View source for Billown Circuit

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Motorsport venue
|Name          = Billown Circuit 
|Time          = [[GMT]]
|Location      = [[Castletown, Isle of Man|Castletown]], [[Isle of Man]]
|Coordinates   = {{coord|54.08845|-4.66455|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|Image         = [[File:Billown Circuit.svg|250px]]
|Events        = [[Southern 100]], Pre-TT Classic Races, National Road Races, [[Ultra-Lightweight TT]], [[Lightweight TT]]
|Length_km     = 6.84
|Length_mi     = 4.25
|miles_first  = true
|Turns         = 14+
|Record_time   = 2:12.735 {{convert|115.267|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
|Record_driver = [[Michael Dunlop]]
|Record_team   = [[Suzuki]]
|Record_year   = (2017)
}}

The '''Billown Circuit''' is a motorcycle road-race course used for the [[Southern 100]], the Pre-TT Classic races and the National Road Races meetings near [[Castletown, Isle of Man|Castletown]] on the [[Isle of Man]]. Racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of [[Tynwald]], the parliament of the Isle of Man.

The course is 4.25 miles (6.8&nbsp;km) long and is in the parishes of [[Arbory (parish)|Arbory]] and [[Malew]]. The course start-line is on the outskirts of [[Castletown, Isle of Man|Castletown]] and the course includes parts of the primary [[A5 road (Isle of Man)|A5]] New Castletown Road, the [[A28 road (Isle of Man)|A28]] Castletown to Ballabeg road, the [[A7 road (Isle of Man)|A7]] Ballasalla to Port Erin road and the [[A3 road (Isle of Man)|A3]] Castletown to Ramsey road.

==History==
Following the closure of the former [[RAF]] Station at [[RAF Andreas|Andreas]] to motorcycle racing in 1954, and to celebrate the success of George 'Sparrow' Costain and Derek Ennett at the 1954 [[Manx Grand Prix]], the Southern Motor Cycle Club (SMCC) proposed that a motorcycle circuit be developed in the area around Castletown in the Isle of Man.<ref name="Jubilee Road Racing Meeting' pp33">''Southern 100 Silver Jubilee Road Racing Meeting'' pp33 SMCC Ltd (1979)</ref>

The proposal for a "South TT"<ref>''Isle of Man Examiner'' pp. 1, dated 14 January 1955</ref> using roads around the new Castletown A5 by-pass and the Billown Mansion met with a lukewarm response, and an application for a grant of £500 for race expenditure was rejected by the Tynwald Race Committee in April 1955.<ref>''Isle of Man Examiner'' p1 dated 22 April 1955</ref> A grant of £500 from local businesses, including T. H. Coleburn for a public address system, enabled the first Southern 100 road race event to be scheduled for July 1955 as a club-level race meeting.<ref>''Isle of Man Examiner'' p.1 dated 13 May 1955</ref>  

The Billown Circuit became a regional registered circuit in 1956 and a National Racing circuit in 1957, with a maximum of 45 entries per class.<ref name="Jubilee Road Racing Meeting' pp33" /> In 1988 a new race meeting was introduced with the Pre-TT Classic races, followed by the National Road Races in 1990. The re-introduction of two-stroke racing at the [[2008 Isle of Man TT]], with a [[Lightweight TT]] and [[Ultra-Lightweight TT]] race, used the Billown Circuit to host [[Isle of Man TT]] races as part of the 2008 National Road Race meeting.

==Speed and race records==
The lap record for the Billown Circuit is 2 minutes 12.735 seconds at an average speed of {{cvt|115.267|mph}} set by [[Michael Dunlop]] during the 2017 races.

==List of fatal accidents involving competitors==
{| class="wikitable"
! No.
! Rider
! Date
! Place
! Race
! Event
! Machine
|-
| 1
| {{flagicon|England}} Maurice A.Bowdery
| 10 July 1958<ref>''Isle of Man Weekly Times'' pp8 dated 11 July 1958</ref>
| Castletown Corner
| [[1958 Southern 100]]
| Junior
| 
|-
| 2
| {{flagicon|UK}} Tom Swindlehurst
| 9 July 1964
| 
| [[1964 Southern 100]]
| Senior
| 500cc Norton
|-
| 3
| {{flagicon|UK}} Graham Naylor
| July 1970
| Williams Corner
| [[1970 Southern 100]]
| Senior
|
|-
| 4
| {{flagicon|UK}} Mike Pepper
| July 1973
| Great Meadow
| [[1973 Southern 100]]
| 
| 
|-
| 5
| {{flagicon|Northern Ireland}} Jim Farlow.
| 9 July 1974
| Church Bends
| [[1974 Southern 100]]
| 
| 
|-
| 6
| {{flagicon |England}} Tony Dickinson
| 15 July 1981
| Billown Dip (Black hole)
| [[1981 Southern 100]]
| 250 Race
| 247 Yamaha (F)
|-
| 7
| {{flagicon|Wales}} Graham Williams
| July 1983
| Church Bends
| [[1983 Southern 100]]
|
|
|-
| 8
| {{flagicon|Scotland}} John Tawse
| July 1985
| Church Bends
| [[1985 Southern 100]]
| Practice
| 250cc Rotax
|-
| 9
| {{flagicon|UK}} Steve Taylor
| 10 July 1988
| Great Meadow
| [[1988 Southern 100]]
| Solo Championship
| 
|-
| 10
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} Andy Bassett
| July 1991
| Billown Dip
| [[1991 Southern 100]]
| Practice
| 350cc Yamaha
|-
| 11
| {{flagicon|UK}} Roger Allen
| 2 June 1992
| Ballakeighan Corner
| [[1992 Pre-TT Classic]]
| Vintage Classic Race
| 498cc Triumph<ref>''The 1992 Southern 100 TT Classic Solo & Sidecar Racing&nbsp;— Official Programme'' pp18 Southern 100 MCRC Ltd (1992) Quine & Cubbon Ltd</ref>
|-
| 12
| {{flagicon|UK}} Michael Bellerby
| 30 May 1995
| Ballanorris
| [[1995 Pre-TT Classic]]
| Senior Classic Race
| 
|-
| 13
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} Matthew Wood
| 30 May 1995
| Ballanorris
| [[1995 Pre-TT Classic]]
| Senior Classic Race
|
|-
| 14
| {{flagicon|UK}} Rob Harrison
| 18 July 1994
| Iron Gate
| [[1994 Southern 100]]
| 
| 
|-
| 15
| {{flagicon|UK}} Graham Hayne
| July 1996
| Great Meadow
| [[1996 Southern 100]]
| Practice
| 600cc Yamaha
|-
| 16
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} Michael Craig
| July 1996
| Great Meadow
| [[1996 Southern 100]]
| Practice
| 600cc Yamaha
|-
| 17
| {{flagicon|UK}} Dave Pinkerton
| July 1996
| Great Meadow
| [[1996 Southern 100]]
| Practice
| 350cc Yamaha
|-
| 18
| {{flagicon|UK}} Gavin Lee
| 13 July 1999
| Williams Corner
| [[1999 Southern 100]]
| 
| 250cc Yamaha<ref name="Motorcycle pp30">''Southern 100 Motorcycle & Sidecar Racing&nbsp;— Official Programme 1999'' pp30 Southern 100 MCRC Ltd (1999) Quine & Cubbon Ltd</ref>
|-
| 19
| {{flagicon|UK}} Marc McDonald
| 13 July 1999
| Williams Corner
| [[1999 Southern 100]]
| 
| 600cc Kawasaki<ref name="Motorcycle pp30"/>
|-
| 20
| {{flagicon|UK}} Andy Brown
| 9 July 2003
| Ballawhetstone
| [[2003 Southern 100]]
| 
| 600cc&nbsp;— Ireson Yamaha<ref name="Motorcycle pp6">''Southern 100 Motorcycle & Sidecar Racing&nbsp;— Official Programme 2003'' pp6 Southern 100 MCRC Ltd (2003) Quine & Cubbon Ltd</ref>
|-
| 21
| {{flagicon|UK}} John Dowling
| 9 July 2003
| Ballawhetstone
| [[2003 Southern 100]] <br>(Sidecar Passenger)
| 
| 600cc&nbsp;— Ireson Yamaha<ref name="Motorcycle pp6"/>
|-
| 22
| {{flagicon|UK}} Tony Smith
| 25 May 2006
| Iron Gate
| [[2006 Pre-TT Classic]]
| Practice
| 
|-
| 23
| {{flagicon|UK}} Barry Pepperrell
| 25 May 2006
| Iron Gate
| [[2006 Pre-TT Classic]] <br>(Sidecar Passenger)
| Practice
| 
|-
| 24
| {{flagicon|England}} Phillip Dongworth
| 14 July 2009<ref>''Isle of Man Examiner'' p5 dated 28 July 2009</ref>
| Ballanorris
| [[2009 Southern 100]]
| Practice
| 600cc Ireson Honda<ref>''Southern 100 Race Guide 2009'' p32 (2009) Southern 100 MCRC Ltd Quine & Cubbon Ltd</ref>
|-
| 25
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} David Jukes
| 8 July 2013
| Ballakeighan Corner
| [[2013 Southern 100]]
| Practice
| 600cc Yamaha
|-
| 26
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} Mark Madsen-Mygdal
| 11 July 2013<ref>''Isle of Man Courier – Roieder Ellan Vannin'' page 1 Isle of Man Newspapers Ltd (2013) Johnson Press Publishing – Sheffield Web 12 July 2013</ref>
| Castletown Stadium
| [[2013 Southern 100]]
| 600cc Race B
| 600cc Yamaha
|-
| 27
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} Paul Thomas
| 11 July 2013<ref>''Isle of Man Examiner – Brialtagh Ellan Vannin'' page 11 Isle of Man Newspapers Ltd (2013) Johnson Press Publishing – Sheffield Web 15–21 July 2013</ref>
| Osbourne's
| [[2013 Southern 100]] <br>(Sidecar Passenger)
| Sidecar Championship Race
| 600c Baker Yamaha<ref>''Southern 100 International Road Races 2013'' Southern 100 MCRC Ltd (2013) Quine & Cubbon Ltd Page 34</ref>
|-
| 28
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} Dean Martin
| 28 May 2016<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-36404621 Isle of Man Classic TT 2016: Rider dies in practice race] [[BBC|''BBC News, Isle of Man'']], 28 May 2016, Retrieved 29 May 2016 </ref>
| Billown Dip
| 2016 Pre-TT Classic 
|Practice
|-
| 29
| {{flagicon|England}} James Cowton
| 12 July 2018<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/sport/motorsport/44815725 Southern 100: James Cowton killed in crash] [[BBC|''BBC Sport, Motorbikes'']], 12 July 2018, Retrieved 13 July 2018 </ref>
| Stadium Bends
| 2018 Southern 100 
|600cc Challenge Race
|600cc Kawasaki
|-
|30
| {{flagicon|Ireland}} Alan Connor
| 11 July 2023
| Castletown Bypass
| 2023 Southern 100
| Practice
| Suzuki
|}

==List of riders by overall numbers of races won==
{| class="wikitable"
! width=500pt|Rider !! Wins
|-
| [[Joey Dunlop]], [[Ian Lougher]]
| 42
|-
| Jason Griffiths, Chris Palmer
| 22
|-
| [[Ryan Farquhar]]
| 21
|-
| Dave Madsen-Mygdal
|19
|-
| Kenny Harrison
| 18 
|-
| Dave Leech
| 17
|-
| Bob Heath, [[Dave Molyneux]]
| 15
|-
| [[William Dunlop (motorcycle racer)|William Dunlop]], [[Bill Swallow]]
| 14
|-
| [[Bill Smith (motorcyclist)|Bill Smith]]
| 13
|-
| Lowry Burton, Bob Jackson, Jason Griffiths
| 12
|-
| Derek Walley
| 11
|-
| Barry Wood, [[Robert Dunlop]]
| 10
|-
| Geoff Bell, Ray McCullough
| 9
|-
| Mike Hose, Bud Jackson, [[Guy Martin]]
| 8
|-
| Ian Bell, [[Nick Crowe (sidecar racer)|Nick Crowe]], Selwyn Griffiths, [[Darran Lindsay]]
| 7
|-
| Charlie Freeman, Bob Jackson, [[Phillip McCallen]], Alan Oversby, Tim Poole
| 6
|-
| Colin Bevan, Blair Degerholm, John Knowles, Dave Pither, Roy Richardson, Meryvn Stratford, Alan Steele, Charlie Williams, Derek Young, John Watson
| 5
|-
| Ian Bell, Tony Baker, Mick Burcombe, Bill Davie, Geoff Hands, Alan Oversby
| 4
|-
| [[Michael Dunlop]]
| 3
|-
| Bill Currie,(Pete & Ron Hardy) Kenny Howles, [[Klaus Klaffenböck]], Greg Lambert, Dan Sayle, Geoff Young, Rob Bellas
| 2
|}

==See also==
*[[Isle of Man TT Races]]
*[[Manx Grand Prix]]
*[[Clypse Course]]
*[[St. John's Short Course]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Isle of Man Racing Circuits}}
{{Southern 100 Race Results}}

[[Category:Motorsport venues in the Isle of Man]]