The TT’s Clerk of the Course has insisted the suspension of the Sidecar class for the remainder of this year’s festival ‘is not the end’ for the three-wheelers at the event.

Speaking to Radio TT on Friday morning following a whirlwind 24 hours, Gary Thompson said organisers will now begin a consultation process with teams and technical officials aimed at making the class safer ahead of 2027.

It follows the decision to halt all Sidecar racing activity for the remainder of this year’s TT after Wednesday evening’s red flag incident involving defending champions Ryan and Callum Crowe at Crosby Leap.

The move has prompted mixed reaction across the paddock and among fans, with some backing the decision on safety grounds while others have criticised it.

A petition calling on organisers to reconsider has already attracted more than 1,000 signatures overnight.

However, Mr Thompson stressed the decision was not made solely because of Wednesday’s incident.

He told Radio TT: ‘There was obviously concerns after Wednesday night’s incident at Rock Farm (Crosby), and I need to stress that wasn’t the actual reason to suspend Sidecar activity for this year.

‘There’s been a number of incidents over the last few years. Obviously, we had a similar incident last year at Rhencullen and it’s kind of all to do with the aerodynamics – the aerofoils.

‘Years ago, race organisers perhaps reacted following an incident and it became reactive, whereas now we try to be proactive.

‘As part of the safety management system and safety review, we try where we can to mitigate the risks.

‘What happens with a Sidecar flipping over at that location, or anywhere on the course, is there is always potential for injury to spectators, competitors, other competitors and officials.’

Mr Thompson said organisers had already attempted to reduce risks for 2026 through the introduction of new restrictor plate regulations aimed at reducing power and top speeds.

He said: ‘We tried it this year with the restrictor plates. That’s worked in part, but obviously not enough given what happened on Wednesday night.

‘The teams will always try to maximise what they’ve got, so you’ve restricted the power a little bit and then aerodynamics become a much bigger feature of what they’ve tried to do.’

He admitted organisers are still learning about the impact of the technical changes introduced this year.

‘You can’t test on the TT course,’ he said.

‘You can test elsewhere for the TT course, but when you get here, that’s it – you get out on the course and you’ve got what you’ve got.’

Mr Thompson confirmed the decision to suspend the class was made solely by organisers following internal discussions and safety reviews.

‘From a safety point of view, it was purely an organiser’s decision,’ he said.

‘Ultimately it comes down to me, but there are a team of us who get together, discuss it and review it.’

He added that while he understood the frustration within the Sidecar community, organisers had to ‘err on the side of caution’.

‘I know that’s tremendously disappointing for the Sidecar class. It’s disappointing for everybody,’ he said.

‘But I think had Wednesday night turned out different, there’d be far more questions than there are now.’

Despite fears among some fans that the decision could spell the end of Sidecars at the TT, Mr Thompson insisted that is not the case.

‘I can’t stress enough – people on social media are saying that’s it, Sidecars are finished. That’s not the case,’ he said.

‘All we’re saying is that’s it for 2026. We will review, assess, consult and reset, and see where we are for 2027.’

Mr Thompson said organisers will now work closely with teams, technical officials and Sidecar liaison officers including TT legend Dave Molyneux as part of a full review over the coming weeks.

‘Sidecars are a big part of the TT and we’ll do what we can to preserve that, stabilise it and move forward,’ he added.