I arrived on the Island on Friday night before practice began on Saturday evening. Mother-in-law Ann, myself and my wife Joanne got stuck in and got everything set-up ready for Saturday. Practice didn’t start amazingly well as a minor misfire on the Suzuki GSXR1000 meant that I pulled in after the first lap. The Triumph Daytona 675, kindly provided by Quill Exhausts, also had a problem with a leaking suspension seal, not really the start I was looking for. At least both faults were fairly easily sorted during Sunday. The remainder of practice week went well the only fault was a starter motor clutch problem on the Triumph. Quickly sorted after borrowing a part from a fellow competitor. I was happy enough with my lap speeds all through practice but Friday evening went especially well, a few changes to the gearing on the 1000 worked well and I finally beat the magical 120mph average lap speed with a 120.6mph. I was so pleased to have improved on my personal best time prior to the beginning of the races and finally I could say that I’d done 120mph, as opposed to nearly 120mph!!

The first race of the week started in fine conditions on Saturday. My start position had been brought forward from 42 up to 29 as a result of my practice times. I started off well, over practice I had found a few different lines over the course, sometimes the conventional racing line on the TT course puts you straight through the bumpiest section which isn’t always the fastest. I caught the rider in front of me around half way through the first lap, it took me until the Mountain section to make an overtake stick. We were then stuck together for the next lap and a half, he had a faster first section of the course and I was better in the last section, I think we were holding each other up more than anything else. We both stopped for fuel after the 2nd lap. My Dad, Tony, filled the tank and a quick visor change by Jo and I was away. Holding a position in the low 20s I was pleased enough as my bike is prepared to Superstock spec, the Superbike class allows much more tuning. At the end of the 4th lap I stopped for fuel and Steve, mechanic for the week, did a very fast wheel change, which he had been relentlessly practicing the night before the race. The last couple of laps I had clear track and made some good lap times once again above the 120 mph mark. Crossing the line I was happy enough and on seeing the result sheet I’d finished 23rd, a personal best, but the rider in front had only beaten my by 0.09 of a second and 21st place was on 0.18 of a second ahead of me too. A shame that only 0.2 of a second to faster would have gained me two places after nearly 2 hours of racing.

© Raceline Photography

Monday brought the Superstock race, probably my best chance of a great result. My start number had once again been brought forward to 19. An impressive number and credit to my great results and lap speeds. Again I pushed hard, with the mountain section enveloped in fog I didn’t expect that the lap speeds would improve greatly as visibility was down to around 400 yards. But my first lap was my best, again a personal best at 121.5 mph. Obviously I knew nothing about this until the end of the race. I find at the TT it is better for me not to be told in the pitstop how the lap times are, it just makes me put pressure on myself. The race went well and I pulled in at the finish to be told that I’d finished 16th. What a result, a top 20 had been my goal for this years TT but I had no idea that it would come so soon in the week. I also earned a Bronze replica (awarded to riders finishing within 110% of the winners time) only missing out on a Silver replica (awarded to riders finishing within 105% of the winners time) by 12 seconds.

The following race was the first Supersport race, on the Quill Exhausts Triumph. I’d competed in a couple of meetings on the mainland on the bike before the TT and found it was one of the best handling bike I had ever ridden. The TT would be a major test for it, after having ridden 4 laps of the Superstock race an hour before; another 4 laps on the 675 would be a test for me too!! 300 racing miles in a day certainly takes its toll. I got a good start and caught the rider in front of me as we entered Kirk Michael Village. I quickly made an overtake; as I went by I noticed that it was Jamie Robinson, a newcomer this year but he was riding a Padgett’s Honda (the same team as 14 times TT winner John Mac Guinness). Surely enough on the next straight he dragged back past me. This routine repeated itself for the whole of the following lap and a half. We were also joined by the rider behind who got into the mix. With 3 of us slipstreaming each down every straight the race turned into more of a short circuit battle than the time challenge of the TT. It was good fun to be involved with but was slowing all of us down. I exited the pits after lap 2 at exactly the same time as Jamie and once again the battle continued! The Triumph was handling superbly and has a fast engine, tuned by RLR Motorsport, and drives excellently out of the corners. Against the might of the Padgett’s Honda though it just quite hadn’t got the top speed. I could hold in the slipstream but as soon as I pulled out into the wind I couldn’t pass. I made a couple of mistakes, trying too hard in the waterworks section out of Ramsey in the 3rd lap and lost the slipstream, fair play to Jamie Robinson he had upped his pace and I was unable to keep with him now that he wasn’t pulling me down the straights!! I crossed the line, 22nd place and a fastest lap of 117.5 mph. The Triumph had done me proud and credited me with the fastest British Rider on a British bike. This earned me a huge Trophy which is worth so much money that I was allowed my photo to be taken with it, then it is whisked away for safe keeping by to organisers, they will engrave my name on it though.

Wednesday brought the second of the Supersport races. I altered the gearing in an attempt to make the Triumph pull faster down the straights. I had a good run, although first lap over the mountain there was a huge head wind. I was pleased that I had altered the gearing; I don’t think the bike would have pulled the gearing used in the first race with the wind so strong. Another 23rd place and matching lap times of the first race was pleasing given the conditions.

The finale to the fortnight was the Senior race on Friday. Another 6-lap 225 mile race. The conditions were great although rain on Thursday had washed all of the rubber from the surface causing a lack of grip over the course. Again I caught the rider in front of me and passed him over the mountain section, he stuck with me and passed me back on the run to Bray hill early in the lap. We continued to battle until the first pitstop, the tyre change went really smoothly again. I was pushing hard and think maybe I was trying too hard and making mistakes. Every one of my flying laps equalled my new personal best 121.5 mph but I was disappointed not to have improved on my lap speed. The race went great the only issues when a rider in front flicked up a stone which smashed straight through my screen, then I knocked my kneeslider off on a mid corner kerb, causing me to then wear a hole through the knee of my leathers in the rest of the race!! I crossed the line in 17th place, another great result and massive improvement on my result the same time last year (27th). This took my total bronze replicas to 5 in the week (one for every race).

The TT is my favourite event of the season no where else in the world provides the same thrills. The most thrilling section has to be Bray Hill, holding the bike flat out in top gear (through what is normally a 30mph speed limit) down the steep wall lined hill. The bike then bottoms out, grinding a hole in the fairing and flattening the exhaust, through the traffic lights in the dip. Then the front wheel lifts twice at 155mph over Ago’s leap on the run to Quarterbridge. My favourite section though has to be the Appledene/Greeba section. The surface is smooth with a 180mph approach; lots of blind corners make for a difficult section but one which give great rewards once you know the line through etc.

The TT 2008 has been superb, a small band of willing family/friends and myself have taken some great results, not just finishing every race but earning replicas in every one. Two top 20 finishes exceeded my expectations and a best lap of 121.5mph on what essentially is a road bike with a couple of minor modifications. All in only my second TT.

I must mention that although I finance everything to do with my racing personally I do have assistance from Quill exhausts providing the Triumph, dyno set up and exhausts for the Suzuki, Kais suspension helping with the Suzuki and Maxton suspension for the Triumph. Some financial assistance from Hadlow Edwards and Steve Mort. Engine Preparation by MSG (Aylesbury) on the Suzuki and RLR Motorsports (Shropshire) on the Triumph.

My racing for the remainder of the 2008 season is slightly patchy. As mentioned I am unable to continue competing in the British championship for financial reasons. I plan to do a few national meetings and, sponsorship depending; I may compete in the Ulster Grand Prix (Irish Road Race) then I will be hoping for a good result in the Anglesey Grand in early October. Plans are already being made for the TT 2009, with improvements to both bikes and the right guidance I firmly believe that I have potential for a top ten finish, watch this space.

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