Motorcycle Grand Prix goes green

The world's first clean emission Grand Prix is set to take place on the Isle of Man in June next year.

The TTxGP will test the mettle of a range of green technologies around the famous 101-year-old Isle of Man TT circuit.

"The Isle of Man has a great tradition in both racing and technological innovation," said John Shimmin, Minister for the Environment on the Isle of Man.

"Combining the world's greatest road racing circuit with state-of-the-art clean emission technologies brings yet another fantastic first for our small but proud nation."

The new race was announced at a recent event held at the Science Museum in London.

"We're about to make history as well as enrich the Isle of Man's racing pedigree," said Azhar Hussain, founder of the TTxGP.

"Although this is a radical departure from conventional racing, the TTxGP is a standalone race and a concept that encapsulates the spirit of the traditional Isle of Man TT."

Racing teams are expected to come from a variety of places including international corporations, universities and high tech institutions.

The race will be broken down into two classes, a professional class and an 'open' class for innovative cottage teams who are interested in experimenting with alternative energy sources. These teams will be required to build their vehicle to a set budget using off-the-shelf power sources only.

Hussain hopes the event will be a success and help drive further innovation in cleaner running vehicles.

"Many of today's innovations we see in cars, such as ABS, were originally designed for the racing world and then adapted for use in a commercial environment," he told vnunet.com

"The TTxGP could spark the same phenomenon, helping bring greener vehicles on to the roads."