Last year’s inaugural TTXGP electric motorcycle race at the
Isle of Man sparked a trend. For 2010 the official electric road-racing docket grows from one exhibition race to 14 planned events, with multiple championships and two rival series.
Rob Barber took the inaugural TTXGP checkered flag for Team AGNI with an average speed of 87.434 mph.
The original TTXGP returns for 2010 with a new format and the more robust schedule. Headlining the list of changes are two separate championships for the UK and North America, with a season-ending finale in Albacete, Spain pitting the points leaders of each series head-to-head. All this new stuff is an addition to the original Isle of Man TTXGP exhibition, which returns in tandem with the famed IOM TT races in June.
Dual regional TTXGP championships in the UK and North America will host four races apiece. The UK series, sanctioned by the ACU (Auto-Cycle Union) and BMF (British Motorcyclists Federation), features at least one round (Snetterton) in conjunction with the British Superbike Series. The North American races will run in tandem with select rounds of the AMA Pro Road Racing (Infineon and VIR) and Canadian Superbike (Mosport) series. A fourth North American date and venue is yet to be determined.
The top six teams from each series will earn a spot in the Albacete finale to determine a final champion. The decision to split the series up probably has more to do with logistics, as teams, mainly comprised of enterprising start-up companies, can ill afford to gallivant back and forth across the Atlantic. TTXGP is pitching the split in an earth-friendlier context, stating on its website “No need to traipse around the world - just your local patch. Simple and sustainable...”
The Albacete finale is presented in partnership with the UEM (European Motorcycle Union). Notably the FIM is not involved, as after initial support of the TTXGP, the FIM instead broke off with its own electric racing series – e-Power (more on this below).
Yet another TTXGP-related race is slated for Levallois, Paris. The event will feature both electric cars and motorcycles, with the EMXGP (the four-wheeled equivalent to the TTXGP) presenting the exhibition in partnership with GP-Elec.
FIM e-Power
The FIM’s creation of the new e-Power International Championship came as a surprise, as the world sanctioning body supported the inaugural TTXGP efforts. Nonetheless, a November press release (which made zero mention of the TTXGP) announced the new series and its four-race 2010 Schedule, which will run in tandem with FIM Endurance races.
Details of the e-Power series are scant, but at least two teams, Mission Motors and the Italian-based CRP Racing, will not participate, having announced they will support the TTXGP series exclusively.
2010 TTXGP Schedule
TTXGP IOM TT
The Mission Motors team has picked sides in the TTXGP/FIM rivalry, choosing to race the TTXGP series exclusively
May 29 – June 11 Isle of Man
TTXGP UK Championship
July 3-4 Cadwell Park
July 17-18 Snetterton (British Superbike)
September 11 Castle Combe
October 2-3 Brands Hatch
TTXGP North America Championship
May 14-16 Infineon (AMA Pro Road Racing)
July 8-11 Mosport (Canadian Superbike)
August 13-15 Virginia International Raceway (AMA Pro Road Racing)
2010 FIM e-Power Schedule
April 18 Le Mans (Opening race of the Le Mans 24hours)
TBD Albacete (Opening race of the Albacete 8hours)
September 12 Nevers-Magny Cours (Opening race of the Bol d'Or)
November* 14 Doha (Opening race of the Doha 8 hours)
*To be confirmed
