The Mannin Moar was a non-championship
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
held in
Douglas, Isle of Man
Douglas ( gv, Doolish, ) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021). It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of . The River Douglas forms part of the town's harbour ...
,
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
in
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
,
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a max ...
and
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart bec ...
. The most successful driver was
Brian Lewis, having won all three races.
Background
Rules and restrictions
When the
R.A.C. wanted to organise a race on a street circuit, because of the popular
Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigiou ...
, they found that it was illegal to close public roads for racing in the British mainland. However, the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = " O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europ ...
had its own laws, so a
racing circuit
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...
was designed on the streets of
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
* Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
* Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...
. Two races were organised,
Mannin Beg (''English: Small Man'') for non-
supercharged voiturette
A voiturette is a miniature automobile.
History
''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so popular in the early years of the motor industry that it was used by many makers t ...
s with engines smaller than 1500
cc on 12 July 1933 and Mannin Moar (''English: Great Man'') for cars with engines over 1500cc and supercharged voiturettes on 14 July 1933.
Riding mechanics were mandatory for all cars. This was possibly the last time this rule was used in
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition, has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as early as 1894. It quickly evolved from simple road races from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car a ...
. The purpose of this rule was that the mechanics could signal to the flag marshals that their drivers wanted to pass a car in front, so that the marshals could flag that car to get out of the way. On behalf of the drivers,
Earl Howe
Earl Howe is a title that has been created twice in British history, for members of the Howe and Curzon-Howe family respectively.
The first creation, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was in 1788 for Richard Howe, but became extinct on hi ...
wrote a letter to ''
The Motor
''The Motor'' (later, just ''Motor'') was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903 and published by Temple Press. It was initially launched as ''Motorcycling and Motoring'' in 1902 before the title was shortened. From the 14 ...
'' complaining that the rules were considered an embarrassment and would turn races from international events into second rate affairs. The R.A.C. however stuck to their ideas. As said, after this race the rule that mandated mechanics was never again applied.
Track
The
Douglas street circuit of the 1933 race was 7.4 km (4.6 mi) long. The 1934 course had been shortened to 5.889 km (3.659 mi) and the 1935 course was altered to a length of 6.494 km (4.035 mi). The start line of the original track was near the Villa Marina on the Douglas Promenade. The first series of corners included Greensills Corner, a sharp right hander that led onto Church Road, followed by an equally sharp left hander that led into Finch Road. Then the course turned right around the
House of Keys
The House of Keys () is the directly elected lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative Council.
History
The oldest known reference to the name is in a document of 1417, written in ...
onto a fast section over Prospect Hill, Bucks Road and Laurieston Road. Next, six sharp bends followed a zigzag pattern over Ballaquale Road, St. Ninians Road, Dukes Road and Falcon Ter before ending up on Victoria Road that led to
Governor's Bridge in a fast left hander. A right hand turn onto Governor's Road and
Onchan
Onchan (; glv, Kione Droghad) is a village in the parish of Onchan on the Isle of Man. It is at the north end of Douglas Bay. Administratively a district, it has the second largest population of settlements on the island, after Douglas, with w ...
was the most Northern corner of the circuit. From there the course followed a fast steep downwards section on Summer Hill Road between a wall on one side and houses on the other before coming back onto the promenade and ending up via Castle Mona Road at Villa Marina.
The
Douglas circuit
The Douglas Circuit was a motor racing street circuit in Douglas, the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man and was re-configured each year until 1937. The first Grand Prix, titled "Mannin Beg & Mannin Moar" (''English: Small Man & Big ...
had a faster average speed than
Circuit de Monaco
Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the Principality of Monaco. It is commonly, and even officially, referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside ...
, namely 105 km/h (65 mph), compared to Monaco's 96 km/h (60 mph).
Results
Douglas Circuits 1933-1935
References
{{Reflist
External links
Triple M Register, The R.A.C. Mannin 19341933 Mannin-Beg Car Race1935 Mannin Moar Trophy
Pre-World Championship Grands Prix
Motorsport in the Isle of Man