FUTURE DATES
ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY SOUTHERN 100 ROAD RACES
2024: 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th July
2025: 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th July
2026: 13th, 14th, 15th & 16th July
2027: 12th, 13th, 14th & 15th July
2028: 10th, 11th, 12th & 13th July
2029: 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th July
2030: 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th July
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.
In addition to the ‘friendly races’ as the July races have become known, two other races have been added, firstly the Pre-TT Classic Road Races in 1988, followed by the Post TT Road Races in 1991.
For over 65 years the races on the Billown Course have drawn fans and riders to experience the unique atmosphere of the Southern 100 and more latterly the Pre-TT & Post TT Road Races
COLAS BILLOWN CIRCUIT
FASTEST SOLO LAPS
Name Time Speed(mph) Event
Dean Harrison 2m 10.835s 116.941 2022 Championship
Davey Todd 2m 10.987s 116.805 2022 Championship
Michael Dunlop 2m 12.231s 115.707 2017 Championship
Dan Kneen 2m 12.335s 115.616 2017 Championship
Guy Martin 2m 13.667s 114.464 2014 Championship
COLAS BILLOWN CIRCUIT
FASTEST SIDECAR LAPS
Name Time Speed(mph) Event
Ryan Crowe / Callum Crowe 2m 29.417s 102.398 2022
Peter Founds / Jevan Walkmsley 2m 29.880s 102.082 2022
John Holden / Lee Cain 2m 31.057s 101.286 2018
Tim Reeves / Patrick Farrance 2m 31.138s 101.232 2018
Ben Birchall / Tom Birchall 2m 31.964s 100.682 2016
Prior to the 1954 Manx Grand Prix success of Derek Ennett, George Costain and Sid Mizen, the Southern Motorcycle Club held their race meetings at Andreas Airfield.
As a result of double win at the Manx, the Southern club decided there should be a race in the south of the Island and to hold a meeting on what was to become known as the Billown circuit.
In the early 1950s, the Isle of Man Government decided to build a by-pass to avoid the town centre of Castletown, and whilst traffic was minimal compared to today’s motorised Island, the by-pass provided an integral part of the new course.
The first meetings to set up the organisation were held in the Station Hotel, now the Viking, in Castletown, which is where the Ennett family lived. This band of gentlemen with foresight also used to meet on a Sunday morning in the Control Tower at Ronaldsway Airport, with Theo Watterson. In between landing planes, the time was taken up planning the Southern ‘100’!
Amongst the first committee were, George Costain and Joe Mylchreest, who officially measured the circuit, using the official ‘chain’ measure (22 yards) and walked around the course measuring down the centre line of the road. The total official distances was, and still is 4.25-miles.
Southern 100 Racing took over the organisation of the Southern 100 Races in 1981, the Southern Motor Cycle (IOM) Club having taken to decision to separate their two sections, road racing and off-road. However it was the same team at the helm and the races, and the event has grown in stature over the forty years of the present organisers to the reputation the event is held in today.
Since the first race on Thursday 14th July 1955, the 350cc won by Derek Ennett a total of 604 races have been run over the Billown Course, including 145 Sidecar races, with 108,749 racing laps completed, a racing distance of 461,911.520 miles at the end of the 2022 meeting.