Tourist Trophy
The first TT was organised on the British island of the Isle of Man in 1907. This contest was raced by tourists, which is why it was given the name ‘Tourist Trophy’. The race was a success and became extremely popular, with the TT name soon being heard all across Europe.
THORN IN THE SIDE
The double T designation was then used both with and without permission for races held all over Europe. This was a thorn in the side of the British, who resolutely decided that the name TT could no longer be used by anyone else. So, all the other races had to change their name - apart from Assen. The official TT status that the Assen circuit was granted in 1925 means that our circuit is the only one to be give official permission to use the TT name ‘in perpetuity’.
The Cathedral of Speed
Right from the start, the TT Assen was a real ‘Tourist Trophy’. Hundreds of thousands of motorbike fans rocked up at Assen on their motorbikes, armed only with a little tent on the back, to spend a week with the like-minded. Not for nothing has Assen gained the nickname ‘The Cathedral of Speed’. In fact, Assen is the only circuit to be a constant fixture on the WC racing calendar since the latter was launched in 1949.