Diamond Races: New road race to run over 12.4 mile-course in Isle of Wight in October 2021
- Published
Isle of Man TT winners Steve Plater and James Hillier recently rode some laps of the proposed Diamond Races circuit
A new road race held on public roads, known as The Diamond Races, are set to be staged over a 12.4-mile course in The Isle of Wight in October 2021.
The race will pass through the villages of Chale, Kingston, Shorwell and Brighstone in the south of the island, plus a fast five-mile coastal stretch.
A four-day event is planned after the final British Superbike round, running from Wednesday to Saturday.
There will be races for Superbike, Supersport and Lightweight machines.
Planning for the event has been taking place over the last 12 months, involving established names in road racing such as Isle of Man TT clerk of the course Gary Thompson, ex-racer and former Honda Racing team manager Neil Tuxworth and Steve Plater, an ex-British champion and two-time TT winner.
Also part of the organising team are three-time British Touring Car champion Matt Neal and another ex-BTCC driver James Kaye.
The meeting will be run under Auto Cycle Union (ACU) regulations, with backing from the Isle of Wight council.
Races to be held in time-trial format
It is envisaged that the event will involve two practice days on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the time-trial feature races staged on a Saturday.
The exact dates for the inaugural races will be announced after the 2021 BSB calendar is published but it is planned that the meeting will become a regular feature on the motorcycling calendar.
The event will take place after the final BSB round at Brands Hatch in Kent and organisers also hope to incorporate a sidecar demonstration lap, with an electric motorcycle category to follow in the future.
Paul Sandford, CEO and Co-Founder of the Diamond Races, said: "As an Isle of Wight local resident, I am very excited at the prospect of welcoming motorsport fans from across the globe to this beautiful island, for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of racing action and entertainment for the whole family.
"The Diamond Races is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and planning by the whole team, and we're very lucky to have the best of the best involved with its setup.
"No stone is being left unturned in striving to deliver a spectacular event which we have every reason to believe will be a regular back-stop to the island's tourist season and put the Isle of Wight on the international motorcycle road racing map."