Most motorcycle enthusiasts have likely heard of the Isle of Man TT, but many may not have heard of the Southern 100 Road Races, which take place on the same island. Referred to as the “Friendly Races,” the first event was held back in 1955. The races are held on the Billown Circuit located in the Southern part of the island near Castletown. The Billown Circuit is a 4.25-mile stretch of closed roadway bordered by stone walls and buildings, leaving almost zero run-off area and little room for error. The Southern 100 differs from the TT races not only because it is set on a different road course on the Isle of Man, but it is also a mass start race instead of the TT time trial setup where riders are started in ten-second intervals. With all of that being said my goal was to go over and give it a go.
Last year I competed in the Baja International Tourist Cup in Mexico which was my first foray into racing on circuits made up of closed roadways. Prior to that all my motorcycle racing experience came from club racing in Edmonton, AB over the last few years.
Working in collaboration with the former Isle of Man TT racer, Eric Wilson, I was set to ride the McCrum’s Motorcycles Aprilia RS 660 in the Supertwin (Lightweight) class. The other rider that made up the North American team was Californian Dave Thomas riding the Obsession Engineering Aprilia RS 660. Dave has also competed in the Baja Road Races in Mexico, and he is set to race in the Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man later this year.
Since my now wife and I got married just a month before the race, I was able to sweet-talk her into a honeymoon on the Isle of Man. We both enjoyed the initial vacation which included exploring and sightseeing, but the stress-inducing part of the trip that involved the potential dangers related to road racing was yet to come.
The initial sign-on day was the Sunday before all of the racing started. It included race officials checking proof of race license and “Start Permission” letters from the racer’s country of origin. All equipment including helmets and leather suits were checked to ensure they met the standard as written in their regulations. A race briefing was held which set out the rules and procedures specifically for this race and the flagging system that would be used. All newcomers including myself were then piled into a van and were driven one lap around the circuit where an experienced racer provided his tips and commentary on how best to tackle the course.
As I looked around the paddock, I began to feel a case of imposter syndrome set in. I would be competing in the event with many world-class riders including three of the top four TT road racers currently: Michael Dunlop, Dean Harrison, and Davey Todd leaving only Peter Hickman not in attendance.
Monday evening was scheduled to host practice and qualifying sessions for the different classes. Wearing a bright orange newcomers’ shirt over my leathers, the first session was 2 speed-controlled laps for the newcomers. These were to be taken around the track following traveling marshals at a moderate pace. Unfortunately, on the second lap an incident involving 3 riders going into the first corner, Ballakeighan, brought out a red flag. Paramedics and marshals rushed to treat the involved riders. One of the riders was seriously injured from the incident and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. At the time of writing this, he is still receiving treatment for his injuries. The second rider had suffered an ankle injury, and the third rider was able to walk away uninjured. There was a long delay to be able to clear and clean up the track. One more speed-controlled lap was given to the newcomers after the delays. At this point, we were informed that due to a capacity issue at Nobel’s Hospital, the rest of Monday’s sessions would have to be canceled in the event of another incident. With only two laps around the circuit, it was safe to say I was still learning the course and getting used to the bike.
Tuesday was dreary, with rain drizzling off and on most of the day. While races were supposed to start on Tuesday evening, qualifying sessions still had to run first to determine which riders got to race and what their positions would be on the starting grid. Due to the sessions being canceled on Monday, each class would only get one ten-minute session to put in a qualifying time. The Supertwins group went out first. This was the second time I have ever raced in the rain and the first time using wet racing tires. Thirty-three riders went out during qualifying but only the top thirty riders would be able to compete in the two main Supertwin races. To my surprise, I ended up qualifying in 28th even though I felt like I was constantly running wide and missing apexes around the circuit. Dave Thomas also ended up qualifying for the main races with the 26th best time.
The first Supertwin race was also scheduled for Tuesday evening. The rain continued to come down and my main goals were to keep the bike upright and try to maintain consistent lap times. The first lap had two riders come together at the Ballabeg Hairpin resulting in one of them falling off their bike. The corner marshals were able to get the bike moved off of the road quickly therefore the race did not need to be stopped. The next few laps I was closing the distance to the rider in front of me. I was tempted a few times to pass him on the brakes. I was hesitant to do so since I was still unsure of the level of grip I had with the tires and I didn’t want to risk taking us both out. Coming out of the hairpin, I was able to pass him and start to pull away. I ended up finishing the race in 23rd place. The top three race finishers in order were Rob Hodson, Jamie Coward, and Davey Todd. Dave Thomas retired after two laps due to problems with his visor.
Riding the peppy two-cylinder Aprilia, I found the bike was set up to work quite well on the roads. The bike was last used by a rider at the 2024 Isle of Man TT which requires similar gearing and suspension settings. The suspension was very compliant and handled even the bumpiest parts of the circuit fairly well. The only change that I wanted to make was to add a few clicks to the steering damper. This would help manage the head shake from the bike when I was on the throttle riding over hills and crests in the road and the front wheel would lift off the ground.
There were no Supertwin races scheduled for Wednesday evening. The plan was for us to go watch some Superbikes and Sidecars rip around the circuit, have some ice cream, and enjoy the fan atmosphere. Our fingers were crossed in hopes that the rain would ease up enough for bikes to be able to go out on track. Unfortunately, with the rain continuing, water was pooling on the roads making it unsafe to go racing. The races planned for Wednesday night were to be rescheduled for the next day.
Thursday was the last day of the Southern 100. The roads were to be closed for the entire day as opposed to previous days being just evening sessions. Due to rain over the past few days, the roads were still wet but by the time the races were set to start, the roads were starting to dry out and dry tires were the way to go. Several Supertwin riders, including myself, were asked to compete in the “Founders Race” on Thursday morning to help fill up the grid. The “Founders Race” is a consolation race that is typically reserved for riders who were unable to qualify for any of the main races. Unfortunately, not much could be said because there was an incident involving two riders at the fast corner, Great Meadows, on the first lap which brought out a red flag. I rode through the same corner only seconds later and had to avoid one of the bikes that was still lying in the middle of the road. After the track was cleaned up, it was decided by race officials that the “Founders Race” would not continue.
The second Supertwin race was set for Thursday afternoon. As the race started, my goals were to make sure I was staying on the correct lines and try to increase my pace. Two laps into the race I was feeling good. I finally felt like I was understanding the circuit better and had more confidence on the bike. This feeling was short-lived as a red flag came out on lap 3 due to an incident with a fallen rider at the second last corner, Stadium Bends. Since half the race distance was completed, race officials decided that the race would not be restarted and the result would be declared as final. I was in 22nd place at the start of the third lap therefore that was my final position. Dave Thomas was in 19th place when the race ended. Rob Hodson won his second Supertwin race of the week with Davey Todd and Michael Sweeney also landing on the podium.
Looking at the other classes, the Superbike (1000 cc) class saw Michael Dunlop win 2 of the 3 races on his Honda Fireblade while Davey Todd won the final “Solo Championship” race riding a BMW M 1000 RR. Michael Brown beat Dunlop by less than half a second to take the first Supersport (600 cc) race, but Dunlop came back and was victorious in the second Supersport race later the same day. Local Manx rider, Grant Thomson took the win in the Supersport “B” race and both Sidecar races were won by Ben Birchall and his passenger Kevin Rousseau.
While some sessions and races were canceled or reduced due to weather and incidents, the experience I had getting to participate in this event was like none other. The best lap time I could produce was 3:08 which equals an average speed of 81.1 mph (130.5 km/h). I felt like more time could have been shaved off with a few more laps around the circuit. At the end of the day, I was happy to have qualified for the main Supertwin events and be able to finish both races. Keeping the bike shiny side up was also a win in my books.
I can’t show enough appreciation to Eric Wilson for organizing and preparing the bikes for the race week. Additionally, to all the people who turned up and provided assistance and support for the team to make the week run as smoothly as possible.
I would highly recommend anyone to come over to the Isle of Man for any of the road races held on the island. Being able to watch bikes fly by just a few feet away from you and having the opportunity to walk around the paddock and meet the riders makes for an exceptional fan experience. People come to these events from all around the world, I even got to meet multiple people who either live or used to live in my hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Hmm… small world.
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