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IOMTT: Monday’s Superbike race

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Posted on Jun 4, 2019 by The Isle of Man TT

It wouldn’t be TT 2019 if we didn’t have a twenty-minute delay due to a non-racing medical emergency and awkward spectators would it?

It was the Superbike race up first. This was scheduled to run on Saturday along with the Sidecar Race 1, however, as we are all aware, the weather didn’t exactly play ball last week. Due to this, the Clerk of the Course shortened the Superbike race from six laps to four. Many people will say ‘it’s not a proper Superbike race unless it’s over six laps’… I completely agree, but considering on the Sunday there were question marks over whether we would see any racing at all, I’ll take the four-laps thanks! Of course, as if we weren’t already short on time, we had a twenty-minute delay. A non-racing medical emergency, which of course can’t be helped, but what can be helped is spectators not being bloody awkward! I know a marshal who managed to survive the ‘axe-murderer of Laurel Bank’ a couple of days ago (you think I’m joking, I’m not…) and now they’re having to deal with more spectator-led issues. It really isn’t on. Can you all just behave yourselves and watch the racing like civilised humans rather than pack animals?!

Anyway, the race finally got underway at 11:05 with weather conditions reported as good all around the Mountain Course with the exception of possibly the mountain itself where winds were gusting up to 25-30mph. Head, tail, cross-winds – none of which make for pleasant racing up top, but I suppose that’s why we have ‘Windy Corner’. It didn’t seem to dissuade any of the racers as they all seemed to get off to a cracking start. Harrison led at Glen Helen on the opening lap, one of the fan favourites, and Hickman slotted into second just 1.1s back. As the Isle of Man TT is a time trial, it’s hard to imagine what 1.1s looks like around here. It’s something you never see. I still find it hard to comprehend that if number 10 catches up number 9 on the road, number 10 is 10-seconds faster than number 9 already even though it doesn’t appear that way as they flash by you. I know a lot of people may be used to the Irish road races where they’re set off in waves, but essentially the majority set off together. Not here. Each racer gets the tap on the shoulder every 10-seconds, therefore it can be quite difficult to distinguish correct positions until the quickest person has gone through the timing beams. This is a major pain in the bum with Hickman being #10…

James Hillier slotted into third at Glen Helen whilst Conor Cummins placed fourth only a tenth of a second behind Hillier. Okay, a tenth of a second could cost you a place on the podium if you’re at the end of a race, but it’s such a minute difference on lap 1! The two Michaels, Dunlop and Rutter, rounded out the top six. John McGuinness, Lee Johnston and Ian Hutchinson didn’t get off to a great start as they placed in 14th, 15th and 16th respectively, but the excitement was building at the front as Harrison was still fending off Hickman whilst Cummins moved up to third ahead of Hillier at Ballaugh. I think the Ballaugh to Ramsey section is one of the most technical parts of the course. After Ballaugh bridge you have to negotiate Ballacrye jump, the S bends by the wildlife park (Quarry Bends as it’s commonly known) and before you know it the throttle is pinned down (up? Manx for you..!) Sulby straight. Next, you’re braking hard to get yourself round the right-hander that is Sulby bridge and throwing it back over to the left to power on round past Ginger Hall. By the way, the Ginger Hall does amazing food and the TT course is on the ceiling in the bar section, so when you’ve finally had too much to drink you can have a rest and make your own TT race up in your head. Happy days! From the Ginger Hall you’re onto the bumpy, bendy bits. However, I presume, or you would hope, the suspension on these superbikes might help them to glide over the bumps a little bit better than your usual road bike especially at those kinds of speeds. It’s a bit of a blur round there!

… and then you see the ‘Welcome to Ramsey’ sign, through Milntown, past Ramsey Grammar School and brake brake brake throw it right for Parliament Square, throw it left and you’re on the way to the Hairpin. Harrison led by 1.4s, Cummins was only 3.8s back on Hickman, but around 8s clear of Hillier. They were starting the Mountain climb, round the gooseneck and off to battle those winds. A lot of riders compare the Mountain section to short-circuit racing which I understand, but you could so easily get lost as to which corner you’re at, what’s coming up next, etc. There’s even some tramlines to contend with and they’re not the best of things to deal with on open roads let alone on a superbike. Round windy corner, which I believe was very windy, and you’re heading for Kate’s cottage and then the pub – the Creg-ny-Baa. Great food too! From there, although I know some have run out of fuel between the Creg and the Grandstand, is pretty much the home straight with a few bends, dips and kinks. The end is very quickly in sight… the speeds they come round Hillberry probably helps with the ‘quick’ bit!

Harrion’s opening lap of 132.48mph gave him a slight lead over Hickman who remained second. Cummins retained third, but Hickman had pulled the pin and the gap to second was now 4.8s. The top three were the only three riders to lap at over 130mph. At the end of lap 1 McGuinness pulled into the pits and got off his Norton Superbike. He was forced to retire due to an oil pressure issue. Derek McGee was also a retirement. The rest of them were starting lap 2 and Harrison had made his way to Glen Helen before anyone had time to blink. There was, however, no change with Hickman still second and Cummins third, Hillier fourth. The only change near the front was Rutter had moved up to fifth pushing Dunlop down to sixth. Harrison put the hammer down between Glen Helen and Ballaugh to increase his lead to 4.8s, but Hickman retaliated over the Mountain to reduce that gap to 0.045s and Cummins re-gained the lead on the road ahead of Harrison. It was all still to play for as at the end of lap two it was time for a pit-stop.

At the end of lap two Hickman had finally overhauled Harrison and now had a 1.7s lead. Cummins remained in third whilst Hillier broke the 130mph barrier to continue in fourth with a comfortable 13s lead ahead of Rutter, Dunlop just behind in sixth. Jamie Coward was having a phenomenal race up into seventh with David Johnson, Gary Johnson and Davey Todd completing the top ten at the end of lap two. Hickman still led, but Harrison was eking back the lead slowly as the gap at Glen Helen had dropped to 0.69s. Both Harrison and Cummins had almost made their way to Ballaugh before pulling in due to a full-course red flag.

The race was declared a result as at the end of a lap two meaning Hickman won the 2019 Superbike TT race on-board the Trooper BMW, Harrison took second and Cummins third. Hillier finished fourth ahead of Rutter and Dunlop with David Johnson, Jamie Coward, Gary Johnson and Davey Todd rounding out the top ten.

A red flag in any race makes you a bit nervy, but a red flag during a road race makes your heart sink. Manx radio had stated there had been an incident at Snugborough, between Braddan Bridge and Union Mills, but there were no further updates at that time. When there’s been a red flag, I don’t think you can really concentrate on what’s to come until there’s been an update, but you’ve got to remember these are the TT races and the races must go on. You have to try and think ‘no news is good news’, but in reality, you know that never really appears to be the case. It really does seem heartless when it’s written down, but hand on heart no racer who has lost their life at the TT or any other race for that matter would want any races to be postponed or cancelled. It’s a difficult concept to understand, but we go again… It’s a sign of respect, it’s a show of solidarity. My heart goes out to the organisers during red flag situations particularly the marshals involved. We know when we sign-on to marshal we could be faced with an incident, but until that time you don’t really know how you will react. The race officials in the control tower not only have to deal with the incident at hand remotely but the media and the speculation too. On top of that they also have to stay one step ahead and figure out the remaining day’s schedule too. Although the Superbike race was declared a result, the sidecars were still scheduled to race and that’s exactly what they did. More about that later.

Just after the sidecar race finished, although not through the official channels, there was the news no one wanted to hear.

Not something I ever wanted to write but here we go…..

Daley, as Daisy says, is now sleeping with the fairies. That’s all I can bring myself to say right now. The last image I saw of my husband, was of a man so happy with life and so proud of his racing. xxxxxx pic.twitter.com/wWCaDJwUht

— Daley Mathison (@DaleyMathison) 3 June 2019

Daley Mathison’s wife tweeted that her husband had lost his life.

Shortly after the ACU issued an official statement confirming that Daley Mathison had been involved in the incident at Snugborough which occurred on the 3rd lap of the Superbike race and had sadly died.

The statement read as follows:

ACU Events Ltd regrets to confirm that Daley Mathison, 27, from Stockton on Tees, Durham was killed in an incident during the Superbike Race today at the Isle of Man TT Races. The accident occurred at Snugborough, just over 2 miles into the Course, on the 3rd lap of the race.

Daley was an experienced competitor and was seeded 19th for today’s race. He made his Mountain Course debut in the 2013 Manx Grand Prix Newcomers A Race, finishing fifth. His TT career included three consecutive podiums in the TT Zero electric bike Race in 2016, 2017 and 2018 including the runner up position in the race last year, representing Nottingham University.

He also achieved an 11th place finish in last year’s Superstock Race and a pair of 13th place finishes in the 2017 and 2018 Senior TT Races.

He set his fastest lap of the Mountain Course – 128.054mph – in the 2018 Superstock race which made him the 34th fastest rider of all time. He set the second fastest TT Zero lap ever with lap of 119.294mph in the 2018 race.

In total he started 19 TT Races with 14 finishes and 3 podiums and won 6 silver and 8 bronze replicas

ACU Events Ltd wishes to pass on their deepest sympathy to Daley’s wife Natalie, his family and friends.

Unfortunately with the likes of social media something like this isn’t kept quiet anymore and usually it is published on every site before official confirmation. However, this time, maybe for the first time in years I saw no speculation. Maybe I was fortunate enough not to see it, or maybe it wasn’t there to see. Those of us who know this sport, who respect this sport know that nothing good ever comes of speculation. It’s heartbreaking that families and teams don’t get the privacy they need to process what has happened first before it is publicly announced. However, Daley’s wife, Natalie, has dealt with the the social media aspect so admirably. No one knows how they will react until it happens to them. My thoughts are with Daley’s family, team and friends at this sad time.

I really struggled to write this. It’s hard to convey any kind of excitement about the first two-laps of a race when you know the outcome of lap 3. We all know the risks of the sport and I’ve never been one to shy away from the negatives because it is, unfortunately, part of road racing. However, we often criticise certain news outlets for only focusing on the dark side of this sport and I for one will not follow suit. The racers that went out afterwards in practice and those who went on to race in the Supersport race in the evening showed so much courage to get back out and race around this 37.73 mile course. They went back out to continue to live the dream for those who no longer can’t. They get back on two-wheels and race down Bray Hill because it’s their therapy, their happy place and they deserve their moment too. Please don’t try and tell us our sport should be no more, that we should suppress such natural born talent on a motorcycle because some people who aren’t even involved in this sport are worried about the consequences. We will always treasure the moments we had with those who are no longer here to live their dream and we will ensure their dream and their life lives on through racing.

Words by Samantha Wanless

First 2019 IOMTT Practice Session

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Posted on May 26, 2019 by The Isle of Man TT

It may be a day later than planned, but the first 2019 Isle of Man TT practice session has been completed over a rather blustery Mountain.

Dean Harrison on-board the Silicone Engineering 600cc Kawasaki

The first practice was due to take place yesterday (Saturday), however due to extensive hill fog and intermittent rain the Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson chose to cancel the session at approx 3:30pm. The prompt decision is something as a marshal I am very grateful for and it meant we could go grab a takeaway instead rather than stand around for hours in the rain awaiting a decision. Happy days!

There is a contingency plan in place one of which allows the roads to close on Sunday for practice until no later than 6:30pm. CoC announced this would happen to allow the solo and sidecar newcomer’s to complete their speed controlled lap followed by Supersport, Supertwin and all newcomers. The schedule was provided as follows:

11.45: Mountain closes Barrule Park Ramsey to Bungalow
12.00: Mountain closes Bungalow to Creg Ny Baa
13.00: All roads closed
13.30: Solo Newcomers’ speed controlled lap
13.35: Sidecar Newcomers’ speed controlled lap
13.50: Start Supersport / Lightweight Practice
17.30: Roads open except Mountain section
18.30: All roads open

Obviously it’s great to say we’ll use the contingency plan, but the weather needs to behave itself first. I got woke up by my other half at 5:30 this morning saying the rain woke up him… I can tell you now, I was dreading opening the curtains when I woke up properly. I’d already pretty much written off today, but then the sun started to poke its way through and the wind was acting like an official TT hairdryer. Next thing, I’m grabbing bags of crisps, snacks and whatever else I can find from the cupboards to put in the scruffy racing bag ready to marshal. A marshal’s diet is very important you know. We thrive on chocolate, crisps and sarnies, but are partial to cake, biscuits and most definitely coffee.

…okay, I may have grabbed more than some snacks. Full Factory Marshalling this!

After we’d set-up, roads closed and there we had it… a 30-minute delay. The road was still drying in places, particularly under the trees, but most vitally there were not enough marshals in certain places around the course. Every marshal’s post has a minimum number. If that minimum number is not met, the TT racers cannot turn a wheel. A plea went over the Marshal’s radio asking those who were over minimum to shuffle around. It appeared there were technically enough marshals, they just weren’t dispersed evenly. This led to a further 15-minute delay, and then another 5-minute delay. If you are here to watch the TT, please consider signing on to marshal. If you’re unsure as to what it all entails, you can find out more here. 50-minutes later than scheduled, it was GO time!

First out were the solo and sidecar newcomers. They must complete a speed-controlled lap before they can be let loose on their own. If the speed controlled lap is not completed, whether it be mechanical faults, etc., they will be given another chance during the next practice session. I believe all solo’s completed their lap, but one sidecar outfit, unfortunately, didn’t. When they had all nearly completed their first-ever lap, the flood barriers were opened as well as the throttles on the Supersport and Supertwin machines. It was finally time to release the beasts down Bray Hill for the very first time… and boy were those throttles pinned.

During practice two riders set off together with a 10-second interval between each pair. This is obviously unlike a TT race where they set off alone 10-seconds apart. Time trial remember… Before Michael Dunlop set off he said live on the radio ‘I need to sort my shit out.’ Er, yes please. If you could do that before you begin your lap that’d be ace, or at least before you get to the bottom of Barregarrow because you scare me enough as it is on the first lap…! Always fills a marshal full of confidence that. The two men first off the line were Ashcourt Racing’s Lee Johnston and Honda Racing’s Ian Hutchinson. Throttles pinned they were down Bray Hill on their Supersport machines. It doesn’t take long until they reached cronk-y-voddy. With the wind strong, we could hear them storming their way through Glen Helen. We knew it wouldn’t be long until they flashed by, but it wasn’t who we were expecting. It was Dean Harrioson on-board the beautiful Silicone Engineering Kawasaki shortly followed by Johnston and Hutchinson. Wow. First thought, in fact the same I thought I have every year on the first day of practice, this is f!*king BONKERS.

Usually the first practice session is untimed, however it was announced that it would, in fact, be timed today and the laps will count towards qualifying. It can be quite difficult to keep up with timings when there are different classes out and about around the course, but it’s even more difficult when you’re marshalling. You don’t really get the privilege of listening to the radio because you can’t hear yourself think let alone hear what Chris Kinley has to say. You don’t look at your phone unless there’s an interval, so timing-wise, you’re quite blind! However, I’ve heard the new live timing app isn’t that great anyway and that all sounds like a political farce, but I’ll save that for another day shall I? Instead, I keep myself entertained by oohing and aahing at different race lines, telling newcomers to put their knee away even if they can’t hear me and testing my race number/rider name skills. Oh, this is whilst fuelling myself with coffee and cake. It’s quite the multi-tasking effort you know!

Unsurprisingly it was Harrison who took to the top of the timesheets – 121.97mph quickly followed by a 124.39mph lap. He was hungry for that Senior win last year and I think he’s back to take another bite of the action proving to be a very popular guy in the road racing paddock. Harrison put in six-laps all together, but I felt like I’d seen him more times than that. Every lap I saw him get smoother and smoother; it was almost as though he had ironed out all the bumps and he was gliding along. Then boom. A 126.09mph lap. That’ll do, lets park it. Now he’s qualified in this class, he’ll probably work on perfecting the settings on his Superbike machine going forward, but maybe he won’t. We won’t know until the day! When being interviewed after their laps, it was clear the winds were proving to be a bit of a nightmare up over the Mountain. Conor Cummins said there were tail-winds, head-winds, cross-winds and windy corner was windier than usual. It doesn’t get any more windy that that, does it? Gary Johnson didn’t seem too phased and even told everyone he’s survived wind, so if Gary can we all can! Joking aside, the high winds are very challenging up top. It can completely blow you off-line, unsettle the bike. However, it didn’t deter many racers as most completed at least four if not five laps.

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Manxman Conor Cummins on-board the Padgett’s Milenco Honda Supersport machine

It was great to see Michael Dunlop back on the roads as he set a lap speed of 123.9mph with Manxman Conor Cummins clocking 123.71mph on his fifth lap of on-board the Milenco Padgett’s Honda. If you get chance to go down to the bottom of Barregarrow, go and watch Conor from down there. He has got it so finely tuned that the bike drops away from him, arms extended and away he goes. It’s just so perfect. He doesn’t fight to stay tucked in, he just goes with the flow and it’s clearly working. Prez Racing’s Jamie coward was fourth on the timesheets at 123.19mph and James Hillier managed to not cause chaos down at Barregarrow to clock 121.9mph placing him fifth. Ian Hutchinson finished in 12th for the Honda Racing Team just ahead of the legendary John McGuinness. I must admit, I wasn’t too impressed with his overtaking manoeuvre on a higher numbered rider just as they were to tip into the bottom of Barregarrow. Maybe understandable during a race, but personally I don’t think it’s called for during practice. Thankfully it was all okay, but I definitely think it would’ve been safer to have waited till after Barregarrow considering the stretch to Cammal Farm is straight… Onto McGuinness – he does indeed have a Supersport ride after announcing yesterday he had partnered with his Padgett’s family once again to ride the stunning Milenco machine. So get that scribbled in your race programme! He didn’t go too mad on his first time back at the TT since his NW200 accident, despite doing a couple of parade laps last year, placing himself 13th. Respectable first practice place.

The Supertwins were also out amongst the Supersport machines with Jamie Coward topping the leaderboard at 119.96mph and defending champion Dunlop putting in a 118.52mph lap placing him second. Last year’s runner-up Derek McGee finished in fourth with a 116.19mph lap whilst Stefan Bonetti, after his mega win at the NW200, posted the fifth fastest time at 116.02mph.

McPint on-board the Norton Lightweight machine

I personally don’t think that lap times/speeds really matter on the first day of practice, but I’ve put them in for you just in case you are bothered. Yes, it’s great that it has counted towards their qualification within the Supersport and Supertwin classes because it can sometimes be very difficult to qualify every machine due to delays, cancellations, mechanical issues. However, it really isn’t necessary to go all balls out for the ‘fastest racer in first practice’ headline. I’m just glad they’ve managed to get a few laps of practice under their leathers because it really is so vitally important for them to get the laps in. With over 200 corners, I don’t think I could ever do enough laps around here to know them all inside out and I live on the Isle of Man! Some of these racers take part in British Superbikes/Supersport, other road races and of course they must obtain enough signatures for their Mountain Course license, but they don’t get to race here every weekend. Some do race in the Classic TT, but many only race the TT meaning the last time they took to the Mountain Course was approx. one year ago. I’ve said it many times, but the road surface changes significantly. Trees disappear, appear. Curbs appear, get lowered. Your yellow drain braking marker might have disappeared or a new drain cover has appeared. That year really has an impact on a racer’s memory of the course, the bike settings, everything. For me, the first practice session is the most important. Racer’s will now spend the evening relaying all their information back to their teams. Adjusting front/rear suspension, altering tyre pressures, gearing. This first practice session is about fettling the bike back in and sorting out your own head. Johnston spoke about how he was clearly feeling a little rusty, but it’s now time for them to process the 37.73 miles in an attempt to perfect their lap times. It must be so mentally draining, but the adrenaline and the TT in its entirety is clearly worth it. First practice is literally just the beginning for these racers and there is certainly more to come.

The session was thankfully relatively uneventful although New Zealander Daniel Mettam did part company with his machine at Black Hut in the Supersport session and was taken by airmed to Nobles Hospital. His condition is reportedly not serious, but no further details have been issued. Tomorrow evening we should hopefully see some more practice with roads closing at 6pm and an approx. aim of a 6:20pm flood gate opening. Let’s see what tomorrow brings…

One last little, but important note about today’s practice session – I couldn’t help but think about Dan Kneen, James Cowton and William Dunlop. I’m sure I’m not alone by trying not to think too much about it on the lead up to this year’s TT, but I have certainly missed seeing them race these roads today. They’ve definitely not been forgotten, but are most definitely missed by all. x

(Full practice times can be shown here, although the website doesn’t appear to be very user-friendly, so good luck if you’re attempting to use it!)

Words by Samantha Wanless

The 2019 Road Racing Season

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Posted on Jan 25, 2019 by The Isle of Man TT

In 2019 my little motto is ‘do more of what you love’, so expect more blogs to be appearing in the new future and hopefully more frequently too!

Photo: Babb Photography

It not long until the first practice of the Isle of Man TT, and before I go any further if you will be on the island for Saturday 25th May PLEASE SIGN ON TO MARSHAL. Year upon year the first day of practice is always overshadowed by the usual ‘lack of marshals’ news bulletin. If you can spare those few hours for the newcomers to get a speed-controlled lap and for the other riders to have a bit of a wobble round the TT course, I know they will be very appreciative and grateful! If you want to know more about becoming a TT marshal, I’ve written a little blog to help you decide.

Photo: Babb Photography

Dates for the diary – 25^th May – 7^th June 2019. Be there, or be square. I can only apologise for the extortionate prices of ferry crossings and plane tickets, they love spanking racing fans, but I honestly believe that what you will experience is priceless and I can guarantee it will leave you speechless. Trees line the roadsides along with beautiful Manx stone walls, curbstones, and dodgy camber is pretty much everywhere between Ginger Hall and Ramsey. These racers thrive in that type of environment, me on the other hand, not so much! However, I’m not talking purely about the racing here because there are some beautiful places on this little island that you can visit on those non-race days! If anyone is interested in knowing a few hidden gems, etc. leave me a message and I’ll try to get back to you!

I’m not going to bore you too much about the ins and outs of the Isle of Man TT. I’ll save all that for another day because at the moment I’m still suffering from the ‘TT Blues’ and all the things that hit the road racing family during 2019, but I will give you a little whistle-stop tour and probably end up going off on a tangent too…

Charles Collister

1907 – the inaugural Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race was won by Charles Collister on the St Johns Short Course. Little did anyone know that over one hundred years later (the centenary year was a corker by the way!!) we would still be racing on the roads of the Isle of Man, but on a much larger scale. The circuit changed to the Mountain Course in 1911 and I guess they never looked back after that point! Mat Oxley, who some of you may be familiar with, posted something on Twitter the other day regarding the original FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship (now known as MotoGP.) Now, I knew that the TT used to be part of this, however, I find it crazy that no MotoGP rider would ever contemplate racing the TT despite the history books.

Rossi said, and I quote, ‘you are true warriors’, but has claimed he would never race a road race. Scott Redding, on the other hand, described it as a ‘death race’. You can’t win them all, but maybe they need to do their research. Thanks to Mat, he’s done it for them:

Photo: @matoxley

The FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix Championship consisted of only six rounds and, shocker, the Isle of Man TT and the Ulster Grand Prix are both on there! Two of the world’s most famous road races, also two road races who are fighting with each other for the title of ‘world’s fastest road race’. Cough, currently the TT, cough. The TT/UGP may now clash with some of the whopping nineteen rounds that MotoGP consists of, but maybe they need to be reminded of their roots? Anyway, they are two completely different disciplines now. Different rules, regs, machinery, set-up. I’m a lover of anything on two wheels, but once you’ve experienced a road race first hand you will never want to sit 200ft away behind a fence again.

Moving to the complete opposite of MotoGP, a time-trial is what sets the TT apart from any other road race. Racers are set off in twos ten seconds apart in practice and on race days the fire off down Bray Hill on their own ten seconds apart. No matter what anyone says hearing the 45-minute signal, 30-minute signal, 15-minute signal, 5-minute signal … ‘and we are racing’ in stereo from all the little battery-powered wireless radio’s firmly gripped in spectators hands makes you tingle ever so slightly. It’s usually John McGuinness who is first off the line, the road sweeper as some say, however during John’s hiatus due to injury it’s been Manxman Conor Cummins who has led the way.

Photo: Babb Photography

I can’t even begin to imagine let alone describe the emotions Conor must be experiencing in the above photo. A flick of the visor, a brief split second to ensure it’s shut and there it is. The tap of the shoulder. It’s started. Having been through both the highs and lows of this Mountain Course, it must be both a daunting yet adrenaline fuelled challenge and an unimaginable sense of pride to race on your home tarmac.

It’s still Northern Ireland’s Joey Dunlop who has won the most Isle of Man TT’s at 26 wins. I was fortunate enough to visit the memorial garden last year and I can say I was more emotional than I ever imaged. The legend that is Joey lives on in all his fans, his family and of course the entire road racing community as does Robert Dunlop, Joey’s brother, and William Dunlop, Robert’s son, Michael’s brother. If you’re ever in Ballymoney, please go. Don’t forget to visit Joey’s Bar too! The best Guinness in N.I.

Joey Dunlop’s Memorial Garden, Ballymoney

McGuinness sits slightly behind at 23 race wins and often jokes he’ll never be let back into Ireland if he surpasses those 26 wins! (I think he might be right though…) Joey’s nephew Michael is currently in third with 18 TT wins and at only 29-years-old, I think that’s bloody phenomenal. Known as ‘the Bull’, Michael isn’t the smoothest rider to grace our presence at the TT, but it sure does work for him and it’s amazing to watch him bounce from hedge to wall to curb to white line.

There are now six different classes: Superbike, Supersport, Superstock, Lightweight, Zero and Sidecars. I’m sure you’re all familiar with cc’s, etc. for the above so I won’t bore you with that! All you need to know is practice starts on a Saturday evening and continues every evening from Monday to Friday with the first race being held on the following Saturday. Obviously, this is all weather, marshals and strange emergency dependent. Those two weeks are completely nuts. You have to be nuts to be a spectator let alone a racer and if you don’t embrace the sticky floor of Bushy’s beer tent have you really been to the TT? Oh, and if you’ve never watched from the Bottom of Barregarrow or Crosby Leap you’ve definitely not been! I will definitely be writing a bit more in-depth about the TT, different spots, etc. in the near future before 2019’s kicks off, but I will leave it here for now. Finally, if you see and excited blonde woman with her head popping out of a bush along the TT course… it’s probably me, so say hi!

Photo: Babb Photography

Between the months of September and May the island falls silent. Our three main road racing events finish for the year and, I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t know what to do with myself other than countdown to the Macau GP and get up at silly o’clock to watch it. If you live on the island, regardless of whether you like road racing or not, I can probably guarantee you will suffer from what is mainly known as ‘TT blues’, but similarly this can be reformed into ‘S100 blues’, ‘MGP blues’ or just pure ‘road racing blues’. The roar of motorbikes disappear, the sound of squeaky leathers and boots you have become accustomed to fade into the background and the articulated lorries dressed in team livery vacate the island in the blink of an eye. The island falls silent… until July.

S100 Photo: Babb Photography

July is when the Southern 100 begins, down South as the name suggests, and if you have never been I highly recommend you do! It’s a mass start and a ‘proper’ road race as some like to call it. The Southern 100 started in 1955 and takes place on the Billown Circuit with the start/finish being in Castletown. There only used to be three races for different solo classes, but there are now twelve races with the inclusion of sidecars too. (If you want a tip, Church Bends is an epic place to watch, but take a spare pair of pants because the last time I watched from there Dean Harrison was millimeters away from touching the Manx stone walls whilst fighting for the lead. I’m also pretty sure my heart jumped out my mouth too….!) Veteran road racer Ian Lougher currently holds the most wins at the Southern 100 at a staggering 32 wins! The lap record, however, is held by Michael Dunlop and was set in 2017 at a time/speed of 2:12.231 at 115.707mph. Yes, that is two minutes… it is only 4.25 miles compared to the 37.75 miles TT Course. It is usually a very very close race on the roads, and if you want to be scared shitless at times, this is the race for you! You can literally hear them set off from Castletown, and regardless of where you are sat around the circuit, I guarantee you will the furore. I find the Southern 100 more edge-of-your-seat watching that the TT. You don’t even need to listen to the radio down there, just watch and you’ll know! Ps. 8^th – 11^th July 2019.

Photo: Babb Photography

Onto the next then! There a little rest before the Manx Grand Prix (and Classic TT) begins in August and first started back in 1923 as the ‘Manx Amateur Road Races’. Seven years later it was renamed the MGP due to various rules, regulations, and interpretation. Basically, are you still an amateur after you’ve won a newcomer’s race and potentially set a lap record? Nope. This Mountain Course race is more of a stepping stone for those capable of produce lap times quick enough to compete at the TT. If you are looking for future road racing stars, look no further than the Manx. The majority of your up and coming road racers will begin their Mountain Course debut during these two weeks. It’s two weeks where newcomers start to properly learn the vast TT course, and where some riders come back year after year to compete because of the love for the Manx, or maybe for an elusive win. On paper, it looks no different to the TT aside from the average level of experience, but in action, it is very different. A lot of riders say they don’t feel as much pressure as you do with the TT. It is publicised and there is radio commentary, etc., but as the top names aren’t involved I feel a lot of people think it’s boring. It is FAR from it. It’s more laid back, mostly privateers and takes you back to the days of Joey Dunlop racing out the back of a van. There are six four-lap races which include the Newcomers Class’, Lightweight/Ultra Lightweight, Junior, and Senior Class.

Photo: Babb Photography

The Newcomers Class does what it says on the tin basically! No experience is necessary, but you must hold a Mountain license. This is obviously a class you wouldn’t see at the TT and therefore it usually over-subscribed as a stepping stone to the TT. The riders are limited to machinery and it must not exceed 750cc. One thing that is similar to the TT is that any newcomers must wear an orange bib over their leathers during practice. The Lightweight/Ultra Lightweight class is for machinery of 125cc, 250cc, and 400cc capacity. The smell of them two-strokes though! Mmmm!!! Bliss. This is the one class I miss at the TT. The noise, the smell. It was part of the schedule until 2004 and so it’s usually a heavily subscribed class at the Manx. Then we are onto the Junior Class for machines between 200cc and 750cc although the majority are now four-stroke 4-cylinder 600cc bikes. What else could a Manx road race end with other than a Senior?! The final race of the MGP fortnight and I always find it’s a cracker because frustrations are always high after a week racing the Mountain Course. Blown engines, broken bits, fuel shortage, maybe even a little crash or two. Tensions are always high, but of course, everyone is in it to win it!

Photo: Babb Photography

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you are, they decided to ‘re-brand’ the Manx Grand Prix as the Festival of Motorcycling with the inclusion of new races – the ‘Classic TT’. It allows top TT riders such as John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop, Lee Johnston, Dean Harrison and the like more Mountain Course time without the added pressure that comes with the TT in June. It’s very interesting to see how these top riders have to adapt their style to suit the classic machinery. Dunlop, for example, noted how he had to stop being so aggressive to prevent things from breaking! They are very temperamental and it’s usually a miracle if they manage to get up the mountain let alone down it! There are big teams now involved in the Classic TT such as Norton, Team Classic Suzuki, etc. It’s not a walk in the park by any means, but it’s not 134mph laps as we saw in 2018 by Hickman. Although I think it is a great idea to allow the riders more time on the roads, I find it’s drawn a lot of the attention away from what the Manx Grand Prix really is. A lot say the Manx was dying and I do admit that some years it doesn’t seem as busy as it did 10 or so years ago. However, the addition of the Classic TT cannot have increased visitor numbers over the two weeks. It appears busy on the bank holiday weekend of the Classic TT races where ‘the big boys’ race their classic machines, then it fizzles back to those who are there purely for the Manx. I find it’s caused a bit of a divide in the road racing community. I guess I see both sides, but it’s nice for the Newcomers to the Mountain Course to have their time to shine and I really think people should be more supportive of them. At the end of the day, these are the potential TT winners of the future and I don’t want to take anything away from their two weeks of potential glory.

Rant over… oops!

Of course there are many other roads races, but for now I shall leave you with the Isle of Man’s road races. Notably there’s the NW200, Tandragee, Skerries, Macau GP and the Ulster Grand Prix… the latter I visited last year and I’m so excited to write about my experience as it is something completely different to the Isle of Man TT. That’ll be with you all soon!

Words by Samantha Wanless