Last year I saw raining heavly on the TT circuit. And I said to myself: "it's unbealiveable,in the past they raced in weather condition worse than those!". So my question is: which has been the wettest ever (and/or raced in the worst weather conditions) race on the TT course.

1932 Senior MGP race

1946 Senior MGP race

1959 Senior TT race (hailing!)

Which of them?

Sincerely,

Marco

Sounds like a challenge for the anoraks!

Yes! But also a challenge for the TT history experts!. It is very hard to find an objective criterium for to determine a race wetter than an other. (difference on the record lap time?)

Marco

1999 production TT was a bad one

Impossible to answer this, but the 1959 Senior was an absolute b*****d.

And then there was the 1978 Newcomers Manx, but that's personal experience!!!

Thank God they shortened it to a 3-lapper . . . . . . . .

Bill Snelling will remember that one!

1954--race shortened to............4 laps !!!!

There was mist on the Mountain that day by any chance, Larry??

First race I ever saw the F1 in 1977. Got into Douglas at 5 am, sat at the Creg in ****ing rain. "What am I doing here?" I thought. Luckily the weather changed and I've been going back ever since.
1987 Senior on a Saturday was a bad one, they cancelled the production, the first time a race was cancelled at the TT.
The 250 a few years back was a bad one as well.

1959 Senior
1972 Ultra-Lightweight 125
1977 Formula One
1987 Senior
1998 Lightweight 250
2000 Production

They were all pretty bad!!

Thick fog, Marco !!

2002, my friend Jim had never been to the TT, so he came across with me, on his bike. We were staying with friends and arrived about 6.30 am, so I suggested we do a lap of the course, and he could see it all when there was noone around.
When we got off the boat it was dull...by the time we got on the bike it was tipping it down, and by the time we got on the Mountain, you could see nothing,and we had water dripping out of our boots.
By the time we got to Douglas my hair, inside a full face helmet, was wet, and it took a couple of days for all our gear to dry out. How the blazes does Manx rain get in your helmet?
Needless to say, Jim was utterly in awe of everyone who has ever done a lap at racing speed!
For me, the worst ever, was 2003 second sidecar...not for the most rain, but because it was different all round the course, and it was on and off all the time...the ultimate dangerous combination...wet tyres...no good on dry...dry tyres..no use in the wet, and anyway, no time to change...that's when 37 3/4 miles seems like 1000. Brian Rostron, one of the "young bloods!!" at nearly 70, reckoned it was the most dangerous race he had ever competed in.
By the way, have a look at the lap speeds achieved....

But you and the other riders had the fog-lights well hidden on the racing machines, didn't you Larry??!!!

Jocking apart, it would be much interesting to look at a shot from the 1959 Senior TT. "I'm racing in the hailing! I'm racing in the hailing!" the TT riders sang!

Marco

Yes, it certainly was misty for the '78 Newcomers, I came up behind and passed a rider going down to Windy Corner; couldn't see or hear him, but I got the smell of unburnt two-stroke oil as I was riding with the visor up. It was Dave Ashton (500 Suzuki twin), the winner of the Senior Newcomers, riding slower down the white line than I was! It took him a micro second after we cleared the mist before he shot off out of sight!