A NEW exhibition which celebrates 100 years of the world famous TT Mountain Course will be launched next week.
Mountain Milestones will open at the House of Manannan visitor centre in Peel on Saturday, May 28, and will chart the story of the world’s oldest functioning motorcycle racing circuit.
The exhibition will examine what it means to race on the historic circuit, why riders from all over the world are drawn to ride here and why some high profile names have refused to take part.
Memorabilia from riders, first aiders and marshals will be on display alongside archive film footage and a number of machines.
A Humber motorcycle ridden by Percy Evans in the first ever race held on the mountain – the 1911 Junior TT – will be on display. Percy completed the course in a time of three hours 37 minutes.
This historic machine has been loaned to Manx National Heritage by the Sammy Miller Museum Trust.
Accompanying it will be the original trophy awarded to Evans in 1911 which has been loaned by the Oswestry Road Racing Museum.
Matthew Richardson, curator of the exhibition, said: “Manx National Heritage is enormously grateful to the Sammy Miller Museum and to the Oswestry Road Racing Museum for their support for this exhibition.
“It is really heartening to see the affection for the Isle of Man and its racing which exists in so many other museums and in so many parts of Britain.
“Having on display on the Island the machine which won the first ever race on the Mountain Circuit is a great way to mark the centenary.”
Other items on display will include the leathers worn by Beryl Swain - the first female solo competitor in 1962 – and leathers worn by world champion Jock Taylor.
The Yamaha OWO1 ridden by Carl Fogarty will be displayed. Some fans regard his race in the 1992 Senior as the greatest ever TT race after Fogarty battled with Steve Hislop for supremacy and set a lap record which stood for seven years.
Three wheeled heroes are not forgotten with a focus on George O’Dell the sidecar world champion in 1977 and the first sidecar driver to lap the mountain at 100 miles per hour that same year.
The machine which was burned out in side car ace Dave Molyneux’s dramatic 2006 crash will also be on view.
Also on show will be the 400cc Yamaha ridden by Carolynn Sells - the first woman ever to win a race on the mountain in the 2009 Manx Grand Prix.
The exhibition will also explore the histories of some of the landmark buildings around the course including the Creg ny Baa and Kate’s Cottage.
Mountain Milestones opens on Saturday, May 28, 2011 and will run until summer 2012 at the House of Manannan in Peel. It is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission to the exhibition is free.
