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.
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| Venue | Castletown, Isle of Man |
| Date | 9-12 July, 2018 |
| Type | Road Course |
| Clerk of the Course | Peter Oates |
| Event Organiser | Southern 100 M.C.R.C. Ltd |
| Principal sponsor | Isle of Man Department of Enterprise |
| 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 (2017) 2 minutes, 12.231 secs 115.707 mph (186.212 km/h) [2] |
History
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]
Sources
- Southern 100 Results for 1955 Southern 100 Motorcycle Racing. Retrieved 29 January 2018
- 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
- 2015 Race results, Southern 100 Motorcycle Racing. Retrieved 13 December 2015
- "Southern 100 Motorcycle Racing: History". Isle of Man Guide. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- Edge, Phil (24 November 2009). "The history of the 'Southern 100'". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- "Steam Packet Southern "100" Races Results: 2011". Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Club Ltd. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- "Most wins". Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Club Ltd. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- Southern 100 – Race Programme 1990 Southern 100 Motor Cycle Racing Ltd (1990) Castletown Press page 81