Rob Barber rounds the bend...
Rob Barber rounds the bend at Creg Ne Baa, en route to his winning lap during last year's inaugural clean emissions race.
Photo: Mark Walters
Last year's TTXGP ushered in the beginning of zero emissions motorcycle racing. Several teams from the world over scrambled to put together an electric motorcycle for one simple mission: to complete one lap of the nearly 38 mile mountain course faster than the rest. The race proved to be enough of a success that it will continue this year, though under a different promoter. As extra incentive, the Isle of Man government is putting up an extra £10,000 (approx. $16,000) to the first team to record a 100mph average lap. Read more about this year's "TT Zero" event in the press release below.
Following the success of the inaugural clean emissions motorcycle race on the Isle of Man in 2009, the Isle of Man Government Department of Tourism and Leisure, the promoter of the TT Races, today confirmed that a clean emissions race would again take place on the TT
Mountain Course, as part of the 2010 TT Races programme.
The clean emissions race in 2009 has been widely credited with accelerating the development of clean emissions transport and many of the technical innovations that were introduced in the Isle of Man are expected to become an integral part of future mass market transport. The event was conceived with the support and involvement of numerous Departments of the Isle of Man Government as part of the Island’s Freedom to Flourish program.
The 2010 clean emissions race on the Isle of Man has been renamed ‘TT Zero’ and the race will become part of the core TT program. It will feature riders who are also competing in the other TT classes. The one lap race will be open to clean emission motorcycles and will take place on Wednesday, June 9th at 4:30pm, following the Royal London 360 Superstock and Supersport Races. There will also be qualifying sessions on Saturday and Monday, June 5th and 7th.
As with the core TT Races program TT Zero will be run by ACU Events Ltd, using the latest FIM regulations. However TTXGP Ltd, who promoted the 2009 event, will not be involved and the Isle of Man Government’s Department of Tourism and Leisure will become the race promoter for the clean emissions race as well as the core TT Races program.
As well as the usual prize money available to teams and riders, the Isle of Man Government has also created a £10,000 (approx. $16,000) prize fund for the first TT Zero Race team to record a 100mph lap (160.93kph) around the 37 and 3/4 mile course. This landmark was achieved for the first time by a conventional bike in 1957, when Scotsman Bob McIntyre lapped the TT Course in 22 minutes 24.4 seconds for an overall average of 101.03mph. Rob Barber and Team Agni recorded a fastest lap time of 25 minutes 53.5 seconds (87.434mph) in the 2009 clean emissions race.
Hon Martyn Quayle, MHK, Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government, commented: “We have enjoyed a very successful partnership with TTXGP Ltd and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work last year. We look forward to welcoming many of the electric bike teams and riders back to the Isle of Man in 2010 as well as to seeing new challengers
pitting their wits against the Mountain Course.”
He continued: “We are delighted that the Isle of Man was the first country to run an electric bike race and the fact that there are now events scheduled around the world is a tribute to the Island’s entrepreneurial,
innovative spirit and shows what an achievement it was for the Isle of Man to run the groundbreaking inaugural event. We are now building on this fantastic start by properly integrating
the clean emissions class into the race program - this really does send a clear signal that electric motorsport is fast evolving and that the TT Races remain at the forefront of motorcycle sport.”
Regulations and entry forms for the TT Zero Race will be released on Friday, January 29th and the forms will only be available in electronic format, and can be downloaded from the official Isle of Man TT Web Site, www.iomtt.com. The closing date for entries has been set as Friday, March 26th, 2010.