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***Malcolm*** · 23-01-2015, 02:33 PM

Will TT world series get off the ground?

A TT World Series is planned for two years’ time and it could include six rounds culminating in the TT proper in the Isle of Man in June.

That’s the claim of the government department responsible for the races.

The government’s Department of Economic Development has made the announcement nearly four years after a similar announcement in 2011 and following a near £200,000 investment in research by The Sports Consultancy to assess the feasibility of the plan.

Currently, the government is inviting expressions of interest from bodies interested in promoting the TT and the proposed world series.

Interested parties will have to provide an outline of their plans in a so-called pre-qualification questionnaire and a tendering process will follow.

The successful organisation would then work alongside the government’s Motorsport Development Team, which currently promotes the TT, in 2016 with a view to taking over completely in 2017

Among the new body’s responsibilities would be television and broadcasting rights, TT-branded clothing and merchandise, ticketing, renting out of retail space and corporate hospitality facilities. They would also develop the franchised road racing events around the world as part of the TT world series.

The plan is to run test events in other countries in 2017 followed by a full TT world series in 2018.

The government would receive an annual fee in return for the franchise and it would also receive a share of the profits from the series.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly said it would be more economic for the government to operate in this way and that it would promote the event worldwide, encouraging more visitors to the actual TT races in June.

‘Not only do I believe that we will be able to increase revenue from both the Isle of Man TT and potential new events, but, by outsourcing the commerical aspects of the TT races, we will be able to reduce some of our fixed costs,’ he said.

Speaking in the House of Keys in November, Mr Skelly revealed £116,000 had been spent on fees paid to The Sports Consultancy, with a further £72,000 to be paid for the study examining the feasibility of the world series.

At the time, in an answer to a question from Douglas North MHK John Houghton, he said he would reserve judgement on the viability of the project and would not disclose the precise findings of the research because the information was commercially sensitive.

This week’s Motor Cycle News features a two-page spread on the plans with comments from riders and it also speculates on the possible locations of the rounds, which are planned for the southern hemisphere to take advantage of their warm winter season. It would also fall in the non-race season for most European riders meaning they had time on their race calendar.

According to MCN, the series would see around 20 or 30 riders travelling around the world for the series of up to six races, some of them with mass starts, some time trials like the TT, culminating at the Isle of Man TT in June.

Early predictions, it said. were for rounds in Australia, South East Asia, South Africa and South America.

Describing the TT as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the proposed series, MCN suggests rounds could be held San Luis in Argentina and Cape Town in South Africa. The idea of a Chinese round at Macau and another in Thailand are also mooted by the paper.

It suggests different cities around the world would bid for the privilege of hosting a TT round and pay a hosting fee. Races would probably not be of the same length as the TT course but other unique aspects of the TT are to be preserved, such as open public access to the paddock area and a refuelling stop. Races would be run mostly on public roads and fans should be able to spectate at close quarters. Superbike, Supersport and Superstock classes are expected.

No changes are expected to June’s TT races but the world series events are expected to attract grids of about 40, including around 25 of the regular TT riders.

Courses are expected to run over around six miles and the events are expected to last four days, with two for practices and two race days.

The plan still needs Tynwald approval which is to be sought in November when MHKs will decide if the world TT series is to go ahead and, if so, who the promoters will be.

By John Turner

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