Introducing the Diamond Races, the all-new road racing festival set to be hosted on the Isle of Wight in October 2021.
On an island known for its remarkable coastline and just two hours from central London door to door, the Diamond Races is set to take place on a 12.4 mile-long course in the south of the Isle of Wight. Shining a spotlight on the island’s natural beauty and on roads already acclaimed as being some of the best and most enjoyable in the world, the road-race boasts a course through the picturesque villages of Chale, Kingston, Shorwell and Brighstone as well as a fast 5-mile coastal stretch along the military road.
The event will see two practice days on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the time-trial feature races staged on a Saturday, with the exact event date being announced after the 2021 British Superbike calendar is published. Planned to become a regular motorcycle race meeting and end-of-season celebration, the event will take place a week after the British Superbike season traditionally wraps up at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, welcoming Superbike, Supersport and lightweight machine categories along with a sidecar demonstration.
The Diamond Races has a world-leading team behind it, not only with huge names from the motorcycle road racing industry, but also boasting a globally-experienced business team with notable digital, technology and event management expertise to make the event possible, and working in close conjunction with the Isle of Wight council to host the event with full local support. Some of the key players include Gary Thompson MBE (Isle of Man TT Clerk of the Course), Steve Plater (past Isle of Man TT Senior winner and ex British Champion), Neil Tuxworth (ex-Honda Racing Manager) as well as James Kaye (ex-British Touring Car Championship driver and Diamond Races co-founder) and Matt Neal (three-time British Touring Car Champion and Honda UK ambassador).
Paul Sandford, CEO and Co-Founder of the Diamond Races, said: “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. 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.”
Spectators can look forward to being thrilled at the sights and sounds of machines circulating the picturesque course from a series of temporary grandstands that will afford spectacular views of this dynamic sport.