FOLLOWING on from a stellar North West 200 two weeks ago, we’re now moving into, arguably, the biggest race week of the year, certainly the biggest road racing week of the year.
Here is what you need to know as the Isle of Man TT races start this week:
Who are the front runners due to go around the mountain course?
Michael Dunlop will be hoping to surpass his uncle Joey’s record of 26 TT wins and become the new King of the Mountain after winning four races last year.
Peter Hickman will hope to build on his success at last year’s races where he tied Michael Dunlop for the most wins with four, including the Senior TT title.
Dean Harrison will also hope to be in and around podiums having taken second place at the Senior TT last year and took another five third places during the week.
Local lad Conor Cummins will hope to be the first Manxman to win an Isle of Man TT title since Dave Molyneux in 2014 in the Sidecars.
What is the race schedule?
Saturday June 1:
11.45am - Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1 (4 laps)
2pm - 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT Race 1 (3 laps)
Sunday June 2:
2.40pm - RST Superbike TT Race (6 laps)
Tuesday June 4
11.45am - RL360 Superstock TT Race 1 (3 laps)
2pm - Metzeler Supertwin TT Race 1 (3 laps)
Wednesday June 5:
11.45am - 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT Race 2 (3 laps)
2pm - Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2 (4 laps)
Friday June 7:
11.45am - PE Superstock TT Race 2 (3 laps)
2pm - Entire Cover insurance Supertwin TT Race 2 (3 laps)
Saturday June 8:
11:45 - Milwaukee Senior TT Race (6 laps)
Where can I watch the 2024 Isle of Man TT on live TV and find results?
You can watch the TT on the dedicated streaming service TT+, which is available online and across all smart devices.
There will also be a highlights show on ITV4 at 9pm during the course of the races.
You can also access radio coverage via Manx Radio or via Radio TT, which is available on the competition’s website.
Live results are also available on the TT’s website
When is the Isle of Man TT 2024?
Qualifying started on Monday, May 28, however, the race week starts on Saturday, June 1 and ends on June 8 with the Senior TT race.
How fast is the lap record in the Isle of Man TT?
The record for the fastest lap ‘around the mountain’ as the local Manxies say, was set by Peter Hickman in his third lap of last year’s Superstock race two with Hickman’s BMW M 1000 RR machine averaging 135.452mph and lapping the 37.7-mile course in just over 16 minutes.
How much does it cost to go to the TT?
The beauty of the TT, and of road racing in general, is that aside from travel to the course and food and drink, you have no necessary cost to experience some high-adrenaline sport.
The last flight to the Isle of Man before race week is priced at £56.99 via EasyJet, leaving Belfast International on Thursday, May 29 at 5.50pm, and getting into Ronaldsway Airport at 6.30pm, you could still catch the last practice session.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company also put on crossings from Dublin and Belfast to Douglas during the summer season, however, travel to and from the island is not regular and can be costly with a vehicle, with a five-day return with a motorbike coming to £281.50.
Then when you get to the TT, you need to think about where you’re going to stay, luckily, there are campsites all across the island that you can pitch up in with your fellow bikeheads, however, these normally get booked up months in advance due to the crowds.
Hotels also tend to up their prices on the island for the week as well due to high demand from those coming to witness the spectacle.
Luckily, the Manx government throws the kitchen sink at the TT races due to the amount of tourism and income that it generates.
If the residents want to take in lodgers for the week to earn some extra cash, they must register their spare rooms, garden sheds and even sometimes full houses to a government Homestay scheme.
Basically, if you want to camp, book early, if you want a hotel, be prepared for a high price, otherwise, someone may have a spare room going.
