Inclusion of sidecars at July event under review

The inclusion of sidecars in a road racing event on the Isle of Man in July is under review following the class's suspension on safety grounds from this year's TT races.

Isle of Man TT race organisers last week said the machines would be excluded from the remainder of the event following a crash during Wednesday evening's qualifying session.

As a result of that suspension, the Southern 100 club said it was "currently conducting a thorough review of the situation" as the event's regulations "align" with those of the TT.

The Southern 100 road races are due to take place on the 4.25-mile (6.8km) Billown Course between 6 and 9 July. The current schedule includes two sidecar races.

TT organisers took the decision to suspend the class from this year's event on the Mountain Course on Thursday after reviewing an incident involving Ryan and Callum Crowe.

That crash, at Crosby Leap, left the brothers both in need of hospital treatment.

It marked the second red flag in the sidecar class after a crash at Brandish the previous evening saw driver Maria Costello transferred to the UK for treatment while her passenger Shaun Parker was treated at the island's main hospital.

In a statement, the Southern 100 club said it would "consult closely" with the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) and the Manx government to "evaluate all available options".

That included assessing whether specific regulatory modifications could be implemented to "ensure the safe continued participation of the class" or whether further action was needed.

"The safety of competitors, spectators, marshals and officials remains the absolute priority," it continued.

"We appreciate the patience and understanding of the teams, competitors and fans during this period.

"A definitive update regarding the sidecar class at the 2026 Southern 100 will be issued in due course."

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