The popular Ramsey Sprint will not be taking place during the 2025 Isle of Man TT Festival.

Ramsey Town Commissioners (RTC) told Isle of Man Today that while they are aware of the cancellation, the event is not run by them but by UK-based Straightliners Event, specialists in drag racing and motorsport events across Europe.

The Ramsey Sprint, a drag sprint covering an eighth of a mile along Ramsey’s Mooragh Promenade, is a longstanding favourite among many visitors to the annual Isle of Man TT races.

Traditionally, bikers from around the world take part in the event as part of the TT celebrations.

Lamara Craine, a Ramsey commissioner, addressed online speculation that RTC had prior knowledge of the cancellation.

In a statement online, she said: ‘Just to clarify, we absolutely were not told in 2024 that The Ramsey Sprint was going to be cancelled.

‘Also, RTC does not charge pitches for The Ramsey Sprint.

‘Straightliners is the company that runs the Sprint, not the Commissioners, and they charge [for] pitches.

‘I negotiated with them last year and they dropped the prices dramatically at my request.

‘Still, they didn’t really advertise the pitches, the price or anything. I even offered to do their social media work for them, but they never got in touch or gave me access to do so.

‘Maybe it’s time for something new.’

While disappointed fans will miss out on the Sprint, there is still reason to celebrate in Ramsey as Sprintfest will be going ahead.

Organised by the RTC, the popular music festival runs from Friday May 30 to Monday June 2 this year, offering four nights of live entertainment in Market Square during the TT Festival.

A spokesperson for the Commissioners said: ‘As with previous years, we will be requesting some road closures and a suspension of parking to allow us to stage the event safely.

‘We are undertaking a consultation to get feedback from business owners, residents and visitors regarding these closures.’

The public can provide feedback through an online consultation. Details can be found at: forms.gle/5ZcWDYEotY78iDLWA.

Straightliners have been offered the opportunity to comment.