Billown Circuit

Motorsport venue
Name = Billown Circuit
Location = Castletown, Isle of Man


Events = Southern 100 Races, Pre-TT Classic Races
Length_km = 6.44
Length_mi = 4.25
Turns = 14+
Record_time = 2' 16.750, 111.883mph
Record_driver = Ian Lougher
Record_team = Honda
Record_year = 2005

The Billown Circuit describes a motor-cycle racing course used for the Southern 100 Races, Pre-TT Classic Races and the National Road Races Meeting since 1955. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man).

The course is 4.25 miles (6.44 km) long and is in the parish of Rushen in the Isle of Man. The course start-line is in Castletown in the Isle of Man which includes the primary A5 New Castletown Road, A28 Castletown to Ballabeg Road, A7 Ballasalla to Port Erin Road and the A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road.

History

Following the closure of the former RAF Station at Andreas to motor-cycle racing in 1954 and to celebrate the success of George 'Sparrow' Costain and Derek Ennett at the 1954 Manx Grand Prix it was proposed at a meeting of the Southern Motor-Cycle Club (SMCC) that a motor-cycle circuit would be developed in area around Castletown in the Isle of Man. ["Southern 100 Silver Jubilee Road Racing Meeting" pp33 SMCC Ltd (1979)] The proposal of a "South TT" ["Isle of Man Examiner" pp1 dated 14th January 1955] using roads around the new Castletown A5 by-pass and the Billown Mansion was met with a luke-warm response and an application for a grant of £500 for race expenditure was rejected by the Tynwald Race Committee in April 1955. ["Isle of Man Examiner" pp1 dated 22nd April 1955] A grant of £500 from local business including T.H.Coleburn Ltd for a public address system enabled the first Southern 100 Road Race meeting to be scheduled for July 1955 as a club motor-cycle racing meeting. ["Isle of Man Examiner" pp1 dated 13th May 1955]

The Billown Circuit became a regional registered circuit in 1956 and a National Racing circuit in 1957 with a maximium of 45 entries per class ["Southern 100 Silver Jubilee Road Racing Meeting" pp33 SMCC Ltd (1979)] In 1988 a new race meeting was introduced with the Pre-TT Classic Races followed by the National Road Races in 1990. The re-introduction of two-stroke motor-cycle racing at the 2008 Isle of Man TT with a Lightweight TT and Ultra-Lightweight TT race, the first time the Billown Circuit hosted Isle of Man TT races as part of the 2008 National Road Race meeting.

peed and Race Records

The lap record for the Billown Circuit is 2 Minutes and 16.750 seconds at an average speed of 111.883 mph set by Ian Lougher during the 2005 Southern 100 Races.

Total Overall Races Winners

ee also

Isle of Man TT Races
Manx Grand Prix
Clypse Course
St. John's Short Course

ources

External links