Isle of Wight launches ‘Diamond Races’ road racing festival for 2021
A major new road racing event to be held on the Isle of Wight has been launched with the target of attracting international racers when it makes its debut in 2021.
Named the Diamond Races – a reference to its ‘Diamond Isle’ moniker – the event will comprise a 12.4-mile long circuit to the south of the island, including a particularly fast five mile stretch set along the military road coastline. The route will pass through the villages of Chale, Kingston, Shorwell and Brighstone.
While the event draws evident parallels with the iconic Isle of Man TT, the Diamond Races will have the distinction of bringing international road racing to the south of the United Kingdom and be dated for the Autumn after the 2021 British Superbike Championship finale.
By launching a major motorsport event on the island, it is hoped the Diamond Races will showcase Isle of Wight’s natural beauty and encourage spectators to make the journey with a location just two hours from London.
“As an Isle of Wight local resident, I am very excited to welcome motorsport fans from across the globe to this beautiful island, for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of racing action and entertainment for the whole family”, said Paul Sandford, CEO and Co-Founder of the Diamond Races.
“The Diamond Races is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and planning by the whole team, and we’re very lucky to have the best of the best involved with its setup.
“No stone is being left unturned in striving to deliver a spectacular event which we have every reason to believe will be a regular back-stop to the island’s tourist season and put the Isle of Wight on the international motorcycle road racing map.”
Complementing the Isle of Wight Music Festival in June and Cowes Week in August, the Diamond Races is set to become one of the highest-profile events to ever take place on the Isle of Wight.
By pencilling in an Autumn date directly after the BSB finale – which normally takes place in October – the Diamond Races is being billed as an end-of-season celebration.
Indeed, it is hoped the event will attract a full bevy of international road racing stars and become a key date on the UK motorsport schedule, with key names involved in its creation including TT winner Steve Plater, ex-Honda Racing manager Neil Tuxworth and Isle of Man TT Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson
“We have been working behind the scenes for quite some time now with event specialists looking into the feasibility of such a race meeting, and we are very excited that we can announce another first for the Isle of Wight,” added Dave Stewart, Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Partnerships, Isle of Wight Council.
“We are committed to developing and expanding the island’s economy and this event is sure to thrill local enthusiasts as well as attract visitors from the mainland and indeed northern Europe, which will help to extend the island’s tourist season and provide another boost to our economy in the final quarter of the year.
“Our emphasis will be on the safety of the event and I am pleased that the organisers are keen to work with us in the coming weeks and months to promote safe motorcycling here on the Island.”
This will be the first time in history that a professional road race has taken place on the Isle of Wight, and being within such easy reach of the 17 million people who are estimated to live in the UK’s heavily populated London & South East region, the Diamond Races will attract both seasoned racing enthusiasts and first-time road racing spectators to the island. Away from the course, the Isle of Wight has many other attractions that families and holidaymakers can enjoy whilst visiting. Being held in October - traditionally the end of the tourist season for the Isle of Wight - Britain’s “sunshine island” will certainly benefit from a boost to the local economy with another pillar of entertainment to accompany the popular Isle of Wight Music Festival (June) and the long-established Cowes Week (August).
