Isle of Man TT: Changes to race schedule for 2023 confirmed

The changes will allow fans to watch racing on two weekends in 2023

An overhaul of the race schedule for the Isle of Man TT races that will see the main race of the event moved from Friday to Saturday has been confirmed.

However, a Manx bank holiday on the Friday will be retained and rebranded.

Under the changes, two extra races are set to be added which takes the total number of races to 10.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Enterprise (DfE) said it would make the event sustainable by attracting more visitors.

Changes to the June TT races follow an overhaul of the Manx Grand Prix this year.

The event was scaled back from 14 days to nine to lessen the impact of road closures and ensure marshalling cover could be secured.

The event returned this year for the first time since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic

Although the duration of the TT races will remain the same, racing will be held over two weekends rather than one, allowing fans to visit at more convenient periods.

Racing itself will be held in blocks of two days back-to-back from 3-10 June, over six days rather than the traditional four.

The DfE held two consultations on the proposed changes to the TT, with the latest held earlier this year.

Although that showed support for shorter road closures each day, the inclusion of additional race days and scheduled Sunday racing was not favoured by the majority of respondents.

DfE Minister Lawrie Hooper said there had been "an extensive amount of research" and feedback before the changes were confirmed.

"This research revealed that the existing TT schedule, the island's travel capacity, the island's accommodation infrastructure, costs factored against current economic climate, and the changing habits of customers are no longer compatible and do not meet the needs of the event's customers," he said.

"In its simplest form, the new schedule aims to sustain current visitor numbers whilst also promoting growth."

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