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Senior TT ...
Thankfully the sun was out and the roads were well on there way to drying by mid morning. Scrutineering was a breeze but getting 60 litres of fuel from the bottom of the pits to pit wall with no crew was a bit more of a mission, and Nigel and I thought we were organised!I remember struggling with the tins all piled up on me paddock stand when I heard the first bikes leaving the start line, which meant that my No 30 start position was about 4 minutes away. Phil turned up just as I started sprinting to Park Ferme, I threw the rest of my gear on and rushed to the start line, thank God for electric starters! I pushed past about 30+ bikes and slipped into line with 20 seconds to spare, totally not the way to start a two hour TT race and I felt more knackered than after a BEARS Le Mans start.As I headed down Bray Hill I wondered for a split second if Nigel had been far behind me but then it was all about the riding. The sun was out and the roads were dry but there were strong winds about. From Douglas to Ramsey it was no problem but over the mountain it definitely had to be accounted for, bends like the mountain box were risky as you can get blown off the road as you exit from the shelter of the bank. This unnerved me so I eased off a bit and took tighter lines that meant that if the winds died off briefly I would end up oversteering, which was frustrating, but it was safe. I was surprised to see David Jefferies had described the conditions as perfect and I couldn't really argue with him as he set the outright lap record of 18 minutes flat on the way to his third victory.
Ballacrye Leap
At 150 mph it never fails to scare me!
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Because I was being conservative over the mountain I found myself riding only 7/10 instead of 8/10 around the rest of the course. My mind just wasn't in the groove so I decided to just aim for a finisher's medal and perhaps push a bit harder for the final (flying) lap. As I look back now I think the mountain course had, in a way, conquered me this year and after four weeks of events I was looking forward to the chequered flag. At times during the race I would think "This is insane, what the hell am I risking so much for?". And then, at other times even on the same lap, I would buzz out on a huge surge of adrenaline after exiting a bend pulling 9500 rpm knowing I've achieved that ultimate thrust (where the R1 cam really comes on) because I got the previous sequence of bends spot on! It's this adrenaline that pushes you on throughout the entire race when you're really on the pace. |
That adrenaline and concentration also enables you to block out the danger. Mentally I found the TT getting tougher and tougher as I passed more and more serious accidents. These black spots, along with the few spots I've nearly come to grief on, are all etched into my mind. Not once this year could I bring myself to hold it flat around the kink that claimed Stu Murdock's life in 1999, and on every lap I would curse myself for not having done so. Two minutes further on is Glen Helen 2, Robert Holden's last bend. My subconscious reminded me to be careful there, which is actually a blessing because even when you are on the correct line you pass only inches from the stone wall. Robert was incredibly brave to try and take this bend flat out. Some think his only mistake was in trying to win on a machine that just wasn't fast enough, time can be made up through these corners but not a lot, it just isn't worth it.Three miles down the road is the 13th milestone and it was at this point on lap four that Nigel Healy flew past me, he was hot on the tail of Brett's mate David Madsen-Mydal, on an RC30 this time. Nigel later told me that they were dicing for ages. The nimble Honda would pass him through the corners, then the Yamaha would blast past the 750 down the straights. I kept sight of them till Ramsey but opted not to try and stick with them. Nigel had already made up nearly two minutes on me from his starting position and trying to pick up the pace by that much immediately is very difficult and unwise. Following other riders is also something I try to avoid as it is too easy to get sucked into focusing on the machine your following rather than where you are on the circuit.Unfortunately Shaun Harris retired his R6 on the first lap, as did Brett Richmond who had qualified 77th on his 400. Blair Degerholm had a brilliant ride on his ZX7RR, consistently lapping at just under 120 mph to finish 8th. Bruce Anstey was the next Kiwi, coming in at 14th place, the first 250 - the first 13 finishers were all F1 machines. John Hepburn in 16th place must have been the first proddie bike home. Nigel Healy was in the money at 20th position and another bronze replica for his collection. It just proves how much difference the Pirelli and EBC combination made to his lap times. I was surprised to achieve another 25th position as I'd only managed a best lap time of 112 mph and I had completed the 6 laps only 40 seconds faster than I did last year on the R6. Warren Turner had much better luck than in the Junior with 28th position and he cracked 110 mph. However, it wasn't quite as fast as some of his Junior TT laps. A couple of minutes back was Hugh Reynolds in 31st position which was a great result on a standard 250, he must have been working hard holding his line in the wind over the mountain on such a light bike.
| There is nothing quite like the emotions I experienced upon seeing the chequered flag at the TT. I had a huge smile on my face whilst touring down the slip road back to the pits. Relief is the best word I can use to sum it up, because although I hadn't ridden my best or won a bronze replica I had achieved my main goal, which was to return home to family, friends and a lifestyle second to none. Ringing home with the news was always a priority just before knocking back my first beer. |
Wednesday Night's Prize Giving
Nigel, Steve and Local Pit Crew
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Some Final Thoughts ...
There is one question I have heard many people ask and it is: 'What lures the riders to the TT?'For every first time rider I am sure that the answer has to be: "For the challenge to conquer the most famous road race in the world". To qualify and then achieve a finishers medal I am sure is enough to satisfy most new comers, but what lures them back, in many cases, is the appearance and start money. This is not enough to cover expenses but it is almost enough to make it worth the risk, unless of course you finish in the top five or so in which case you could earn in two weeks what most people earn in one year.Then there are the true road racers who return year after year, always with a higher goal and, at the top, there are a few who will never be satisfied until they win. Shaun Harris is one of these. He has the skill and the course knowledge so I am sure he will find the right machinery to pull it off, all he needs now is luck on his side.At the 2002 TT Shaun will be riding GSXR Suzuki's, Brett Richmond has a couple of Yamaha's, Nick Pedley and Mark Perry have secured an R1 each off Bill Smith and the surprising news to some is that Mike King is returning taking his 750 GSXR. I'm sure Bruce Anstey will be chasing a win in the Lightweight class but unfortunately Blair Degerholm had a serious accident at Donington damaging his arm so I doubt he'll be able to compete. I'm unsure if John Hepburn will make the trip as I know the time off has taken a toll on his business. I'm in the same boat with commitments in NZ but I haven't ruled out a return, 2007 will be a huge event if the TT survives till then and besides, I am still 1.5 mph short of my 116 mph goal!Here are some more interesting facts from TT 2000. During the fortnight of racing:
- 3781 laps totalling 142657 miles were completed,
- new lap records were set, and
- 5 deaths occurred.
That's a lot of racing miles - the odds could be worse! |
