Formula TT 1978

The Formla-TT 1978 was the second event in the history of Formula TT and was announced by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme as the official world championship.

The winner of the respective race of the 60th Isle of Man TT in a class also became TT world champion in this category.

useful information

• The Formula TT was announced in 1978 in three classes.
  • In the TT-F1 class were four-stroke engine of 600 to 1000  cc displacement , and two-stroke engine allows cm³ with displacements of 350 to 500.
  • In the TT-F2 class, four-stroke engines from 400 to 600 cm³ and two-stroke engines from 250 to 350 cm³ were allowed.
  • In the TT-F3 class, four-stroke engines with a displacement of 200 to 400 cm³ and two-stroke engines with a displacement of 125 to 250 cm³ were allowed.
• For the last time in the history of Formula TT, the series consisted of only one race. From 1979 , the Isle of Man TT and the Ulster Grand Prix were part of the world championship.

TT-F1 class

The TT-F1 race saw the triumphant return of the then 13-time TT winner and nine-time world champion Mike Hailwood , who had actually already retired from racing and started again on the Isle of Man for the first time since 1967 .

Hailwood had the majority of the spectators on his side, but went into the race as an outsider on his 900cc Ducati . He went to the limit right from the start and was in the lead early on. His fastest lap, which was also the fastest TT lap in Hailwood's career, was achieved at an average speed of 109.87  mph (176.82  km / h ). During the course of the race, Mike Hailwood caught up with the strongly favored Honda- Britain driver Phil Read who had started before him and immediately overtook him. Read finally retired on the fifth lap with engine problems and Hailwood celebrated the 14th and final TT winner of his career to the cheers of the crowd.

( Snaefell Mountain Course ; 6 laps = 364.2 km, the first ten pilots evaluated)

1	Mike Hailwood	Ducati	2 h 5 min 10.2 s	108.51 mph
2	John Williams	Honda	+ 1 min 59.6 s	106.81
3	Ian Richards	Kawasaki	+ 2 min 57.4 s	106.01
4th	Helmut Dähne	Honda	+ 3 min 16.6 s	105.74
5	Alex George	triumph	+ 3 min 18.0 s	105.72
6th	Chas Mortimer	Suzuki	+ 5 min 40.2 s	103.81
7th	Malcolm Lucas	BSA	+ 6 min 50.2 s	102.89
8th	Kevin Wrettom	Kawasaki	+ 6 min 53.0 s	102.85
9	Denis Casement	Honda	+ 8 min 16.4 s	101.78
10	Ian Tomkinson	triumph	+ 9 min 06.4 s	101.15

TT-F2 class

In the TT-F2 race, the Honda driver Alan Jackson jr. defend the title he won last year.

( Snaefell Mountain Course ; 4 laps = 242.8 km, the first ten pilots evaluated)

1	Alan jackson jr.	Honda	1 h 31 min 08.6 s	99.35 mph
2	Dave Mason	Honda	+ 1 min 33.4 s	97.68
3	Neil Tuxworth	Honda	+ 2 min 58.2 s	96.21
4th	Ron Haslam	Honda	+ 3 min 51.2 s	95.32
5	Joey Dunlop	Benelli	+ 5 min 47.4 s	95.32
6th	Peter Davies	Laverda	+ 8 min 29.8 s	93.41
7th	John Kirkby	Honda	+ 10 min 15.4 s	90.87
8th	Thomas Williamson	Honda	+ 11 min 41.4 s	88.05
9	Denis Casement	Honda	+ 14 min 25.0 s	85.78
10	Dave Kerby	Honda	+ 15 min 52.4 s	84.61

TT-F3 class

In the TT-F3 class, Bill Smith won on a Honda , who had retired from the F2 race in the last lap while in the lead.

( Snaefell Mountain Course ; 4 laps = 242.8 km, the first ten pilots evaluated)

1	Bill Smith	Honda	1 h 35 min 50.8 s	94.47 mph
2	Derek Mortimer	Yamaha	+ 4 min 41.0 s	90.07
3	John Stephens	Honda	+ 4 min 51.0 s	89.92
4th	Mick Poxon	Honda	+ 6 min 31.2 s	88.45
5	Alan Cathcart	Harley-Davidson	+ 7 min 13.4 s	87.85
6th	Fred Launchbury	Maico	+ 8 min 22.8 s	86.88
7th	Ken Inwood	Yamaha	+ 8 min 47.6 s	86.53
8th	Jeff Middleton	Honda	+ 9 min 33.2 s	85.91
9	Dennis Trollope	Yamaha	+ 12 min 43.0 s	83.39
10	Bill Barker	Honda	+ 12 min 49.2 s	83.33

Web links

• Vincent Glon: FIM TT Formula Cup 1978. racingmemo.free.fr, accessed on July 13, 2010 (French). 
• Isle of Man TT 1978. www.iomtt.com, accessed July 13, 2010 .