Organisers of the iconic Ramsey Sprint have confirmed the cancellation of the 2025 event, citing financial challenges and changes to the Isle of Man TT race schedule as key factors.

Held annually along Mooragh Promenade during the Isle of Man TT Festival, the Ramsey Sprint is a longstanding favourite for visitors, attracting bikers from around the world to compete in the eighth-of-a-mile drag sprint.

Earlier this week, Ramsey Town Commissioners (RTC) told Isle of Man Today they are aware of the cancellation but clarified that the event is organised by UK-based Straightliners Events, specialists in drag racing and motorsport across Europe, and not themselves.

Straightliners said the new TT race programme has impacted all satellite events during the festival, making it ‘almost impossible’ to secure traders and catering units.

A statement, sent to Isle of Man Today, explained: ‘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’.

It added that heavily investing in events elsewhere, it leaves the company with ‘not enough capital’ to get their insurance and permits in place for their 2025 events.

Trevor Duckworth, head of Straightliners, described the decision as ‘heartbreaking’.

In a full statement, he said: ‘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 programme 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 February.’

Mr Duckworth expressed gratitude to the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) for past financial support and to the RTC for assistance with event infrastructure, adding: ‘We hope to be back in 2026 with the Ramsey Sprint as a free-to-watch and free-to-enter event. We are actively seeking sponsors to make this happen.’

While fans will miss the Sprint this year, there is still reason to celebrate in Ramsey.

The popular Sprintfest music festival, organised by the RTC, will go ahead from Friday, May 30 to Monday, June 2, offering four nights of live entertainment in Market Square during the TT Festival.