Southern 100 Road Races: Statement Issued From The Southern 100 Road Races
Following a comprehensive consultation process regarding the inclusion of the Sidecar class at the 2026 Southern 100 Races, the Southern 100 Club has taken the difficult decision to exclude the Sidecar class from this year’s event.
Following the recent decision by the Isle of Man TT Races to suspend the class for 2026, the Clerk of the Course and Senior Technical Officials have spent the last week evaluating whether safe, robust, and enforceable regulatory modifications could be introduced via an event bulletin for the Billown Course.
Input from the ACU Compliance structure and leading competitors highlighted that the complex aerodynamic and technical questions currently facing the prototype class cannot be responsibly resolved within the short five-week timeframe available before our event.
As a Club, our absolute priority must always be the safety of our competitors, marshals, officials, and spectators. In light of the current uncertainties surrounding the stability of modern sidecar designs under certain racing conditions, the Club believes that running the class without a definitive, expert-led technical review would introduce an unacceptable level of risk.
The Southern 100 Club is deeply saddened to have to make this decision. Sidecars have been an integral, spectacular part of the “Friendly Races” for decades, and we share the profound disappointment that will be felt by the teams, drivers, passengers, and fans.
However, this is a temporary pause to safeguard the long-term future of the category. The Southern 100 Club remains fully committed to sidecar racing and will actively participate in the upcoming wider consultation process alongside the TT organiser, promoter and industry experts to ensure the class can return to the Billown Course safely in 2027.
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©Words/Images above are from an official press release posted courtesy Southern 100 Road Races
For more Southern 100 Road Races news head to our dedicated page: Southern 100 Road Races News Home Page
or head to the official Southern 100 Road Races website https://southern100.com/
What are the Southern 100 Road Races
The Isle of Man, famous as the ‘mecca of motorcycle road racing’ has since 1955 hosted a mass-start road race every July, The Southern 100 Road Races, so called as the feature race of the event was held over a race distance of 100 miles – 24 laps of the 4.25-mile Billown Course.
Over the years since 1955 the Billown Course has become as familiar as the back of the hand to the riders who have graced the ribbon of road that makes up the Southern 100 Course, based on the outskirts of Castletown.
Future British and indeed World Champions have raced around the undulating and technical course as they have headed for the chequered flag.
For over 65 years the races on the Billown Course have drawn fans and riders to experience the unique atmosphere of the …
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