The Ultra-Lightweight TT was a motorcycle road race that took place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1951 and 1974 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season at world-level, representing the British round. The Ultra-Lightweight TT and the Lightweight TT races were both dropped from the 2005 Isle of Man TT race calendar due to lack of entries, but were later reinstated to the 2008 and 2009 TT race schedules held on the Billown Circuit.Manx Independent pp44 dated 22 November 2007
Engine Capacity The 1924 Isle of Man TT was the first race for Ultra-Lightweight motorcycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity, won by Jack Porter, on a New Imperial at an average speed of for three laps of the Snaefell mountain course. The Ultra-Lightweight TT race was re-introduced for the 1951 Isle of Man TT race for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity until dropped from the TT race meeting in 1974. The Ultra-Lightweight race was re-introduced for the 1989 TT races, again for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity and was part of the TT Festival until 2004.
1924-1925 For motor-cycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity. 1951-1953 World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Snaefell mountain course. 1954-1959 World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Clypse Course. 1960-1974 World Championship event for motor-cycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course. 1989-2004 for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course. 2008-2009 for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Billown Circuit. 1962-1968 Additional World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 50 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.
Speed and Lap Records The lap record for the Ultra-Lightweight TT is 19 minutes and 18.2 seconds2006 Official TT Race Guide at an average speed of set by Chris Palmer during the 2004 Ultra-Lightweight 125 cc TT Race.
List of Ultra-Lightweight TT Winners
YearRiderManufacturerAverage Race Speed 1924 Jock Porter New Gerrard 51.21 mph 1925 Wal Handley Rex-Acme 53.45 mph 1926-1950Not Held 1951 Cromie McCandless Mondial 74.85 mph 1952 Cecil Sandford MV Agusta 75.54 mph 1953 Leslie Graham MV Agusta 77.79 mph 1954 Rupert Hollaus NSU 69.52 mph 1955 Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 69.67 mph 1956 Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 69.13 mph 1957 Tarquinio Provini Mondial 73.69 mph 1958 Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 72.86 mph 1959 Tarquinio Provini MV Agusta 74.06 mph 1960 Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 85.61 mph 1961 Mike Hailwood Honda 88.23 mph 1962 Luigi Taveri Honda 89.88 mph 1963 Hugh Anderson Suzuki 89.27 mph 1964 Luigi Taveri Honda 92.14 mph 1965 Phil Read Yamaha 94.28 mph 1966 Bill Ivy Yamaha 97.66 mph 1967 Phil Read Yamaha 97.48 mph 1968 Phil Read Yamaha 99.12 mph 1969 Dave Simmonds Kawasaki 91.08 mph 1970 Dieter Braun Suzuki 89.27 mph 1971 Chas Mortimer Yamaha 83.96 mph 1972 Chas Mortimer Yamaha 87.49 mph 1973 Tommy Robb Yamaha 88.91 mph 1974 Clive Horton Yamaha 88.44 mph 1975-1988Not Held 1989 Robert Dunlop Honda 102.58 mph 1990 Robert Dunlop Honda 103.41 mph 1991 Robert Dunlop Honda 103.68 mph 1992 Joey Dunlop Honda 106.49 mph 1993 Joey Dunlop Honda 107.26 mph 1994 Joey Dunlop Honda 105.74 mph 1995 Mark Baldwin Honda 107.14 mph 1996 Joey Dunlop Honda 106.33 mph 1997 Ian Lougher Honda 107.89 mph 1998 Robert Dunlop Honda 106.38 mph 1999 Ian Lougher Honda 107.43 mph 2000 Joey Dunlop Honda 107.14 mph 2001 Not held 2002 Ian Lougher Honda 108.65 mph 2003 Chris Palmer Honda 108.65 mph 2004 Chris Palmer Honda 108.93 mph 2005-2007Not Held 2008 Chris Palmer Honda 94.042 mph 2009 Ian Lougher Honda 2 heats
50cc Ultra-Lightweight TT Winners Year Rider Motorcycle Average Speed 1962 Ernst Degner Suzuki 75.12 mph 1963 Mitsuo Itoh Suzuki 78.81 mph 1964 Hugh Anderson Suzuki 80.64 mph 1965 Luigi Taveri Honda 79.66 mph 1966 Ralph Bryans Honda 85.66 mph 1967 Stuart Graham Suzuki 82.89 mph 1968 Barry Smith Derbi 72.90 mph
Ultra-Lightweight TT Race Winners RiderWins Joey Dunlop, Ian Lougher Carlo Ubbiali 4 Robert Dunlop, Chris Palmer 3 Chas Mortimer, Phil Read, Tarquinio Provini*, Luigi Taveri2 Hugh Anderson, M.Baldwin, Dieter Braun, Les Graham, Rupert Hollaus*, Wal Handley, C.Horton, Bill Ivy, Cromie McCandless, Mike Hailwood, Jack Porter, Tommy Robb, Cecil Sandford, Dave Simmonds1 *Indicates Ultra-Lightweight TT wins on the Clypse Course.
Ultra-Lightweight TT Race Winners by Marque MarqueWins Honda 20 Yamaha8 MV Agusta7 Mondial, Suzuki2 Kawasaki, New Imperial, NSU, Rex-Acme1
See also TTXGP Lightweight TT Sidecar TT Junior TT Senior TT
References