TT Grandstand

The TT Grandstand including the startline, pit lane, re-fuellers, merchandising, scoreboard and paddocks for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix races is situated on the A2 Glencrutchery Road, in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man.[3]

Former racer James Whitham (centre right with nozzle over his shoulder) as part of a 2012 TT refuelling crew

TT Grandstand area with scoreboard to extreme left, course start/finish to left (in distance), pit lane with re-fuelling equipment and acceleration lane to centre,[1] and return road to extreme right leading to parc ferme in distance[2]
Pit lane approach with machine pre-race assembly area to extreme left, concourse with grandstand to left, demarcated lanes with re-fuelling equipment to centre, course start/finish on A2 Glencrutchery Road with timekeeper's box to extreme right

History

The startline for the 1911 TT races was originally situated on a level section of the A2 Quarterbridge Road between Selborne Drive and Woodlands Lodge in Douglas.

The startline and refuelling area was moved to the top of Bray Hill for the 1914 TT races, and then moved in 1920 to the Nobles Park area of the A2 Glencrutchery Road at the junction of Greenfield Road in Douglas.

For the 1920 TT races, changes were made to the Snaefell Mountain Course and competitors turned left at Cronk-ny-Mona and followed the primary A18 Mountain Road to Governor's Bridge Dip with the new start/finish line nearby on the A2 Glencrutchery Road which lengthened the course to 37¾ miles.[4]

For the 1926 Isle of Man TT races the startline section at Glencrutchery Road was improved by road widening and building of a new grandstand complex at a cost of £2,000.[5]

The 1920s wooden structure was demolished and replaced with a modern purpose-built brick design on newly acquired land for the 1986 TT Races. The new development incorporated a race control and communications tower, a wider pit-lane and seating placed 30 ft (9.1 m) further away from the refuellers due to FIM requirements for enhanced competitor and spectator safety concerning fire-risk.

Proposals to re-locate the facility to the other side of the Glencrutchery Road were rejected as being more costly than the projection of £GB450,000.[6][7]

Concourse facilities

The official TT regulations paddock diagram shows many public, technical and administrative areas developed into the Grandstand,[8] including:

  • VIP hospitality
  • Licensed area
  • Food and Drink
  • Trade sites - motorcycling-related sales
  • Winners enclosure
  • Race office
  • Technical inspection - scrutineering
  • Tower and Press office
  • Scoreboard
  • Timing box
  • Hailwood Centre - refreshments[9][10]
  • Assembly area/Parc Ferme
  • TT rider John McGuinness awaiting a press interview at a picnic bench in the public catering area at the rear of the TT Grandstand during 2013 TT races, with Mrs McGuinness standing to left
  • View from the Grandstand seating area showing pit-boxes with refuelling stands, then-used for visitor bike-parking on a non-race day, with scoreboard to far side across the Glencrutchery Road
  • Pre-race assembly area[2] adjacent to startline showing machines with tyre warmers plugged into wall-mounted electrical outlets
Deceleration lane starts after footbridge leading to turnaround
Ian Hutchinson on the return road to TT paddock parc ferme after the Supersport TT 600 race in 2012[2]

Acceleration/deceleration lane and return road

The acceleration lane leads from the pit lane to re-join the main road. The deceleration lane provides a braking area, terminating in a hairpin turn-around loop in Nobles Park before connecting to the return road, leading back to the winners enclosure and parc fermé, situated as part of the paddock complex, for all race finishers.[2]

Temporary accommodation

Temporary holiday accommodation in the paddock for TT time was established from 2012 until 2017.[11][12][13] The complex was provided by Snoozebox, a business having former Formula 1 racing driver David Coulthard as a principle.

The accommodation was in the form of 45 ft (14 m) stacked shipping containers, modified and fitted-out as commodious sleep cells.[14][8][15][16]

Sources
  1. Tynwald Court questions, 12 December 2006, p.53 Retrieved 23 November 2016
  2. IoM TT race regulations 2014 with concourse diagram p.23 "At the conclusion of all races the finishers will be required to return their machines to the Parc Ferme. This will be located in the Assembly Area." Retrieved 28 November 2016
  3. Map and access instructions Paddock, Passes, Grandstand tickets and Welfare, Section 12, 2020 Regulations, Isle of Man TT races. Retrieved 3 February 2021
  4. The Tourist Trophy in Old Photographs Collected by Bill Snelling. Bill Snelling pp14 Sutton Publishing ISBN 1-84015-059-9
  5. Centenary of the Borough of Douglas 1896–1996 by Gordon N.Kniverton pp112 (1st Edition)(1996) Manx Experience
  6. Manx Grand Prix, 1985 Official programme, p.11 "Grandstands", Peter Kneale. Accessed 26 March 2017
  7. Grandstand Re-Development. Motorcycle Sport, April 1985, p.151
  8. IoM TT race regulations 2014 with concourse diagram p.5, pp.14-15, pp.25-26 Retrieved 28 November 2016
  9. Re-think on use of centre built in honour of Hailwood Manx Radio, 13 July 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2021
  10. Hailwood Centre is now thirty years old BBHMG, June 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2021
  11. Innovative hotel concept confirmed for 2012 Isle of Man TT iomtt.com, 28 February 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2021
  12. Snoozebox rooms can now be booked through the official online TT shop iomtt.com, 4 April 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2021
  13. TT visitors will be able to stay on old prison site iomtoday, 16 November 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2021
  14. Snoozebox - a case study 1stcontainers. Retrieved 1 February 2021
  15. Snoozebox Hotel Company Reports A Loss Sky News, 26 April 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2021
  16. Snoozebox to be a permanent feature at TT Races manx.net, 27 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2021

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