Road racing series makes radical safety shift with class change

The organisers for the International Road Racing Championship have announced its Superbike class will be replaced by Supertwins from 2026 on safety grounds.

The IRRC, which has been in operation since 2003 when it was known as the 3 Nations Cup, is a road racing series that takes place across Europe.

Over the years it has seen some of the biggest stars from road racing taking part, including 33-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop, 14-time TT winner Peter Hickman and three-time winner Davey Todd.

Todd, most notably, won the Superbike crown in IRRC in 2019.

In a statement issued by the organisers on 2 August, the series will axe Superbikes as its main class from 2026 and replace it with a Supertwin category instead.

The statement cited safety concerns with the growing speeds of modern Superbikes, as well as rising costs to run these machines for competitors.

The full statement read: “The IRRC Management has decided that from 2026, the IRRC Superbike class will be replaced by the IRRC Super Twin class.

"There are 2 reasons for this change: The Superbike Class has becomes a very fast class. As IRRC Management we want to make a contribution to have more safety in Road Racing.

"The costs for a Superbike have risen sharply in recent years. Many riders have problems getting the budget for a complete season.

“The IRRC management would like to counteract and offer the fans exciting battles for positions and full fields of riders.

“More info about the regulations in this new class will follow at the end of this season.”

Supertwins have been popular on the road racing scene for over a decade now, though what was meant to be a cost-effective category quickly spiralled in costs.

What impact the IRRC’s axing of its Superbike class will have on road racing elsewhere, particularly on the island of Ireland and on the Isle of Man, remains to be seen.

But altering bike capacity for top classes could well be seen as a good way of achieving what the IRRC is hoping to in improving safety and bringing costs down.