September 14, 1904: Birth Of The Craziest Road Race Ever

By Gerard @presurfer
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The first running of the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy was on September 14, 1904, the oldest and craziest road race in the world. Today, we think of the Tourist Trophy race as one of the most insane sporting events on the globe. It's a motorcycle race that takes place on the Isle of Man, a 221 square mile rock between England and Ireland.
Motorcycles of all shapes, sizes and configurations race over a 37-mile course made up of everyday public roads at speeds that most people would consider crazy at best, and suicidal if they were trying to be accurate. The course is laid out on normal roads that are narrow, tight, twisty and in various sections, lined with fence posts, rock walls, stone building, gas stations and the like.