Preparations are already well under way for the three road race meetings scheduled to take place on the Colas-sponsored Billown Course this year.

The Blackford Financial Services Pre-TT Classic will open up the TT festival on May 24 and 25, with the bulk of the meeting’s races on the Bank Holiday Monday, May 27.

Book-ending the festival, two weeks of near non-stop action will close on Saturday, June 8 with the Colas Post-TT meeting on the same course.

One month later, the 64th anniversary Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Southern 100 International meeting will take place between July 8-11.

Speaking at Friday evening’s joint launch of the three events, Minister for Enterprise Laurence Skelly MHK emphasised the importance of the Billown meetings to the island’s economy.

’With visitor numbers growing for the Southern 100, along with the global audience courtesy of various forms of media, including the Greenlight TV coverage, that event and associated meetings are vital to the Isle of Man and the south of the island in particular.’

Numerous event and race sponsors were introduced, along with a number of regular competitors - notably sidecar champion Tim Reeves, former champions John Holden and Lee Cain, leading solo riders Jamie Coward, Mikey Evans, Ben Rea, Sam West and fellow double MGP winner Andy Farrell (who is making his Billown debut this year), plus Michael Jackson, the fastest newcomer in the 2018 Sidecar TT.

Reeves’s passenger Mark Wilkes was unable to attend the weekend as he was in New Zealand, while S100 solo champion Dean Harrison was en route back from pre-season testing in Spain. He was in attendance at the following evening’s dinner.

Brian Reid, the first man to lap Billown at 100mph, was also at Saturday’s dinner.

There was a poignant moment at the dinner when Chloe Black received an award on behalf of her late partner James Cowton.

One month earlier, at Irish Road Racing’s annual awards ceremony in Belfast, the Race of the Year was announced as the Supertwin event at the 2018 North West 200.

A thrilling spectacle was won by Yorkshireman James, who, less than two months later, died in a four-bike crash exiting Stadium Corner at the Southern 100.

The impressive Duleek vase was presented to local woman Sam Morton on behalf of the Cowton family in Belfast, and she handed the trophy on to Chloe on Saturday evening to a standing ovation.

Later in the evening Japanese company CSA, who presented all the 2018 Southern 100 race winners with special medallions, made a special ’Brave Heart’ presentation to Chloe Black, injured Classic TT rider Dan Sayle, along with travelling marshals Tony Duncan and Paul Corrin.

An emotional, Chloe said: ’I wish to thank the Southern 100 club for their kindness and understanding, Wyn Evans [the Southern 100 riders’ welfare officer] and Sammy Morton.

’I’m sure that James is looking down on us right now and wishing all his fellow riders the best for the coming season.’