Organisers of the 2014 Festival of Motorcycling have bowed to demand for more practice time ahead of the Classic TT races later this month.

There will be an extra two and half hours of closed-roads practice ahead of the first race, on Saturday 23 August.

The move has been promoted by the sheer number of competitors registered for the event, in its second year.

Motorsport chiefs say growing support for the four day celebration of motorcycle nostalgia shows its potential to boost the Island's economy.

A consultation by the Department of Economic Development concluded an extended practice session can be slotted in at the beginning of race day one.

Roads around the mountain course will close at 9.30am on 23 August instead of at noon, as last year.

That will allow the time needed for racers to put in the required laps ahead of the Bennetts 500cc Classic TT race that afternoon.

Crossing points around the course will open between 2.30 and 3.15pm.

The new look festival, offering a programme of classic racing, the Manx Grand Prix and other events has proved popular with motorsport fans.

A survey last year found visitor numbers had increased by 50 per cent to almost 13,500, compared to figures recorded at the MGP in 2009, when the last survey was carried out.


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