MOTORCYCLE racing enthusiasts are set to descend on the Isle of Wight in their thousands for a spectacular new event destined to one day rival the Isle of Man TT.
The Diamond Races, a new road racing festival featuring 200mph bikes, will come to the Island in October next year.
Set to take place on a 12.4 mile-long course, around the Chale area and on a fast five-mile stretch along the Military Road, it will be the first time a professional road race has taken place on the Isle of Wight.
Developed in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council and experts from the world of motorcycle racing, it will run on closed roads over the course of four days.
Spectators will be thrilled seeing speeds of up to 200mph on a course that should test the competitors — a circuit that combines fiddly, technical corners and really quick, sweeping bends, with big long straights in between to ensure the machines can be worked extremely hard.
The event will include two practice days, on the Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the featured time trial races, to be staged on a Saturday.
Planned as an end-of-season celebration, the event will welcome superbike, supersport and lightweight machines, along with a sidecar demonstration and an electric motorcycle category.
In addition to the feature races, there will also be a mass participation event for motorcyclists to take to the Diamond Races course, led by renowned road riders, to experience the thrill of road racing on safe, closed and controlled roads.
The date for the Diamond Races will be announced following publication of the 2021 British Superbike calendar and held a week after its season traditionally wraps up at Brands Hatch.
Organisers see the Isle of Wight as the perfect place for TT.
Not only do they want racing to be as family friendly as possible, they want to create a top quality, hi-octane event that will thrill spectators and become a major global draw.
It's quite an ambition to create an event akin to the Isle of Man TT, but it has the expert backing of a team that knows what it takes to achieve that goal.
The Diamond Races not only boasts huge names from the motorcycle road racing industry, but also a globally-experienced business team with notable digital, motorcycle technology and event management expertise, to make the event possible.
Some of the key players include Gary Thompson, the Isle of Man TT's clerk of the course, Steve Plater, a past double Isle of Man TT senior winner and ex-British champion, Island resident James Kaye, and ex-British Touring Car Championship driver and Diamond Races co-founder, and Neil Tuxworth, ex-manager of the successful Honda Racing team and once a top world and British racer in his own right.
Neil said: "I'm very pleased to be involved — from its initial concept — with a completely new motorsport event in a part of England where there's very little motor sport, but somewhere ideally suited for this type of event.
"We don't just want to bring spectacular motorsport to the Island, we want to help with road safety issues and promote it as a venue — much like the Isle of Man TT.
"We hope this will be an event which will continue for years to come — not a one-off.
"The Isle of Man TT is an event which has lasted for 113 years, so let's hope the Diamond Races will continue well into the future — growing into a major motorsport event around the world."
Steve, also an ITV4 presenter, came to the Island in December to identify a lap for the Diamond Races.
"A lot of work has gone into organising the event so far — and we have a lot of work still to do, in terms of ensuring it is safe for all," said Steve.
"Let's hope for some fabulous weather and the Diamond Races being a great, successful and safe event."
Of course, organisers will be running the TT under strict Auto Cycle Union regulations to ensure safety is paramount.
With road safety at the heart of the Diamond Races, organisers will strive to highlight the huge importance of safe road use, with meticulous attention paid to the safety of riders, spectators and officials, while incorporating a strategy to promote road safety on the Island.
Paul Sandford, CEO and co-founder of the Diamond Races, is an Island resident passionate about motorsport — and the driving force behind the Diamond Races.
“I am very excited to welcome motorsport fans from across the globe to the beautiful Island, for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of racing action and entertainment for the whole family," he said.
"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 set-up.
"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 it on the international motorcycle road racing map.”
Isle of Wight Council leader, Cllr Dave Stewart, said: “We have been working behind the scenes for quite some time now with event specialists looking into the feasibility of such a race meeting, so we are very excited we can announce another first for the Island.
"This event is sure to thrill local enthusiasts as well as attract visitors from the mainland and indeed, northern Europe.
"Our emphasis will be on the safety of the event and I am pleased the organisers are keen to work with us in the coming weeks and months to promote safe motorcycling on the Island.”
For more details, visit: www.diamondraces.com
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