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Highroads Course
|
| Location |
Douglas, Isle of Man |
| Time zone |
GMT |
| Major Events |
Gordon Bennett Trial, Tourist Trophy |
| Turns |
420+ |
| Lap Record |
1 hour 31 mins, 9.6 sec (34.2 mph) (John Napier, Arrol-Johnston, 1905) |
Highroads Course[1] is a road-racing circuit used for the Gordon Bennett British Eliminating Trial held in the Isle of Man in 1904 and the 1905 Tourist Trophy Race. 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 52.15 miles and the start-line is at the Quarterbridge in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man. The racing circuit is based on a number of public roads on the Isle of Man including the primary A5 New Castletown to Douglas Road and the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road to Ballaugh Bridge. The primary A10 Jurby Coast Road from Ballaugh Bridge to the Ballaugh Cronk and the primary A13 Jurby Road from the Ballaugh Cronk to Ramsey including the A13 Bowring Road in Ramsey, known as the Sandygate Loop. The primary A9 Albert Road and the primary A18 Mountain Road including a section of private road in Ramsey, to the road junction with the A21 Road and Scollag Road at Cronk-ny-Mona in Douglas. The primary A21 Johnny Watterson Lane at Cronk-ny-Mona, the primary A22 Ballanard Road, the primary A2 Bray Hill Road and the A2 Quarterbridge Road in Douglas. The highest point of the course is on the primary A18 Mountain Road at Brandywell at spot height 422 meters (1,384 feet) above sea level. 54°14′47.47″N 4°27′57.18″W / 54.2465194, -4.4658833
[edit] History
Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Car Trials and were originally restricted to touring automobiles. As the Motor Car Act 1903 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph on automobiles in the United Kingdom, the Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man for the permission to race automobiles on public roads.[2] Tynwald's Highways (Light Locomotive) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man for the 52.15 mile Highland Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Car Trial.
[edit] See Also
[edit] Sources
- ^ TT Pioneers - Early Car Racing in the Isle of Man pp 22 Robert Kelly, Mercury Asset Management (1996)(1st Edition) The Manx Experience, The Alden Press ISBN No 1 873120 61 3
- ^ Island Racer 2004 pp 112-113 Mortons Media Group Ltd ISSN 1743-5838
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 54°10′18″N 4°29′31″W / 54.17167, -4.49194
