Isle of Man TT 2015: Race Schedule, Dates, Live Stream, TV Info and Prize Money
The greatest motorcycle event in the world kicks off on Saturday, as the 2015 edition of the Isle of Man TT gets under way for four days of racing on the world’s most dangerous circuit.
A festival of power, speed, nerve and skill, the TT Superbike race gets everything started on Saturday, with the prestigious Senior TT closing proceedings on Friday.
Michael Dunlop will be looking to repeat his successes of 2014, when he had four race victories, but a late change of team may affect his preparations.
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Here is a full schedule for each of the nine races, along with television and live streaming details and the prize money to be won.
| Date | Time (BST) | Race | Length | Prize Fund |
| June 6 | 11 a.m. | TT Superbike Race | 6 laps | £57,400 |
| June 6 | 2 p.m. | TT Sidecar Race 1 | 3 laps | £30,050 |
| June 8 | 10:45 a.m. | TT Supersport Race 1 | 4 laps | £29,050 |
| June 8 | 2 p.m. | TT Superstock | 4 laps | £22,700 |
| June 10 | 10:45 a.m. | TT Zero Challenge | 1 lap | n/a |
| June 10 | noon | TT Supersport Race 2 | 4 laps | £29,050 |
| June 10 | 2:15 p.m. | TT Sidecar Race 2 | 3 laps | £30,050 |
| June 12 | 10:15 a.m. | Lightweight TT Race | 3 laps | £17,400 |
| June 12 | 12:30 p.m. | Senior TT Race | 6 laps | £57,400 |
Highlights available for each race on ITV4 and ITV Player.
Dunlop Switches to BMW
Dunlop made a very late change on Thursday as he walked out on Milwaukee Yamaha to rejoin the Buildbase BMW team with whom he had great success last year.
The 26-year-old Northern Irishman's apparent lack of faith in Yamaha to carry him to victory this year clearly influenced the decision, with preparations having gone badly—especially after heavy rain caused practice sessions to be cancelled.
Dunlop apologised for leaving the team at this late stage, per the Independent's Jack de Menezes: "I am genuinely sorry to be making this decision. But unfortunately, I don't think we have got enough time left with the sessions that we have already lost at the TT to be truly competitive and get the bike to the level we need in order to win races here."
As TT journalist Marc Potter notes, it is a brutal move from Dunlop, whose desire to win in the Isle of Man is staggering:
That same desire saw him to victory in the Superbike TT, Superstock TT, Supersport TT 2 and Senior TT races last year—he has 11 career wins overall.
Englishman John McGuinness has the chance to equal Joey Dunlop’s all-time record on the mountain course in 2015.
Uncle to Michael, Dunlop's career record stands at 26 wins, a feat McGuinness can match only by winning all five main events this year—Superbike TT, Superstock TT, Supersport TT 1 and 2 and Senior TT. Only Ian Hutchinson has ever achieved as much, back in 2010.
The Isle of Man TT is one of the most dangerous sporting events in the world. The preview video for this year's event gives some indication as to the speed at which the riders travel, and the narrow roads that constitute the course:
Accidents are frequent, and tragically French rider Franck Petricola was killed on Wednesday during a qualifying run, per BBC Sport—a stark reminder of the dangers involved.
Petricola is the 141st fatality at the event, which is now in its 101st running year since its inception in 1907.
The speed and danger of the Isle of Man TT are part of what makes it such a thrilling event, with the skills involved to manoeuvre the course quite remarkable, but it is unfortunate that those aspects of the race have such a huge cost.
This year's event is sure to throw up as much exhilaration and excitement as ever as the racing begins on Saturday.
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