The Manx Grand Prix will head into 2026 with a new media partnership after the Manx Motor Cycle Club announced a deal with Carole Nash ahead of this summer’s event.
While the partnership is aimed at expanding coverage and digital engagement around the meeting, it also reflects the continued growth of an event that has played a central role in motorcycle road racing for more than a century.
First held in 1923, the Manx Grand Prix was originally created for amateur racers and quickly developed a reputation as one of the toughest and most respected meetings in all of motorcycle racing. Run on the same 37.73-mile Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT, the event has traditionally been viewed as a stepping stone for riders looking to progress to the TT.
Although the two meetings share the same famous course, the Manx Grand Prix has long had a different identity. Where the TT is regarded as the pinnacle of professional road racing, attracting factory-backed teams and many of the sport’s biggest names, the Manx Grand Prix has historically focused on privateers, newcomers and developing talent, with a number of riders from outside the British Isles getting their first taste of the TT course at ‘The Manx’.
For generations of riders, it has provided the first opportunity to race competitively on the Mountain Course before making the leap to the TT – while amateurs relish it for providing an opportunity to take on the sport’s most iconic racetrack.
The leading names from 2025’s Manx, among them Caomhan Canny, Jamie Williams and Lewis Arrowsmith, are graduating to the main TT this year, underlining the event’s importance to the road racing ecosystem. Each year the Manx Grand Prix continues to modernise and expand its audience through live coverage, social media and increased international attention, and the new agreement with Carole Nash is expected to focus heavily on media output and storytelling around the event, helping to broaden the reach of the races and the riders competing in them through the motorcycle insurance specialist’s wide reaching channels.
Carole Nash has been involved in motorcycle sport for decades and remains one of the best-known names in UK biking, with long-standing links to racing and rider support across Britain and Ireland.
Daniel Nield, Associate Director at Carole Nash, commented: “The Manx Grand Prix holds a unique place in the world of motorcycle sport, and we’re proud to join the Manx Motor Cycle Club as media partner for 2026, supporting an event that continues to inspire riders and fans across generations. The partnership reflects our continued commitment to the racing community, and we look forward to helping bring the stories, passion and excitement of the 2026 event to an even wider audience.”
John McBride, Chairman of the Manx Motor Cycle Club, said the partnership would help continue the event’s growing online presence. He added: “We’re delighted to welcome Carole Nash as a media partner of the Manx Grand Prix. Carole Nash is one of the most recognised and respected names in motorcycle insurance, and having a company of their stature supporting the event is extremely positive for the future of the Manx Grand Prix.
Their support will help us further develop the Manx Grand Prix’s growing media presence across our social and digital platforms, ensuring the event continues to reach an ever wider audience of road racing fans.”
The 2026 Manx Grand Prix is expected to continue the event’s blend of experienced privateers, newcomers and future TT contenders, maintaining its long-standing place as one of the defining proving grounds in motorcycle road racing.
