2023 sees the Manx Grand Prix return for its centenary year after its new look schedule and format went down a storm with riders and fans alike in 2022, but this year, it’s back bigger and better than before.
Five races will take place across the Bank Holiday weekend for classic machinery and modern-day 600s and twin 650s, with a bumper schedule of practice and qualifying beforehand.
To celebrate its 100th year, the 2023 Manx Grand Prix will see racing legends and classic machinery take to the track to commemorate the event, and its past Champions. But, if you aren’t travelling to the Island for this years’ festival, then BikeSocial has you covered with everything you need to know about the event.
History of the Manx GP
At 100-years-old, the Manx Grand Prix has long been a part of the road racing landscape, essentially serving a dual purpose as many riders use the event to learn the course and get races under their belt prior to stepping up to the Isle of Man TT Races whilst others simply fulfil their dream of competing on the Mountain Course.
Of course, many riders have also gone directly to the TT – Mike Hailwood, Joey Dunlop and John McGuinness amongst them – but the list of riders who’ve stepped up the TT after competing at the Manx is rich in both quality and quantity.
The idea of a second event on the Isle of Man was first mooted in 1921 with a request made by the Manx Motor Cycle Club to hold a one-lap race for amateurs during that year’s TT Races. It was immediately dismissed by the ACU, but the MMCC weren’t put off easily and whilst defining who or what an amateur was caused lengthy discussion, by 1923 approval had been granted.
That year’s event, titled the Manx Amateur Road Races (MARC), saw a single 5-lap race take place with the bulk of the entry made up of 500cc machines. Len Randles was the overall winner with Kenneth Twemlow in second also the first 350cc to finish.
Randles repeated his victory the following year, but Twemlow immediately moved to the TT in 1924, winning the Junior race at his very first attempt and so becoming the very first rider to win at the Manx and then the TT. He wouldn’t be the last.
At the time there was nothing stopping competitors from entering both the TT and the Manx but that eventually changed with race winners no longer eligible to compete. For them, the options were simple; either move up to the TT or cease competing on the Mountain Course.
That ruling proved to be a good incentive for riders and ultimately laid the foundations for the Manx Grand Prix, which replaced the MARC title in 1930, being a breeding ground for TT stars of tomorrow.
The races have been going ever since, continuing to be held on their traditional dates, usually spanning the end of August and early September. The 'MGP' or 'Manx' (as it is more commonly known) is considered to be the amateur rider's alternative to the Isle of Man TT Races, also acting as a steppingstone for those who eventually want to compete at the TT.
Early winners at the Manx included Tim Hunt (1927), Harold Daniell (1933), Freddie Frith (1935) and Maurice Cann (1937) and all four would go on to win at the Isle of Man TT. The legendary Geoff Duke became one of the most famous riders to win at both events. Indeed, in the space of 12 months, he won the 1949 Clubmans TT, the 1949 Senior Manx GP and, as a works Norton rider, the 1950 Senior TT!!
Bob McIntyre and Phil Read were two of the next high-profile riders to win at both meetings, McIntyre’s win in the 1952 Junior Manx GP followed five years later by victory in the Senior and Junior TT races, the former seeing him set the first ever 100mph lap of the Mountain Course.
Read didn’t have to wait five years and, like Twemlow, won the TT at his very first attempt. Having made his Manx GP debut as a 19-year-old in 1958, he won the 1960 Senior and a year later, claimed the number one spot in the Junior TT race.
Of course, back then, the TT was part of the World Championship so for a rider to win at the Manx and then become both a TT and Grand Prix winner more than showed the value of riders learning their Mountain Course trade at the September event. It may have been dubbed the ‘Amateur TT, but the riders it was producing most certainly weren’t.
No one was able to match Read’s feat for 21 years when Norman Brown won the 1981 Newcomers Junior Manx GP and then the Senior TT the following year, but the twenty years in between saw the conveyor belt of talent emerging from the Manx continue.
The list of names is too long to list but Alex George, Phil Mellor, Steve Ward, Bob Jackson, Rob McElnea, Geoff Johnson and Con Law were other names to emerge from the Manx GP in the 1970s whilst the advent of the Newcomers race in 1978 further helped both the development and emergence of Mountain Course talent.
The 1980s saw no slowing down in that trend and the Newcomers races over the years produced many a future star, multiple TT winners Mellor, Robert Dunlop, Steve Hislop, Ian Lougher, Phillip McCallen, Carl Fogarty and Adrian Archibald amongst them.
Indeed, the top three in the 1983 Junior Newcomers race was Dunlop, Hislop and Lougher, the trio going on to become TT greats. Between them, the trio would take a staggering 26 TT wins and 62 podiums.
Fogarty’s victory came in the 1985 Lightweight Newcomers race with McCallen winning the same race three years later with Ian Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop also starting their Mountain Course journey at the Manx. The duo won Newcomers races in 2003 and 2006 respectively before embarking on stellar TT careers.
The number of races and classes at the Manx has changed over the years but one area where it has always differed from the TT is that it has never catered for sidecars whilst although marketed as a separate event, the advent of the Classic TT in 2013 injected more enthusiasm into the Manx as many race fans attended both events.
Although now under the full guise of the Manx GP, the Classic races are considered the best of their kind in the world. And whilst the Manx GP doesn’t quite have the status it once did – when race winners could move on to the TT and be immediately challenging for leader board places – it remains the pinnacle for many club racers around the UK.
With the sport changing considerably over the years, the gulf between the Manx and the TT has undoubtedly widened and whilst many riders continue to step up to the TT after contesting the Manx. it’s now harder than ever for them to make an impression at the sport’s premier event.
However, Nathan Harrison’s performances at the 2022 TT – when the 2019 Junior-Senior MGP winner finished tenth in the Senor and lapped at more than 128mph – clearly highlighted the continued relevance, and importance, of the Manx GP.
It's also unique as, to date, it’s the only event where a female competitor has won a solo race held on the Mountain Course, Manx woman Carolyn Sells taking victory in the 2009 Ultra Lightweight race.
Manx Grand Prix 2023 Classes
Senior Manx Grand Prix (For Supersport machines)
Junior Manx Grand Prix (For Supertwin machines)
Lightweight Manx Grand Prix (For GP250cc and Moto 3 machines)
Senior Classic Manx Grand Prix (For Classic machines up to 500cc)
Superbike Classic Manx Grand Prix (For Classic Superbike machines)
2023 Manx GP qualifying schedule*
Sunday 20th August 2023
12:45 – Roads Close
13:30 – Newcomers speed-controlled laps
13:45 – Senior & Classic Superbike qualifying
15:30 – Junior, Lightweight & Classic Senior qualifying
Monday 21 August 2023
18:00 – Roads close
18:30 – Senior & Classic Superbike qualifying
19:15 – Junior, Lightweight & Classic Senior qualifying
Tuesday 22 August 2023
18:00 – Roads close
18:30 – Senior & Classic Superbike qualifying
19:15 – Junior, Lightweight & Classic Senior Qualifying
Wednesday 23 August 2023
18:00 – Roads Close
18:30 – Senior & Classic Superbike Qualifying
19:15 – Junior, Lightweight & Classic Senior Qualifying
Thursday 24 August 2023
18:00 – Roads Close
18:30 – Senior & Classic Superbike Qualifying
19:15 – Junior, Lightweight & Classic Senior Qualifying
Friday 25 August 2023
12:30 – Roads Close
13:00 – Senior & Classic Superbike Qualifying
13:30 – Junior, Lightweight & Classic Senior Qualifying
2023 Manx GP race schedule*
Friday 25 August 2023
14:40 – Sure Lightweight Manx Grand Prix – 3 laps
Saturday 26 August 2023
11:00 – Roads Close
11:30 – Warm-Up Lap
12:45 – Classic Senior Manx Grand Prix – 4 laps
15:00 – ‘Made at the Manx Grand Prix’ Parade
16:00 – MGP Supporters Club Junior Manx Grand Prix – 4 laps
Monday 28 August 2023
09:30 – Roads Close
10:45 – Warm-up Lap
11:30 – Mylchreest Group Senior Manx Grand Prix – 4 laps
14:15 – RST Classic Superbike Manx Grand Prix – 4 laps
*All times are subject to change
2023 Manx GP - TV schedule
For 2023 the Manx Grand Prix race will be shown free-to-air on ITV4 with dedicated highlight shows in the days following the races, with the presenting team the same as last year. Grace Webb, Cameron Donald and Dave Moore will host the coverage, giving you all the insights from in and out of the paddock.
Highlight show – Part 1
ITV4/ITVX
20:00 – 21:00
Highlight show – Part 2
ITV4/ITVX
20:00 – 21:00
2023 Manx GP - Radio coverage
2023 will once again see live, uninterrupted radio coverage of the Manx Grand Prix, provided by Manx Radio. Leading the coverage will be the familiar voices of Chris Kinley and Chris Boyde, with insights around the course at Glen Helen and Ramsey Hairpin from Dave Christian and Rob Pritchard.
Joining the team from inside the paddock and pits will be Beth Espey and John Hogan, who in turn will be joined by former Manx GP winners Chris Palmer and Carolynn Sells to provide their expert opinion.
Do I have to be on the Isle of Man to listen to Manx Radio?
No, not at all. Thanks to the wonders of modern streaming, you can listen to Manx Radio's streams anywhere in the world. We've made it even easier to find by embedding the Manx Radio streaming service right into the page.
Just click on the player below to hear their service. If you want to keep up with all the latest news while you're out and about you can also download the Manx Radio App for both Apple and Android.
Manx Radio Player
Manx Grand Prix 2023 - Riders
Mylchreests Group Senior Manx GP Race – Start Order
1.
Daniel Ingham - Russel Brook/Brook Built: 600 Yamaha
2.
Victor Lopez - Team ILR: 600 Yamaha
3.
David McConnachy - Peter Dobson Racing: 765 Triumph
Made at the Manx Grand Prix Parade Lap – What is it?
As we all already know 2023 will see the Manx Grand Prix celebrate its 100th birthday, and in recognition of this, Saturday August 26 will see the ‘Made at the Manx Grand Prix’ parade lap take place.
The parade lap has been introduced for this year to recognise the past Champions and graduates from the event, including the likes of Geoff Duke, Mick Grant, Charlie Williams, plus many more.
Grant and Williams will take part in the parade, alongside Ian Hutchinson, Ian Lougher, Phillip McCallen and Michael Dunlop, as well as a number of current racers. The machines they will ride will be on display for fans to gawp at in awe.
What else can you do at the Manx GP?
For any fans making their way across to the Island for the 100th Manx Grand Prix, then once the Fan Park will be in action in Nobles Park, offering nine full days of entertainment.
Ideally located and free to attend, the Fan Park is nestled in the heart of the Paddock, adjacent to the Grandstand and is the perfect place for fans to enjoy time away from the racing and soak up the atmosphere of the Manx Grand Prix celebrations.
Open daily from 9am for the entirety of the event, the Fan Park promises to deliver a stellar schedule of free entertainment and race enthusiasts can again expect plenty of insight, analysis and biker banter from their favourite teams and riders along with series of Chat Shows and Competitions.
Additionally, fans will be able to enjoy the best local DJs every night as well as hours of big-screen action between the best films and classic races from the archives.
As the racing heats up over the August Bank Holiday weekend the Fan Park festivities will come to an all-time high, gifting an incredible roster of live acoustic acts as well as a special 80s themed DJ set on the Saturday night, and what’s even better is that it’s all free to access.
The MGP Fan Park provides visitors with access to a range of essential services and amenities.Plus, throughout the day fans will be able to stay fuelled up, thanks to a superb range of street food, as well as access an exciting range of drinks available packaged and on tap at the Fan Park’s official bar, The Trackside.
But the Fan Park is not just a list of services and entertainment; it also promises unbeatable access to the stars of the MGP.
Fan Park at a glance:
Open daily 09:00am to 11:00pm
Nine days of free-to-access entertainment
Live radio commentary played throughout the Fan Park
Street food & Trackside bar
Chat shows hosted by Chris Pritchard (Co-host of The TT Podcast).
Signings, games & competitions
Big screen action – TT/Classic TT and MGP replays plus films daily
Live British Superbike coverage on Eurosport in the Trackside bar
Dunlop Stronger for Longer competition over the Bank Holiday weekend
Live DJ every night in addition to Live Music during the Bank Holiday weekend
Live music all Bank Holiday weekend
Regular bus service & taxi rank
Manx Grand Prix Fan Park Bank Holiday Live Music Line-up:
Main Stage at 9pm
Dookie – Greenday live, 9pm, Friday 26th August
Noasis live, 9pm, Saturday 27th August
Hats off to Led Zeplin, 9pm, Sunday 28th August
The Bon Jovi Experience, 9pm, Monday 29th August
Live Acoustic Performances at 6pm
Mae Challis, Friday 26th August
Steven Nash, Saturday 27th August
Tiger Boom, Sunday 28th August
Jamie Blackburn, Monday 29th August
Classic Superbike - Rules and History
The Manx GP has traditionally been a stepping-stone for amateur road racers before taking on the Isle of Man TT races proper. Many of today’s TT stars learned their trade at the Manx, with Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson and Ryan Farquhar all winners around the 37 ¾-mile Mountain course in their formative racing years.
Now revised and refreshed, this year’s Manx GP takes a similar format to the Classic TT, which has now been deleted from the calendar, with many of the TT’s star riders taking part in a shortened, nine-day festival centred over the Bank Holiday weekend of August 27, 28 and 29.
Renamed the Manx Grand Prix 2022, the Manx (as most people call it) will follow a similar pattern to the old Classic TT. New and highly skilled amateur riders will compete in the Senior (Supersport) and Junior (Supertwin) with a raft of TT top guns joining in for three classic events: the Lightweight, Senior and Superbike.
The Lightweight classic features two-stroke 250cc and Moto3 machines, with Dominic Herbertson riding the immaculate John Chapman Racing/Davies Motorsport Honda at number 1, followed by Ian Lougher and Lee Johnston also both on two-stroke machines. The Senior, for bikes up to 500cc, sees genuine TT legend John McGuinness MBE starting at number 1 on the Roger Winfield 500cc Paton followed by TT winners James Hillier and Johnston.
But the most exciting change for this year’s event is to the eligibility rules for the classic Superbike class. Since the first Classic TT in 2013, the Superbike class was open to machinery produced up to 1993, but now that deadline has been extended to 1997. This means a plethora of exciting bikes can now be considered by the race teams, including Suzuki’s GSX-R750 SRAD, Kawasaki’s ZX-7R, Ducati’s legendary 916/955, and the unmistakable Honda RC45 V4.
These rule changes have made a significant splash in the Irish Sea as teams and riders now have a much wider choice of tantalisingly good bikes. Do they stay with what they know with proven up-to-1993 winners like the brutish Suzuki XR69 and Kawasaki’s ZXR750, which took victory at the last event with Davo Johnson? Or do they develop a new bike?
Helpfully, the history books give an indication of what to expect. In 1994 Honda launched the legendary RC45, which replaced the RC30 and which had huge success at the TT. The RC45 carried on this winning tradition, dominating the TT by winning every Senior and Formula One race (now called the Superbike race) between 1994 and 1998. Only a rule change for 1999 that allowed 1000cc bikes to race at the TT curtailed its relentless win-record at the Island.
The list of riders who took victory was star-studded indeed: Steve Hislop did the double in 1994. In 1995 it was Joey Dunlop and Phil McCallen. It was McCallen in 1996 and the same in 1997. Scotsman Ian Simpson did the double in 1998.
At the same time, Ducati was dominating the World Superbikes with Carl Fogarty, himself no stranger to the TT, but very few opted for the Ducati 916 and 955 on the roads. Simon Beck and Iain Duffus made it on to the podium in 1995. Michael Rutter took a podium in 1996 for Ducati while Bob Jackson took a podium in 1997 and 1998 on the McAdoo Kawasaki ZX-7R. But, during this this golden era of racing, if you wanted to be truly competitive there was only one real option – the Honda RC45.
No surprise then that Ashcourt Racing has chosen the Honda RC45 route, with Lee Johnston taking the helm of an immaculately prepared V4. Lee has already had a taste of the race bike around the Oliver’s Mount road circuit and the bike is being prepared by RC45 specialists, Rev It Red.
But while Team Classic Suzuki is preparing a GSX-R 750 SRAD for 21-time TT winner Michael Dunlop, the top 20 or so entries predominantly feature proven pre-93 machinery, with only a handful of Ducatis, including Ian Lougher on a Ducati 851, set to feature. Nonetheless, this year’s racing is set to be more exciting than ever, with the history books saying the Honda RC45 is the bike to have, but the proven Kawasaki ZXR750 will be hard to beat.
Ducati 916/955 or Honda RC45? We ask the experts.
Interview: Iain Duffus
Iain Duffus finished second at the TT on a factory Ducati 955 in 1995 and also raced for the legendary VM Racing team on a Honda RC45. He knows what we can expect from both at the Manx Grand Prix.
“The Ducati was a good bike but didn’t like the TT because it was fragile. I was leading the F1 race but came into Parliament Square and there was oil pissing out. It didn’t like the big jumps, so you had to be steady over the big ones. In the Senior in 95 I came into the pits for fuel on lap four 4 They told me to just pin it, it held together, and we finished second, behind Joey.
“Those Ducatis were definitely special though. I particularly liked the way you could go to the factory in Italy and buy a factory bike, built to your spec. Mine was built using WSBK Foggy parts.
“The Honda was fast but didn’t handle, especially the early models. We all crashed and highsided in the early days. They were all on the front with nothing on the rear, and not that stable. The later bikes, the one I rode with V+M were much better, and so fast. They were rocket ships. Honda spent the most money, had the best riders, and the RC45 was quick, but the early bikes were not the best handling.”
Interview: Johnny Barton
TT rider liaison rider Johnny Barton made his TT debut in 1990 and has raced an array of Ducati’s at the Island and is still racing at the TT today in the lightweight class.
“My old man was a Ducati fan so we bought a 916, simple as that. It handled like a dream, had lots of torque so you could short-shift and have an easier time. There was no getting away from the fact it was fragile. We never went to the factory for a bike, but we did have a trick 996SPS, which we converted to a race bike.
“The Ducati outhandled the RC45, especially the early models which did not look stable. But ,like the Ducati, the RC45 was very expensive, so most of the smaller privateer teams like myself went for a Kawasaki or Yamaha. But I loved my Ducati, I did my first ever 120mph lap on a 916.”
