Thursday August 8, 2019 at 3:46pm
Those Manx Grand Prix fans who are not lucky enough to make it to the island for this year's racing, can again enjoy live streaming of every race, as it happens, via the web. Offering the next best experience to actually being there, live streaming is now in its third year and the Manx Motor Cycle Club plan to have cameras at strategic vantage points around the course. At the Grandstand there will be one mobile camera with the presenters covering the start, pitstops and winner’s enclosure/podium. Additionally at least one remotely controlled camera, possibly on the opposite side to the Grandstand, will capture footage of the bikes as they power through the start - finish line, past the grandstand and historic scoreboard, before continuing down Glencrutchery Road. In previous years cameras have been positioned at Greeba, Sarah's Cottage, capturing the climb through Lambfell, and by the famous jump over Ballaugh Bridge. Other popular spots have included the instantly recognisable Ramsey Hairpin, the spectacular sweep through the Gooseneck and the vista showing the bikes crossing the tram lines at the Bungalow before climbing Hailwood Heights to the highest point of the course. Statistics for the live streaming, which is entirely volunteer-driven, have been gratifying, with around 291 000 minutes of footage viewed and more than 389,000 views world wide over the same period, with an average viewing time of 46 minutes. The best ever viewing figures are via YouTube (which has separate figures from the MGP web site) for the 2017 MGP Senior race, which has been viewed more than 147,000 times. You can access live coverage of this year's Manx Grand Prix Races via the MGP web site at www.manxgrandprix.org. The MGP races take place between August 26 and 30. Practice week starts on August 17. Photo Credit: Sam Bowers