The popularity of the Blackford Financial Services Pre-TT Classic Road Races has once again caused the organisers a headache, albeit a pleasant one - having to add two extra races to the race schedule to accommodate the number of entries received !

The programme has been changed to allow for a Support Race for oversubscribed entries from the 250cc Lightweight, 350cc Junior, 500cc Senior and Post Classic Races.

Also as a result of the large number of entries received for the combined 850cc Classic Race and Post Classic Superbike Race this race will now be split into two separate races.

The additional races will also be run over nine laps, as the original programme.

The entry list reads like the ‘Who’s Who’ of Classic Racing and includes no less than eight previous winners in the Solo classes and three winning crews in the Sidecar race.

Adopted ‘Manxie’ Chris Palmer a six time winner in the Classic Races has a trio of machines at his disposal courtesy of Ripley Land. Likewise Chris McGahan has a pair of Honda machines at his disposal along with a Miles Trident.

Scot Ewan Hamilton also has three machines in his stable, a brace of 250’s from Japan, a Suzuki and a Yamaha along with his trust 500 Seeley Matchless.

2008 winner Terry Kermode goes one better with a pair of Italian Aermacchi singles and a pair of Japanese Yamaha twins, in both cases 250cc and 350cc capacity for the various races he has entered.

Ex MotoCross and Speedway Star turned road racer Arthur Browning has a brace of Seeley machines to campaign the 2011 meeting on, while Roger Birkenhead will have a 250 Greeves and a 250 Ducati ready to race with Rich Hawkins preferring the 350cc version of the Ducati for his races.

Twice a winner of the 250cc Singles race, Yorkshireman, Ted Fenwick now a spritely 83-yearold returns on his 250cc Ducati hoping to make it three victories on his Italian marque.

Another Yorkshireman, makes a welcome return to Billown. Bill Swallow has 14 Classic wins to his name and will be looking to add to his tally and equal or better the record 15 wins held by Bob Heath.

Nick Houghton and Paul Thomas who dominated the Sidecar races in 2008 and 2009 will be hoping to regain the winners laurel wreaths in 2011 from last year’s victors Vince and Phil Biggs, whilst popular German crew, ex World Champions, Ralf Engelhardt and passenger Winfried Viecenz will be racing their familiar BMW outfit and wanting to take the laurel wreaths back to Germany.

An invasion from the Czech Republic will arrive in Castletown however, it will be a ‘friendly’ one as six competitors take up the challenge of the 4.25-mile course.

Vladimir Kotland, Milan Sramek, Jirt Tenk, Zdenek Hrncal, Robert Novak and Michal Jerabek are all making their debut on the 4.25-mile Billown course.

Milan Sramek will race a brace of 250cc and 350cc Walter CZ machines with Jirt Tenk and Zdenek Hrncal riding 250cc and 175cc versions of the CZ single.

Robert Novak will compete in the Senior race on a 500 ESO Rickman whilst Vladimir Kotland and Michal Jerabek are entered on Yamaha and Honda machines in the Superbike class.

The opening practice session for the Blackford Financial Services Pre TT Classic Road Races will take place on Friday evening 27th May, followed by final qualifying and one race, the 250cc/350cc Singles race on Saturday afternoon 28th May with the main Race Day on Bank Holiday Monday 30th May.

The unique Prize Presentation and Concours D' Elegance takes place in Castletown Square on Tuesday afternoon 1st June 2011.