Manx GP Live
For the first time, fans around the world will be able to enjoy comprehensive coverage of the Manx Grand Prix live and free thanks to a brand new online service.
The Isle of Man Government has enlisted Manx firm Duke Marketing, the company behind the hugely successful official Isle of Man TT website, to provide MGP Live!, which will deliver live commentary and live timing on the internet throughout the fortnight-long event.
Using the same tried and tested foundation as TT Live, which has been running annually since 2007, MGP Live will allow fans to see sector times and speeds from data collection points around the course as soon as the timing beams are broken, so they can follow the practice and race action as it happens.
As any one who has used TT Live will know, the live online coverage adds a new element to following the action, allowing you to see how fast laps are put together, and where and when races are won and lost.
The service is free, no registration is required and fans will be able to access MGP Live by simply clicking the link on the front page of the brand new website, mgpfestival.com.
As with TT Live, people with iPhones and iPads will be able to follow the timings live and the service will be available to some other mobile data services supported on other PDAs, including some models of the Blackberry.
In 2010 the Manx Grand Prix, which sees modern and classic motorcycles racing around the same 37.73-mile Mountain Circuit which has hosted the TT since 1911, is part of a brand new MGP Festival.
The Festival includes the Two Day Trial, Manx Classic Trial and Vintage Motor Cycle Club Manx Rally – so there will be a feast of two-wheel action and entertainment to enjoy from August 21 to September 5.
The new website features information about the festival and all of the individual events, as well as regular news updates.
It is hoped the addition of MGP Live will not only enhance the MGP experience for existing fans, but will also bring new enthusiasts into the fold.
Certainly, TT Live has enjoyed year-on-year growth and in just 14 days during the 2010 TT attracted 115,739 visits, with more than 32,399 people making use of the service during the Senior TT alone.
Peter Duke (Duke Managing Director) says: "Duke is a long-time supporter of the Manx Grand Prix, and we believe we have helped bring new fans to this exceptional racing festival with the VHS and DVD reviews we have produced in the past."
"I firmly believe the availability of live timing from the course as it happens will make following the race action even more exciting for existing fans, as well as attracting many new fans. Watching the laps unfold, and seeing which riders are on record-breaking pace while they are still miles from the Grandstand makes an already thrilling event even more electrifying."
"We are especially pleased to have been entrusted with creation of the new website and to be bringing the benefits of modern technology to this great event."
