2025 Ramsey Sprint cancelled

Organisers say event 'has become more difficult each year to stage'

This year's Ramsey Sprint event has been cancelled, its organisers have confirmed.

In a statement, Straightliners says the event 'has become more difficult each year to stage', citing ferry costs and finding traders as some of the challenges.

It's hoped the festival will return next year with a free-to-watch and free-to-enter event, with officials 'actively seeking sponsors to make this happen.'

Head of Straightliners, Trevor Duckworth says it's 'heartbreaking' to make this decision but believes there's still a future for the event if certain things come together:

The organisation says whilst there was enough capital available to cover insurance and permits for its 2025 events, there was not enough to pay a £7,800 ferry bill to get the team to the Island by the end of this month.

Furthermore, it adds with the current TT schedule they find getting traders and catering units 'almost impossible'.

In 2020, Straightliners took out a ten-year lease on Melbourne Raceway near York - a then-derelict drag racing track which the organisation says it's 'invested heavily' in.

Straightliners is thanking the Department of Infrastructure and Ramsey Town Commissioners for their help in staging the racing.

You can read the full Straightliners statement below:

"After many weeks of soul searching, Straightliners have had to make the decision not to run the Ramsey Sprint in 2025. 

"Some of our crews have been involved with the event since its resurrection in 1978 and we have been involved with the event from that time. It truly is an iconic event on the calendar each year, but it has become more difficult each year to stage. With the new TT race program impacting all the satellite events during the TT we now find that getting traders and catering units is almost impossible, with the remaining catering units left after covid preferring to go trackside for the fortnight’s racing with racing most days.

"In 2020 Straightliners took out a 10-year lease on Melbourne Raceway near York. This was a derelict Drag Racing Track, and we have invested heavily in this venture along with public funding. During this winter we have bought new state-of-the-art timing gear from America and a new 100 kva Generator. 

"This has left us with enough capital to get our insurance and permits in place for our 2025 events but sadly not enough to pay the £7,800 ferry bill to get the team to the island payable by the end of Feb. We would like to thank the DOI for their help with funding in the past and the Ramsey Commissioners for their help with the event infrastructure without this help the event could not take place.

"We hope to be Back in 2026 with the Ramsey sprint at the TT with a free-to-watch and free-to-enter event and we are actively seeking sponsors to make this happen."