IOMCourseGuideP2A

DOUGLAS ROAD CORNER is a 3rd gear right hander followed by a very short straight, then a sweeping right hand turn.

This is one ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS CORNER TO 'CHUCK' A CAR AT AND THEN CATCH IN A NICE DRIFT

There is a nice little bit of 'hook' in the inside camber here, so I recommend going at it as fast as you dare but TURN IN VERY EARLY FROM A WIDE POSITION, wait for a bit of grip, then pour on the power and drift the car gradually left, effectively making this one long smooth curve.

As the bike riders find, THERE IS NO POINT IN SHOWING OFF OR BEING A HERO OVER THIS NOTORIOUS JUMP! Serious 'air' here just makes you slow on exit even if you can keep control. This jump is negotiated through a tight left/right bend so its doubly difficult.

If you go in too fast and/or stay on the power too much, the rear will probably jump higher than the nose and you will spin on landing.

If traffic allows, the quickest way through is to try to staighten out the kink by entering from the left quite slowly and on a trailing throttle. Take the jump, wait for the car to settle, straighten it up by turning right and then use the throttle for a clean exit through the villiage

Then a quick burst of acceleration again before progressive braking to a slow 2nd gear pace to prepare for the sharp turn and jump at BALLAUGH BRIDGE. LEAVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF ROOM TO SLOW DOWN AS YOU HAVE TO WASH OFF A LOT OF SPEED EVEN THOUGH THE ROAD LOOKS STRAIGHT AHEAD THE BALLAUGH TURNS ARE TUCKED AWAW OUT OF SIGHT!

Heading increasingly north east now, first there is a fast charge through the houses of KIRK MICHAEL turning gradually left. Get over to the left early if you can, because the tricky RHENCULLEN/BISHOP'S COURT section follows.

From BALLAUGH BRIDGE the direction is now almost due east until RAMSEY. Accelerate hard up to 5th through a left hand kink , take the jump at BALLACRY then brake to the LHS and change back to 4th as you approach the corners the bike riders love for their 'short circuit' characteristics, the QUARRY BENDS

QUARRY BENDS are a right/left/right/left/right 3rd/4th gear sequence that tightens very slightly. Get these right and it feels great. Miss one of the apexes, especially the first one on the right, or enter one corner too hot and you will mess up the flow.

The way to enjoy these corners is to go smoothly into each apex on a trailing throttle, get REALLY close to each apex , then use your throttle very briefly as you pass each one, then immediately get back out of it. Be patient as you transition between these corners but try the 'Jet Boat' technique of 'flick rotating' the rear out of the way of the apex at the last instant in order to stay as close as possible to them..

A clean fast exit from the QUARRY BENDS will pay dividends on the following SULBY STRAIGHT.where good passing opportunities exist right up to the next braking area. Accelerate hard up to 5th past the hotel and crossroads then get to the LHS of the road early before the last kink near the special SULBY BRIDGE 200 braking marker, to position yourself for the tricky braking area into SULBY BRIDGE.

At SULBY BRIDGE you find a 1st/2nd gear right hand corner approached through a gentle right hand curve then a short straight. It looks simple, but the problem here is that you need to wash off a lot of speed from being flat out in 5th, which means you need to start braking before the curve and continue braking through it. LEAVE YOUR BRAKING TOO LATE AND YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR, SPINNING CLOCKWISE. Try to straighten out this curve as much as possible, but if you are beside another car, brake earlier to maintain control because you will have less road width to work with and will consequently have to to turn the car more while braking and so use less pedal pressure.

If you brake early enough for SULBY BRIDGE, you will not overshoot the RHS apex and be able to take advantage of the unique large 'short circuit' inside curb here.

Exit by running to the LHS of the road but then move quickly to the RHS before the prominent pink/ochre coloured GINGER HALL HOTEL . Stay in 2nd then make an early entry to the next tight left with the iron railing, because this corner falls away and you will tend to drift wide of the apex.

RHENCULLEN is the first part of this, a double right over a jump and crest. Stay well right through both to set yourself up for the drop down through the following left and a fast approach to BISHOPS COURT where there is a slight jump under acceleration through a right hander that is easy to take flat out. The only trouble here is if you drift wide left after the jump at RHENCULLEN Then you will be all 'crossed up' and have to slow too much to stay on the road, just when you should be letting it into BISHOPS COURT

From BISHOP'S COURT accelerate into 5th out of the last right and on towards ALPINE COTTAGE, This is one of the fastest parts of the Course, ease your car from side to side under full throttle until backing off a bit and driopping back to 4th at the tightening right at ALPINE