Drag race event axed due to financial pressures

The Ramsey Sprint has been running in its current form since 1978

An annual drag race held during the Isle of Man's TT festival has been cancelled for 2025 due to financial pressures, organisers have confirmed.

The Ramsey Sprint, which is open to anyone with a motorbike, sees participants from all over the world compete over a 1 mile (1.6km) strip of promenade.

UK-based motorsport events organiser Straightliners said TT race schedule changes had also made it "almost impossible" to secure traders and catering units for the event.

But Ramsey Town Commissioners confirmed the four-day music festival Sprintfest, usually held to coincide with the event, would still be going ahead from late May.

The event has seen bike fans from across the world attend to watch and take part

Head of Straightliners Trevor Duckworth said he was "absolutely gutted" the event, which was first run in its current form in 1978, would not be going ahead this year but he was confident it would make a return for 2026.

In a statement the organisation said it had "invested heavily" in redeveloping a race track near York, and currently did not have "enough capital" for insurance, permits and travel to the island for this year's event.

It also said available catering units, which had reduced in number since the pandemic, were preferring to set up at the Grandstand "with racing most days" under the events new format.

The schedule for the motorcycle festival was revised for 2023, and now sees racing in two-day blocks over six days rather than four seen previously.

The Sprintfest musical festival will take place over four days in Ramsey's Market Square

The town's local authority said it was "sorry to hear" the Ramsey Sprint would not be going ahead as it had been a "welcome part" of the festival for many years.

It said it would work with the organisers and the Department for Enterprise, which had also supported the sprint, on future events.

Sprintfest, run by the commissioners, is set to take place as usual in Market Square from May 30 to June 2, it addded.