100 Years of the Manx Grand Prix by David Wright

100 Years of the Manx Grand Prix: Racing out of the Shadows

The Isle of Man Mountain Course is acknowledged as the most formidable of racing circuits. Best known for the annual Tourist Trophy (TT) meeting contested by professional motorcycle racers, for 100 years it has also proved irresistibly appealing to the amateur racers who contest the Manx Grand Prix (MGP), many of whom have gone on to success at the TT and a select few have become World Champions.

This is the story of the ‘Manx’, its riders, races, its organisation by the Manx Motor Cycle Club and its turbulent 100 years of challenging the Isle of Man Mountain Course. With a lap distance of 37 3/4 miles, the Course runs over the Island’s ordinary roads, through towns, villages and open countryside, before climbing the side of a mountain and then plunging back down to sea level. Many consider it to be the ultimate bike ride!