WANNA BE A TT RACER?
Ever fancied a crack at the TT? You better read on then…
It was that interminable question thrown to every school leaver in my class: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I’m not going to pretend I can remember what myself or anyone else retorted, but among all the obligatory vocations of doctors, footballers, hairdressers and porn stars – there was always one – I know with certainty no one stood tall and said they wanted to be a TT racer. It’s not that none of us had ever heard of the world’s greatest road race, but it was considered the reserve of others: an unachievable feat on a par with becoming an astronaut or banging Keira Knightley down the local park.
But in someone else’s school there was a child a little looser than the norm, who probably had scabbed knees, countless scars and had all the chicks stood around their batteredlooking moped. They knew what they wanted to do when they grew up, and it had naff all to do with classrooms or curriculums – that kid wanted to race the TT.
I grew up in the BSB paddock, scrapping against the likes of Hillier, Martin, Hegarty and Johnstone. Nowadays they’re all TT stars, but there was a time when the prospect of setting off flat-chat down Bray Hill was as unfamiliar to them as being chased by women is to me. But out of frustration, financial constraint or the pure boredom of riding the same tracks on the same bikes year-after-year, the likes of those guys left the BSB flock in search of a heightened racing experience.
That craving to know what it’s like to brush against drystone walls and leap huge distances is present in a lot of us, but owning a conventionally sized pair of gonads has proven sufficiently restricting in my willingness to even pretend I’d have what it takes to take on the TT. But the question’s often crossed my mind – what would it take to become a TT racer?
Making the grade
In nearly every case the journey starts by banging on the door of the TT’s organisers. Paul Philips, Milky Quail and John Barton are the go-to guys with the latter two being the TT’s rider liaison officers. They’ve both raced the TT, they both live on the Island and they’ve both got the necessary knowledge and experience needed to aid new riders into safely cutting it on the roads. “Before we even consider a newcomer, they have to have reached an International licence grade”, explained Barton. “That’s because the TT’s an international racing event, so it all starts there. We then ask them for their riding CV and between Paul, Milky and myself, we’ll aim to ascertain whether the applying rider is suitable for the TT.”
In a style much akin to the X-Factor, only with far less shit singing, the wannabe TT racers will be graded on rider skills and welcomed as appropriate. There’s no guarantee that status alone is enough to get you a foot in the door, with commitment, ability and enthusiasm meaning much more to the judges than how diva-ish your leathers look. For those who don’t cut the mustard, the path of Manx Grand Prix is often suggested, as its lesser pace and newcomerspecific classes means it’s far less demanding than rubbing shoulders with the world’s best road racers.
“If we like what we see we’ll invite the rider over to the Island for a weekend and take them out for numerous laps in a car. It’s not for everyone so it’s not unusual for some riders to think twice once they’re over here and decide the TT’s not for them. It’s a huge decision for any rider and we’d rather people be honest with themselves than feel pressured into committing. But for those that are hooked, the next stage is to send them away with a load of DVDs – not the mucky kind – and to encourage them to watch as much on-board footage as possible.”
Getting stuck in
Throughout the winter period the selected Newcomers will be asked to make a minimum of four visits to the Island, each time hooking up with Milky and John for some one-on-one tuition around the course. “The aim is for riders to come to their first TT knowing which way the corners go and feeling confident with the track’s layout. Of course, it’s not until practice week starts that they’ll actually get a chance to ride the track properly, but we aim to work on rider pace once the Newcomers are putting in actual laps.”
On the first night of practice John and Milky are then tasked with leading up to three riders apiece at a controlled pace. “It’s a hell of a thing to do; to rock up and race the TT. We want to make the experience as safe and enjoyable as possible, so that means leading the first laps of practice.
“There’s no official pace to stick to but the challenge is to keep a keen eye on the guys behind and see that no one’s out of their depth. We don’t want people pushing too hard and having accidents, because that’s not good for anyone. First practice is about being smart and observant; you’re essentially there to get a feel, not set lap records.”
In the years Milky and John have been involved in this process they’ve tutored hundreds of new TT riders, with three new riders making the cut in 2017. “It’s something we never used to do, which is a bit bonkers. In days gone by you could just rock up and pull the pin if you had the right credentials, but it wasn’t the best approach. What we do now works well and we’re constantly evolving our methods and practices to give everyone the safest and most enjoyable TT debut possible. Ultimately, it’s down to the individual, though.
Some people really commit to learning the TT, whereas others are a bit more blasé about it all. It shows in the results, with people like Hicky pulling off incredible rides in their debut year – Peter Hickman became the fastest ever newcomer with a 129mph lap in 2014. He put the effort in from the word go, and it’s done him no harm.”
Do you fancy it?
The TT’s superbike grid can host 68 riders. For all other classes the starting places are cranked up to 72. With riders being set off ten seconds apart and flying laps being close to 17 minutes a pop, time very much limits how many riders can line up on a grid – because the start line needs to be set off and cleared of personnel long before the first rider comes back past the start line. In 2017 the Superstock class had over 90 applicants, meaning handfuls of riders didn’t even make the line-up. But the organisers acknowledge they still have to build desire for new riders coming through. They’re not taking their success for granted which is why riders like Bennetts Suzuki’s Taylor MacKenzie are key interests to the TT’s future.
THE FIRST TIME I CAME OVER I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY IT
Having met up with him and his teammate Richard Cooper, who’d flown over to support the team’s front man Michael Dunlop, the first question I flung his way was whether he’d fancy a stab at the TT? “My mum would kill me,” he half joked. “I’ve been going to watch the TT for five years now. The first time I came over I was blown away by it. It was all a bit overwhelming but I felt hooked by it and I’ve been coming back ever since.
“It’s like an annual pilgrimage for me and my mates. A few years into my visits I really started to take a shine to the place; I could tell there was a desire building in me to come and give the TT a go. But that seems to have gone off the boil a little bit in the last few trips. I should have just got on with it and entered, but now I’ve seen parts of the track that are proper scary. I’ve done quite a few laps around here and as much as I’m absolutely gagging to be let loose with a bike on closed roads, I’m also more apprehensive than ever about giving it a go.”
Pushed to explain his reservations a little further Taylor went on to explain that he races to get his kicks, and right now he’s getting all he wants from his short circuit efforts. “I get such a buzz from what I do at BSB, which is my bread and butter. I don’t want to go diluting my performance by taking on more than I can chew, and I certainly wouldn’t sign up for the TT unless I was in a place where I could put 100% commitment into it. It’s too dangerous for that. Maybe it’s something I’ll consider years down the line, but until then I’ll just keep coming over and enjoying my visits. The TT is a magical place and it’ll never grow old on me. I love the place.”
Full-on hooked
All that Taylor said was relatable. There’s such an aura to the TT and once you’ve set foot on Mona’s Ilse you’ll find an irrepressible urge to keep coming back, time and again. They say crack’s addictive, but I doubt even that can have the same allure as racing the TT. Our very own Fagan, and last year’s fastest newcomer Mike Booth, had originally hoped to make their returns to competing at the TT in 2017, but for both talented debutants, it wasn’t to be. Poor Boothy got the biggest kicking of all, being let down with his ride just a few hours before the TT got into its stride. Pumped up after a fantastic first TT, the Yorkshireman still made the trek over to the Isle in hope of finding an elusive ride but instead had to stomach a trackside view of his mates lapping up the road course, while he got sunburnt in flip-flops. And to make matters worse, he then had me for company.
In any other racing circle you’d appreciate not just toys being thrown out of prams, but whole prams being launched too. But Mike did a top job of holding it all together and was fully focused on getting plans sorted for his triumphant return in 2018.
“I’ll be back next year,” he said. I’m hooked. For me the TT dream started back in 2011 when I came over to get pissed and watch some bikes with a mate. I fell in love with the place. I was 21 and while I did make a few noises about trying my hand back then, I knew deep down that I was a bit too much of a crasher. A few years later I felt I had matured as a rider so that was it, I
decided to enter The 2016 Isle of Man TT.
THERE’S NOTHING IN THE UNIVERSE LIKE RACING AT THE TT
“It wasn’t until I was sat on the grid for my first timed laps around the closed TT Mountain Course that the enormity of what I was about to do sank in. It seemed like everything had been building up to this moment; the laps in a Fiesta learning the course; the hours spent watching ‘onboards’; the years spent learning to race a bike without pelting it at the scenery. I’m not an emotional person but there is something on the Isle of Man that grabs you. It wasn’t just pre-race butterflies, it was pure emotion and I could feel myself welling up.
“Once you set off all that disappears.
You’re too busy concentrating. Concentrating and having fun. There is nothing in the universe like racing at the TT. The word ‘fun’ doesn’t even begin to do it justice; it’s the best thing in the world. And the challenge of concentrating for six laps with 200 odd ponies between your legs is beyond intense but there is no greater sense of reward when you cross the finish line. I’m going to be back next year. Nothing’s going to stop me.”
And the same goes for me… albeit viewing the spectacle from the safety of its side lines. The TT might not be for everyone, but what’s been made clear to me is how immeasurably significant it is to those that brave it. It’s what they live for, and that energy’s translatable to those who’re considering taking on the greatest road race in the world. For them it’s in the blood. It’s an itch that needs scratching. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.