Fans praise 'breathtaking' racing at Classic TT

Ola Bolkowska said she enjoyed "the views, the people and the atmosphere" at the festival

Visiting fans have praised the "breathtaking" racing at the Isle of Man Classic TT.

The final day of racing at the 2025 motorcycle festival, which has been run in parallel with the Manx Grand Prix (MGP), is set to get under way after the brand was reinstated for the first time since 2019.

Riders are set to face off in the Historic Junior, Historic Senior, and Senior Classic TT races on the 37.7-mile (61km) Mountain Course.

First-time visitor Ola Bolkowska, from Essex, said the classic bikes were "so much faster than what you'd expect" and "watching them fly past is like 'wow'".

"I always wanted to visit the TT races in June but felt like maybe the main event could be a little bit overwhelming and a little bit too busy," she said.

But she said she had found the "views, the people and the atmosphere" at the classic event "incredible".

The racing fan said spectating from inside the course, which is made up of closed public roads meant "makes you feel very involved" because "you have to stay and can't just walk away".

Being able to ride on the same stretches of road before and after racing was also "fascinating" as "you to get almost a feeling for competing yourself", which was "pretty cool".

Former competitor Douglas Lunn drove from Spain with his wife Susan to spectate

For former rider Douglas Lunn, who competed in the Manx Grand Prix and TT between 1971 and 1978, racing on the Isle of Man was "something you can't get it out of your system".

"I always wanted to do it as a young man, and I'm one of the lucky ones that did," he said.

"It was a little bit slower then, but still very satisfying."

Having first attended the August festival to spectate in 1957, the 80-year-old said he did not see the Classic TT as "an essential part of the MGP" and could instead make up part of the TT festival.

"We never had the classic when I was riding, I think the MGP should be for riders to use as a stepping stone to get to the TT," he said.

Nick and Katrina Hall said they have appreciated the more relaxed feel of the August motorcycle festival

The reintroduction of the Classic TT brand saw the August event expanded from nine to 13 days to attract more visitors to the island.

Lifelong motorcycle fan Nick Hall, from Telford, said he had enjoyed seeing both the modern machines and classic bikes racing on the same bill at the event.

A regular at the TT alongside his wife Katrina, he said "nothing in your life prepares you for the speed" of racing on the Isle of Man.

"It's a complete shock to the system and a massive adrenaline rush," he said.

Mr Hall said the couple had appreciated the "more relaxed" feel of the event, compared to the TT, which could be "hectic" due to the greater number of visitors.

They were also keen to spend time in the paddock during the Classic TT, which sees a host of TT stars compete, as "you can rub shoulders with the racers", he said.

"I talk to them as if I've known them all my life, and then watch them out on the course," he said,

"What else would you actually want as a motorcycle fan?"