PREVIEW: 'The Isle of Man Road Races' - Coffee Table Book

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FOREWORD BY

CAMERON DONALD


FOREWORD

BY CAMERON DONALD

W

hen you arrive at the Isle of Man and you step off the boat, you know you’re at the hallowed ground of motorcycle racing. It’s the Mecca of motorcycle racing, it’s the Isle of Man. It’s the oldest motorcycle race in the world; it’s the longest course in the world; it’s the longest street circuit in the world and it’s the most dangerous motorcycle race in the world.

To begin with you start by heading down Bray Hill - the steepest downhill section of any motorcycle race in the world straight into a dip that you hit flat out in top gear when you get it right and you don’t have to roll the throttle. Follow that up over Ago’s Leap, straight into a jump where you’re likely to have the front wheel near vertical in the air as you get airborne. That’s all within the first five hundred metres! You’ll pass thirty-odd pubs in a lap of the circuit, which are all brilliant spectating points. What other track in the world can you stand in a beer garden, literally less than one meter from the circuit? If you wanted to, you could reach out and touch the bikes going past. As a rider it’s brilliant when you’re riding past and you can literally look into the eyes of the spectators standing there waving their programme, drinking a pint! Sometimes you wish you were joining them when things aren’t going so well with the bike on the track! When you go over the humpback bridge at Ballaugh and you jump a metre to a metre and a half off the ground; it’s just incredible what you’re putting your body and your bike through. A couple of miles down the road from Ballaugh is the fastest jump on the circuit which, when you’re doing a lap in the car, wouldn’t feel like much more than a small bump. You hit that bump on a Superbike in fifth gear doing 150-160+mph, you’ll go fifty or sixty metres down the road before you touch back down on the ground. It’s unbelievable! It’s things like that when people tell you, it’s hard to believe until you get over there and see it for yourself; until you get over there and sit on the hedge and watch it with your own eyes. And that’s the great thing about the TT, you can do that. I mean, we love going to Grand Prix as motorcycle spectators. I know I do. I love going to my Grand Prix at Phillip Island and to some of the other Grand Prix I’ve been to around the world. But there’s always that gap between the circuit and yourself. There’s a ripple strip, there’s a run-off area, there’s grass, there’s a fence. Not at the TT. You can stand there in someone’s front yard, you can stand on the footpath and there’s nothing but a bit of rope bunting between you and those riders going past at….well, we’re nudging 200mph so what’s that, about 325kph. In a race, we complete six 67km laps, averaging over 200kph where some of the corners are dead-stop hairpins and you get down to first gear. Our lowest speed is probably about 50km/h and it feels like you could jump off and walk faster at the time! So to be able to go through corners that slow and still average over 200kph gives you an idea of just how quick the average section of the course is. It’s incredible! So fast, so exciting! But it’s always a buzz to sit on the hedge with the spectators and talk to fans that tell you that they’ve sat at this same spot for the past 10-20 years sometimes. They’ll give you a tip that this is a different spot to watch or this is a great place to go for a feed or a pint. You don’t find that in any other motorcycle race in the world.

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CAMERON DONALD


PHOTO: ©PETER LAMONT

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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10,106 BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN HAVE HAVE COMPETED AT THE ISLE OF MAN IN IT’S 100 YEAR HISTORY - THESE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVOURITES. PAGE 6 |


OVERALL RACE WINNERS WINS

RIDER Joey Dunlop

26

John McGuinness

23

Dave Molyneux

17

Ian Hutchinson

16

Michael Dunlop

15

Mike Hailwood

14

Bruce Anstey

12

Steve Hislop, Phillip McCallen

11

Giacomo Agostini, Robert Fisher, Ian Lougher, Stanley Woods

10

Mick Boddice, David Jefferies, Siegfried Schauzu

9

Jim Moodie, Chas Mortimer, Phil Read, Charlie Williams

8

Mick Grant, Tony Rutter

7

Geoff Duke, Jimmie Guthrie, Jim Redman, John Surtees

6

Alec Bennett, Nick Crowe, Robert Dunlop, Brian Reid, Michael Rutter, Carlo Ubbiali

5

Ben Birchall, Klaus Enders, Freddie Frith, Wal Handley, Trevor Ireson, Dave Leach, Ray Pickrell, Tarquinio Provini, Bill Smith, Jock Taylor, John Williams Adrian Archibald, Ray Amm, Simon Beck, Graeme Crosby, Max Deubel, Harold Daniell, Carl Fogarty, Alex George, Tom Herron, Alan Jackson, Ryan Farquhar, Tony Jefferies, Klaus Klaffenböck, Dave Leech, Rob McElnea, Bob McIntyre, Phil Mellor, Dave Morris, Chris Palmer, Walter Schneider, Ian Simpson, Darren Carguillo, Rolf Steinhausen, Luigi Taveri, Barry Woodland Fergus Anderson, Hugh Anderson, Manliff Barrington, Artie Bell, Geoff Bell, Lowry Burton, Kel Carruthers, Charlie Collier, Steve Cull, Howard R Davies, Freddie Dixon, Charlie Dodson, Cameron Donald, Iain Duffus, Marc Flynn, Dick Greasley, Shaun Harris, John Hartle, Fritz Hillebrand, Gary Hocking, John Holden, Tim Hunt, Bill Ivy, Gary Johnson, Alistair King, Con Law, Eddie Laycock, Ivan Lintin, Bill Lomas, Graeme McGregor, Brian Morrison, Trevor Nation, Gary Padgett, Cecil Sandford, Dave Saville, Tom Sheard, Edwin Twemlow, Nigel Piercy, Steve Plater, Jock Porter, Malcolm Uphill, Eric Williams, Paul Williams Steve Abbott, Dario Ambrosini, Frank A Applebee, Ivor Arber, Reg Armstrong, Georg Auerbacher, Mark Baldwin, W.H. Bashall, Ian Bell, Dieter Braun, Eric Briggs, Norman Brown, Ralph Bryans, Jimmy Buchan, Trevor Burgess, Roger Burnett, Florian Camathias, Maurice Cann, Phil Carpenter, Shannon Carpenter, Phil Carter, Harold Clark, Rod Coleman, Harry A Collier, Syd Crabtree, Dave Croxford, J.D. Daniels, Leo Davenport, G.S. Davison, Steve Day, Tommy de la Hay, Ernst Degner, Eddie Dow, P.J. Evans, Helmut Fath, Jack Findlay, Rem Fowler, Sid Gleave, Oliver Godfrey, Les Graham, Stuart Graham, Werner Haas,Conrad Harrison, Dean Harrison, Ron Haslam, R.J. Hazlehurst, F.G. Hicks, James Hillier, Mac Hobson, Bill Hodgson, Robert Holden, Rupert Hollaus, Colin Hopper, Clive Horton, Eric Housley, Dennis Ireland, Mitsuo Itoh, Brian Jackson, Nick Jefferies, C. W. Johnston, Ken Kavanagh, Bob Keeler, Neil Kelly, Ewald Kluge, Ray Knight, David Lashmar, Monty V. Lockwood, Frank Longman, Heinz Luthringshauser, Jack Marshall, Keith Martin, Hugh Mason, Cromie McCandless, Bill McVeigh, Georg Meier, Ted Mellors, Mark Miller, Derek Minter, George O’Dell, Eric Oliver, Mat Oxley, Les Parker, Denis Parkinson, Graham Penny, A. Phillips, Derek Powell, Cliff Pritchard, Cyril Pullin, Brian Purslow, Richard Quayle, Johnny Rea, Tim Reeves, Harry Reed, Tommy Robb, Brett Richmond, Tony Rogers, Nigel Rollason, Dave Roper, Fritz Scheidegger, Martyn Sharpe, Dave Simmonds, Bill Simpson, Jimmie Simpson, Barry Smith, Omobono Tenni, Steve Tonkin, G.H. Tucker, Kenneth Twemlow, Henry Tyrell-Smith, Chris Vincent, Terry Vinicombe, Graham Walker, Frank Whiteway, Cyril Williams, Peter Williams, Stan Wood, T.L. Wood PHOTO: © STEVE BABB

4

3

2

1

SOURCE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS (2017)

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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IAN HUTCHINSON Nationality:

English

Born:

12 August 1979 Bingley, West Yorkshire, England

ISLE OF MAN TT CAREER TT wins:

16

First TT win:

2007

Podiums:

27

TT fastest lap:

133.098mph (2016)

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PHOTO: © STEVE BABB / SPORTSNET HOLIDAYS


MICHAEL DUNLOP Nationality:

Northern Irish

Born:

10 April 1989 Ballymoney, Northern Ireland

ISLE OF MAN TT CAREER TT wins:

16

First TT win:

2009

Podiums:

19

TT fastest lap:

133.962 mph (2016)

PHOTO: © STEVE BABB

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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GUY MARTIN Nationality:

British

Born:

04 November 1981 Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England

ISLE OF MAN TT CAREER Podiums:

17

TT fastest lap:

132.398mph

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PHOTO: © STEVE BABB


DAVID JOHNSON Nationality:

Australian

Born:

16 April 1984 Adelaide, Australia

ISLE OF MAN TT CAREER TTs contested: 07 TT fastest lap: 131.595mph (2015)

PHOTO: © GREG HO / SPORTSNET HOLIDAYS

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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THERE HAVE BEEN 293 MANUFACTURERS THAT HAVE TACKLED THE SNAEFELL MOUNTAIN COURSE - WHO KNEW THAT MANY MANUFACTURERS EVEN EXISTED!? THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAIN MANUFACTURERS THAT STILL COMPETE AT THE TT TO THIS DAY.

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Manufacturer

Wins

Honda

227

Yamaha

210

Suzuki

94

Norton

94

BMW

37

Kawasaki

35

MV

34

Triumph

22

Aermacchi, AJS

19

Matchless

16

BSA, Velocette

15

Misc

14

Moto Guzzi, Seeley

13

Ducati, Miscellaneous

10

Excelsior, Imperial

8

LCR, Rudge

7

Sunbeam

6

DMR

5

Douglas, EMC, MotoCzysz, Mugen, Vincent

4

Benelli, Cotton, Mondial,MV Agusta

3

CMM Paton, Greeves, HRD, LMS, Kimoco, Konig, NSU, Martin,R ex-Acme, Scott

2

AMDM, Armstrong, Baker, Bultaco, Derbi, DKW, DOT, ECM, Gilera, Hanni LCR, Humber, Indian, Ireson, Levis, OK-Supreme, Ossa, Phoenix, Rotax, Rex, Shand, Shelbourne Honda, Spondon, Waddon, Yamsel

1

SOURCE: IOMTT.COM (2017) PHOTOS: © STEVE BABB

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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HONDA BEST FINISHES Position: Number of times: 1ST

227

2ND

196

3

187

RD

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PHOTO: © HONDANEWS / DIVULGATION


YAMAHA BEST FINISHES Position: Number of times:

PHOTO: © STEVE BABB

1ST

210

2ND

237

3RD

256

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE 60.725KM (37.73 MILES), 219 TURNS, 38 MILESTONES AND 6 SECTORS THAT MAKE UP ONE OF THE MOST DEMANDING RACE CIRCUITS IN THE WORLD.

PHOTOS BY: STEVE BABB, GREG HO & WILL LAMONT PAGE 16 |


1. Bray Hill 2. Braddan Bridge 3. Union Mills Glen Vine rosby 4. C The Highlander reeba Castle 5. G Appledean 6. Greeba Bridge allacraine 7. B alig 8. B Ballaspur Doran’s Bend 9. Laurel Bank Glen Hellen Sarah’s Cotage 10. Gregwillys Hill Cronk-y-Voddy Lambfell 11. Drinkwater’s Bend 12. Handley’s Corner Barregarrow Crossroads 13. Bottom of Barregarrow Cronk Urleigh ouglas Road Corner 14. D Kirk Michael 15. Birkin’s Bends Rhencullen 16. Bishopscourt Al pine Cottage allaugh Bridge 17. B Ballavolley Bends 18. Quarry Bends ulby Crossroads 19. S Sulby Straight 20. Sulby Bridge Ginger Hall 21. G len Duff Kerrowmoar 22. G lentramman Lezayre 23. M ilntown 24. P arliament Square Cruickshanks Corner May Hill

airpin 25. H Gooseneck 26. J oey’s Guthrie’s Memorial 27. Mountain Mile 28. Mountain Box tonebreakers Hut 29. S 30. Verandah Graham Memorial 31. Bungalow Hailwood’s Rise Brandywell ukes Bends 32. D Windy Corner eppel Gate 33. K 34. K ate’s Cottage Creg-Ny-Baa 35. Gab-ny-Geay Brandish Corner Hillberry 36. C ronk-ny-Mona Signpost Corner 37. B edstead Corner The Nook 38. G overnor’s Bridge

19

18

17

20

21

22

23

25 26

16

28

27

29

15

30

14

31 32

13 33

12 11 9

24

34

10 35

8

36

7

37

6 5

38 4 3 2

1

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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© GH

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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© SB

THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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THE WORLD’S GREATEST MOTORCYCLE RACE IN PICTURES

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