Isle of Man TT sidecar centenary marks special year for racers

This year marks 100 years since the first Isle of Man TT sidecar races were held on closed public roads around the island.

The inaugural race was won by Freddie Dixon and passenger Walter Denny in 1923 with average speeds of about 50mph (80km/h).

The centenary comes as brothers Ben and Tom Birchall made history in the event's first Sidecar TT race on Saturday by becoming the first pairing to lap the course at an average speed of 120mph (193km/h).

Manxman and all-time race win record holder Dave Molyneux, who has 17 victories to his name, said it was “fantastic” to see the lap speed record achieved in the centenary year.

The Sidecar TT was an "ultra special” class of racing to be involved in, he added.

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