Southern 100

The Southern 100 is a motorcycle road racing event held on the Isle of Man in July of each year. The event was first held in 1955, with three races for different classes of solo motorcycles; the 2015 calendar included twelve races for various classes.[3] The participants compete on the Billown Circuit in the south of the island, starting and finishing at Castletown.

Southern 100 Road Races
Billown Circuit
VenueCastletown, Isle of Man
Date9–12 July 2018
TypeRoad Course
Clerk of the Course Peter Oates
Event Organiser ACU Events Ltd
Event Promoter Southern 100 M.C.R.C. Ltd
Principal sponsor Isle of Man Department for Enterprise
History
First races 1955
First winners (1955) Dave Chadwick (250 cc)
Derek Ennett (350 cc)
Terry Shepherd (500 cc)[1]
Most wins Ian Lougher (32)
Lap record Michael Dunlop
2 minutes, 12.231 secs
115.707 mph (186.212 km/h), 2017[2]

History
Michael Dunlop leading Guy Martin in 2012

In 1955, the inaugural Southern 100 held events for each of the two traditional classes, the 250 cc and the 350 cc, over six laps with a race distance of 25 miles (40 km). A 500 cc race was also included as the feature race with 24 laps, totalling in excess of 100 miles (160 km).[4]

The meeting that year had 73 entrants, with the first race held, the 350 cc event, won by Manxman Derek Ennett.[1]

In 1958, the event was granted "National Status" and eleven years later was included in the British Championships.[5] The races were part of the Irish Regal Championships in 1992 and 1993,[4] and is now one of five FIM-sanctioned International meetings in the British Isles.[5] Sidecar racing was introduced in 1962[5] and currently constitutes two of the twelve scheduled races.[6]

Ian Lougher has achieved the most solo-machine victories, with 32 wins, followed closely by Joey Dunlop with 31. Dave Molyneux leads the Sidecar victories, with 15.[7] The Billown Circuit has been lapped with an average speed over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) on a number of occasions, but it was first achieved by Dave Leech in the 1989 Southern 100 Solo Championship Race riding a 1000 cc Yamaha at an average speed of 100.26 mph.[8]

The 2023 meeting was abandoned following a serious incident on 11th July 2023 where a competitor and marshal were killed. [9]

Sources
  1. Southern 100 Results for 1955 Southern 100 Motorcycle Racing. Retrieved 29 January 2018
  2. 2017 INTERNATIONAL SOUTHERN 100 ROAD RACES - Race 11 Solo Championship Race Peter Oates Clerk of the Course/Chief Timekeeper Kevin Brookes (2017) Southern 100 MCRC
  3. 2015 Race results, Southern 100 Motorcycle Racing. Retrieved 13 December 2015
  4. "Southern 100 Motorcycle Racing: History". Isle of Man Guide. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  5. Edge, Phil (24 November 2009). "The history of the 'Southern 100'". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  6. "Steam Packet Southern "100" Races Results: 2011". Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Club Ltd. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  7. "Most wins". Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Club Ltd. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  8. Southern 100 – Race Programme 1990 Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Ltd (1990) Castletown Press page 81
  9. https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/remainder-of-southern-100-cancelled/
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