and talented enough to take on the road course are some of the most respected riders in motorsport.   

With the 2020 event canceled, the next Isle of Man TT is scheduled for 2021 except this time, there will be yet another TT on the calendar. Road racing enthusiasts rejoice: the Isle of Wight's Diamond Races event is coming in October 2021.   

2020 IOMTT Lock-In Virtual Event
The newly-created Diamond Races will be featured on the 2021 calendar of U.K.'s road racing events alongside the famous Isle of Man TT.

Similarly to the other U.K. road racing events it will join on the calendar, the Diamond Races will be a four-day festival hosted for the first time, as the name suggests, on the Isle of Wight, located south of England, along the coast. While organizers have yet to announce the dates, the event is expected to follow a similar schedule as the North West 200 with practice and qualifying rounds on Wednesday and Thursday followed by the official races on Saturday.  

Visitors will get to watch the Superbike, Supersport, and SuperTwin series in action on the 12.4-mile loop as well as a Sidecar racing demonstration.  

The event was initially created by Isle of Wight residents Paul Sandford and James Kaye and has since received the support of the Isle of Wight council and a slew of motorcycle racing experts. The organizing team now includes key players such as Gary Thompson MBE (Isle of Man TT Clerk of the Course), Steve Plater (past Isle of Man TT Senior winner and ex British Champion), Neil Tuxworth (ex-Honda Racing Manager) and Matt Neal (three-time British Touring Car Champion and Honda UK ambassador).  

Thanks to the island’s favorable and easily accessible location—only a two-hour drive away from London—organizers expect fans from U.K. and Europe to attend. They also plan to make the Isle of Wight TT an annual event.   

“As an Isle of Wight local resident, I am very excited to welcome motorsport fans from across the globe to this beautiful island, for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of racing action and entertainment for the whole family. The Diamond Races is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and planning by the whole team, and we’re very lucky to have the best of the best involved with its setup. No stone is being left unturned in striving to deliver a spectacular event which we have every reason to believe will be a regular back-stop to the island’s tourist season and put the Isle of Wight on the international motorcycle road racing map,” comment Diamond Races CEO and co-founder Paul Sandford.   
 

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