Snaefell Mountain Course
History
Route of the Snaefell Mountain Course
Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Car Trials and were originally restricted to touring automobiles. As the Motor Car Act 1903 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph (32 km/h) on automobiles in the United Kingdom, the Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man to seek permission to race automobiles on public roads. Tynwald’s The Highways (Light Locomotives) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man for the 52.15-mile (83.93 km) Highroads Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Car Trial.
For the 1905 Gordon Bennett Car event it was decided to run a trial for motor-cycles the day after for a team to represent Great Britain in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Races. The inability of the motor-cycle competitors to climb the steep primary A18 Snaefell Mountain Road section of the course forced the organisers to use a 25-mile (40 km) section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. For this reason, the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race used the 15 miles, 1,470 yards (25.49 km) St. John’s Short Course. The 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race for automobiles the Highroad Course was reduced from 52.12 miles (83.88 km) to 40 miles, 2 furlongs and 60 yards. For the 1908 Tourist Trophy Race for racing automobiles, the course was again reduced to 37.5 miles (60.4 km) with the removal of the Peel and Sandygate loops and was known as the Four Inch Course. The name of the course derives from the regulations for the 1908 Tourist Trophy adopted by the Royal Automobile Club which limited the engines of the competiting automobiles to a cylinder diameter of four-inches (102 mm) . The Four-Inch Course was adopted by the Auto-Cycle Club for the 1911 Isle of Man TT Races. The Four-Inch Course was subsequently became known as the Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course when used for motor-cycle racing.
Course Changes 1920-1939
Brandywell TT Race Marshal Shelter and Weather Station on the A18 Mountain Road/B10 Sartfield Road looking north towards Snaefell Mountain and North Barrule
For the 1920 Isle of Man TT Races, changes were made to the Mountain Course and competitors now turned left at Cronk-ny-Mona and followed the primary A18 Mountain Road to Governor’s Bridge with a new start/finish line on Glencrutchery Road which lengthened the course from the pre-World War I length of 37.50 miles (60.35 km) to 37.75 miles (60.75 km). More changes to the course followed in 1923 with the adoption of a private road between Parliament Square and May Hill in Ramsey. The course had previously had negotiated the A2 Albert Road and Tower Road in Ramsey and the new course length was now 37.739 miles (60.74 km). The official course distance for the Snaefell Mountain Course was amended in 1938 to 37.733 miles (60.73 km) which is the current course length.
For the 1934 Isle of Man TT Races major alterations to the Mountain Course were carried out which included the removal of the East Snaefell Mountain sheep-gate. This was followed by the removal of the hump-backed bridge at Ballig and the road work was completed for the Manx Grand Prix in September 1935. Road widening occurred on the Mountain Course at the Highlander, Laurel Bank, Glen Helen (between the Old Quarry and Brew’s Restaurant) and at Brandywell with the removal of the Beinn-y-Phott sheep-gate for the 1935 Isle of Man TT Races. Road Improvements occurred at the 26th Milestone, Greeba Bridge and on the Sulby Straight for the 1938 Isle of Man TT Races. Further road widening and landscaping occurred at the Water Works Corner and road widening between the Gooseneck and the 26th Milestone for the 1939 Isle of Man TT Races. A memorial to Jimmie Guthrie was built in 1939 at the The Cutting at a cost of 1,500.
Course Changes 1947-1999
Major road widening occurred on the Snaefell mountain course at the 33rd Milestone, including the removal of fence posts at road level and the removal of a section of a grass bank before the start of the 1947 Isle of Man TT Races. Changes to the Mountain Course occurred for the 1953 Isle of Man TT Races including road widening at Bedstead Corner, elevation works at Signpost Corner and Cronk-ny-Mona and the widening of the corner at Gorse Lea.. Before the commencement of racing for the 1953 Manx Grand Prix, the cottage at Appledene Corner was demolished between the 6th and 7th Milestone road-side marker on the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road on the Mountain Course. Further changes occurred to the Mountain Course to facilitate racing on the Clypse Course and during the winter of 1953/54 road widening occurred on the primary A18 Mountain Road at Creg-ny-Baa, Signpost Corner, Cronk-ny-Mona and at the approach to Governor’s Bridge. The approach to the Quarterbridge on the primary A2 Douglas to Peel road was widened and re-profiled and the jumps at the Highlander and adjacent to Ballagarraghyn Cottages were removed for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races. Other major course alterations for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races included road widening at Appledene, Handley’s Corner, Barregarrow, Rhencullen, Ballaugh Bridge, Ginger Hall (Sulby) and Kerrowmoar. During the winter of 1957/58 the hotel at the Bungalow tram-crossing was removed on the Mountain Section of the course.
During the 1960s further road-widening occurred at Ballig and also at Greeba Bridge on the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road. In 1963 a roundabout was added to the road junction at the Quarterbridge. The winter of 1970/1971 road-widening occurred on the A18 Mountain Road at Verandah by cutting into the hillside. The winter of 1975/76 road-widening and landscaping occurred at Snugbrough on the primary A2 road at the 2nd Milestone. The winter of 1986 further re-profiling occurred at the Quarterbridge road junction with a new road traffic system including two new mini-roundabouts, the removal of a traffic island and trees. Road re-profiling and widening occurred at Quarry Bends during the winter of 1987. During the winter months of 1991/1992 the A18 Mountain Road was closed for repair work to the road foundation between the 26th Milestone and the Mountain Box and also between the Windy Corner and Keppel Gate.
Course Changes from 2000
Governor’s Bridge road junction between the A18 Bemahauge Road and the A2 Governor’s Road.
From 2003 to 2006, road repair work was carried-out on the primary A3 road from Barregarrow to Cronk-y-Voddy, including Handley’s Corner and the 11th Milestone. In 2004 the western-side embankment was removed from Guthrie’s Memorial on the A18 Mountain Road. Also, during the winter of 2004/2005 road widening occurred at Windy Corner followed by Brandish Corner during the winter of 2005/2006 by the Isle of Man Department of Transport. In October 2007 the Isle of Man Department of Transport began road widening at Braddan Bridge on the Mountain Course with the creation of a new roundabout incorporating the ‘Jubilee Oak’ Tree on the A1 Douglas to Peel Road. The Department of Transport also announced the proposal of building a new section of road and roundabout for the Mountain Course with a link road from Signpost Corner to Governor’s Bridge using the existing A18 Bemahague Road. This road widening scheme began in February 2008 with the removal of trees on the Bemahague Estate which included Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man and the creation of a small mini-roundabout. Further work by the Isle of Man Department of Transport in July and September 2008 included the installation of a storm drain and the completion of the mini-roundabout. The Isle of Man TT Races and Manx Grand Prix continued to use the original A18 Bemahauge Road that runs parallel to the new link road and the Governor’s Dip for motor-cycle racing. In July 2008, the Isle of Man Department of Transport announced a 4 Million road safety scheme for the Quarterbridge road junction, including the building of a new roundabout and the demolition of the Quarterbridge Hotel. In August 2009, for the 2009 Manx Grand Prix a section of grass bank is removed from the southern side of Keppel Gate. This is to provided a run-off area after the crash in practice by Cameron Donald and a further incident involving a TT Travelling Marshall at Keppel Gate during the 2009 Isle of Man TT Races.
Official lap records
The official lap record for the Snaefell Mountain Course is 17 Minutes and 12.30 seconds at an average speed of 131.578 mph (211.754 km/h) set by John McGuinness during the 2009 Senior TT Race. The race record is held by Steve Plater in 1 hour, 45 minutes and 53.15 seconds; an average race speed of 128.278 mph during the same 6 lap (236.38 Miles) 2009 Senior TT race.
The lap record for the Sidecar TT is 19 minutes and 24.24 seconds at an average speed of 116.667 mph set by Nick Crowe and passenger Daniel Sayle during 2007 Sidecar Race B. The race record for the Sidecar TT is 58 minutes and 59.28 seconds at an average race speed of 115.132 mph for 3 laps (113.00 miles) of the course, held by Dave Molyneux and Daniel Sayle during the 2009 Sidecar Race A.
In the 2006 TT practices New Zealander Bruce Anstey achieved the unofficial current top speed record of 206 mph (332 km/h). at the end of Sulby straight on a Suzuki 1000cc machine. This speed value was registered by the on-board datalogging equipment and can not be considered as an official record.
Cycling
The same course has also been used for cycle racing, including individual time trials and, from 1936, the Manx International massed-start road race. The first race on the 18 June 1936 was won by Charles Holland of the Midland Cycle and Athletics Club in 1 hour and 42 minutes and 57 seconds for one lap of the Mountain Course.
Course names
Named corners
TT Race Marshal Signal Box on the A18 Mountain Road looking north towards Guthrie’s Memorial and the Point of Ayre.
It is estimated that there are over 200 corners on the Isle of Man Mountain Course and about 60 corners have names. The first corner to be named after a competitor was Edges Corner in 1920 on the primary A21 Johnny Watterson’s Lane on the Mountain Course between Cronk-ny-Mona and the A22 Ballanard Road in Douglas used for racing between 1911 and 1922. Part of the Mountain Course was named Brandish Corner after Walter Brandish crashed in the right-hand gutter while trying to pass another competitor at Upper Hilberry Corner between Creg-ny-Baa and Hillberry and broke a leg during practice for the 1923 Isle of Man TT Races. During an early morning practice session for the 1927 Isle of Man TT, Archie Birkin swerved to avoid a fish-van travelling to Peel and collided with a wall and was killed. The corner in Kirk Michael on the A3 primary road where the accident occurred was renamed Birkin’s Bend. From 1928 practice sessions for the Isle of Man TT Races and Manx Grand Prix where held on closed-roads. Handley’s Corner is a corner between the 11th Milestone and the 12th Milestone. The name derives from Wal L. Handley riding a Rudge motorcycle, crashed during lap 1 of the 1932 Isle of Man TT in the Senior TT Race sustaining a back injury and subsequently retired from the race. In 1939 a stone memorial to Jimmie Guthrie was built at the The Cutting and the S-bend corner is renamed Guthrie’s Memorial.
A crash during an evening practice session for the 1952 Isle of Man TT Races by Bill Doran between Ballig Bridge and Laurel Bank the corner was renamed Doran’s Bend. A stone shelter in a style of a small mountain Alpine Lodge was built in 1955 in memorial to Les Graham the former 500cc World Motor-Cycle Champion on the A18 Mountain Road The corner is named Les Graham Memorial or sometimes referred to as the Bungalow Bridge. In 2003 the 32nd Milestone was renamed ‘Dukes’ after the 1950s world motor-cycle champion Geoff Duke and the 26th Milestone renamed Joey’s after the former Formula 1 TT motor-cycle champion Joey Dunlop. In contrast, the name ‘Ago’s Leap’ is a misnomer for the section of road between Brunswick Road/Selborne Drive and Quarterbridge Road junction with Bray Hill/Cronkbourne Road in Douglas and is an unofficial name used by the media and TV commentators.
See also
Isle of Man TT Races
Manx Grand Prix
Clypse Course
St. John’s Short Course
List of Snaefell Mountain Course fatal accidents
Sources
^ Isle of Man Centenary TT – ACU/MMCC Official Race Guide pp67 Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure (2007) Mannin Media Group Ltd
^ Official TT Guide 1992 pp 45 Mannin Media Publication/Isle of Man Department of Tourism
^ Island Racer 2004 pp 112-113 Mortons Media Group Ltd ISSN 1743-5838
^ The Statutes of the Isle of Man Vol VII from 1896 to 1905 pp569 Edited by C.T.W Hughes-Games Brown and Sons Ltd
^ TT Pioneers – Early Car Racing in the Isle of Man pp 103-104 Robert Kelly, Mercury Asset Management (1996)(1st Edition) The Manx Experience, The Alden Press ISBN No 1 873120 61 3
^ Official TT Guide 1992 pp 45 edited by Norrie White Isle of Man Department of Tourism (1992) Mannin Media Ltd
^ Isle of Man Examiner dated 31st May 1934
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 25th May 1935
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp4 dated 13th May 1939
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp18 dated 17th June 1939
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 12th May 1947
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp7 dated 25th April 1953
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp12 dated 14th August 1953
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp12 dated 5th January 1954
^ TT 100 – The Authorised History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Racing by Mick Duckworth pp111 (2007)(1st Edition) Lily Publications ISBN 1-8996067-4
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp6 dated 28th May 1954
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp1 dated 10 April 1958
^ TT 100 – The Authorised History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Racing by Mick Duckworth pp29 (2007)(1st Edition) Lily Publications ISBN 1-89960-67-4
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp5 dated 6th June 1963
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp1 dated 6th January 1971
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp5 dated 5th February 2008
^ Manx Independent pp3 dated 4th July 2008
^ http://www.motorcycledaily.com/20june06_ttspeed.htm New Isle of Man Top Speed Record (retrieved 12 August 2006)
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp15 dated 29 January 2008
^ TT 100 – The Authorised History of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Racing by Mick Duckworth pp29 (2007)(1st Edition) Lily Publications ISBN 1-89960-67-4
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp3 dated 9th June 1923
^ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp18 dated 17th June 1939
^ Isle of Man Examiner pp9 dated 10th June 1955
^ TT News – Issue 1 pp20 dated 1st June 2003
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Snaefell mountain course
Circuit Guide with Steve Hislop, 11 times TT winner
2D and 3D Maps of the TT Course
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Snaefell Mountain Course
TT Grandstand – St Ninian’s Crossroads – Bray Hill – Quarterbridge – Braddan Bridge – 2nd Milestone – Union Mills – Ballahutchin Hill – Glenlough – Ballagarey Corner – Glen Vine – Crosby Cross-Roads – Highlander – Greeba Castle – Appledene – Greeba Bridge – Gorse Lea – Ballagarraghyn – Ballacraine – Ballaspur – Ballig – Doran’s Bend – Laurel Bank – Black Dub – Glen Helen – Sarah’s Cottage – Creg Willey’s Hill – Lambfell Cottage – Cronk-y-Voddy – 11th Milestone – Handley’s Corner – Barregarrow – 13th Milestone – Cronk Urleigh – Westwood Corner – Douglas Road Corner – Rhencullen – Birkin’s Bend – Bishopscourt – Orrisdale North – Dub Cottage – Alpine Cottage – Ballacobb – Ballaugh Bridge – Ballacrye Corner – Quarry Bends – Sulby Straight – Sulby Bridge – Ginger Hall – Kerrowmoar – Glen Duff – Glentramman – Churchtown – Lezayre War Memorial – Sky Hill – Milntown Cottage – Gardener’s Lane – School House Corner – Parliament Square – Cruickshanks Corner – Whitegates – Stella Maris – Ramsey Hairpin – Water Works Corner – Tower Bends – Gooseneck – 26th Milestone – Guthrie’s Memorial – Mountain Mile – East Mountain Gate – Mountain Box – Casey’s – Stonebreakers Hut – Verandah – Bungalow Bridge – Bungalow – Hailwood’s Height – Brandywell – 32nd Milestone – Windy Corner – 33rd Milestone – Clark’s Corner – Keppel Gate – Kate’s Cottage – Creg-ny-Baa – Gob-ny-Geay – Brandish Corner – Hillberry Corner – Cronk-ny-Mona – Signpost Corner – Bedstead Corner – The Nook – Governor’s Bridge
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Isle of Man racing circuits
Andreas Airfield Billown Circuit Clypse Course Four Inch Course Highroads Course Jurby Airfield Jurby South Circuit Mannin Beg/Mannin Moar Course Snaefell Mountain Course St. John’s Short Course Willaston Circuit
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Coordinates: 541004 42840 / 54.16778N 4.47778W / 54.16778; -4.47778
Categories: Isle of Man geographical coordinates | Grand Prix motorcycle racing circuits | Motorsport venues in the Isle of Man
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