This is the last of the blogs I wrote during TT 2013 and is a summary of the majority of Race Week. These blogs were never intended to report on the racing results – there are people out there much better at that than me. Instead, I realised that I was in an incredibly privileged position to have been in the heart of the paddock, at the side of the road, and right in with the action. For many, visiting the Isle of Man TT has not yet been possible, and many others who had visited previously couldn’t get back for whatever reason. So for them I decided it would be good to try and capture and describe the experience. It has been superb reliving these days as I edited these pieces, and I really hope we get racing back next year. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the final instalment…
It’s Saturday evening, and all the racing for TT2013 (and the Post TT at Billown) is over. It has been a beautiful day again, but all day I’ve had that feeling you get when you’ve been on a most fantastic holiday and never want to go home. I know a lot of my friends and fellow tweeters are feeling the same. This last fortnight was incredibly special in many ways – the emergence of a new pretender to the throne of the King of the Mountain title (has anybody called Michael Dunlop the Prince of the Mountain yet?!) with the current King of the Mountain claiming his 20th victory and 41st podium proving that he is not going to be deposed that easily just yet.
Although my blog was never intended to be about results and the technicalities of racing, McGuinness was so, so close to 21 – the end of the TT Zero race was about as thrilling as you can get. Believe me, I never ever thought I would use the words ‘thrilling’ and ‘TT Zero’ in the same sentence, but how close was it?? As I think I have already mentioned in one of my pieces I remember when it was an amazing feat for just one of the electric bikes to make it all the way around the course and now we are actually seeing close racing.
Wednesday was a stunning day, and me and my friends (one local, 2 old friends on their first TT visit) started off at Sulby, next to a snoring man who claimed he had seen all the bikes going past and that he was merely resting his eyes. He definitely woke up when Gary Johnson came through on the MV! After the Supersport had been won by Michael Dunlop, with Anstey second & McGuinness third, we picnicked in the sunshine, then headed up to Bungalow for the sidecars second race. It was absolutely packed, and the views as stunning as they could be on such a beautiful day. Sadly, our boys were forced to retire at Union Mills, but it really was something to see them over the Mountain.
There were a number of retirements in the race including Saturday’s winners Reeves & Sayle. The Birchall brothers had a fantastic start and eventually they took the win. Moly/Farrance came home in second place and Harrison/Aylott took third. We ended the day with Italian food and a few drinks, and already I could feel the sadness that there was only one day of racing left building inside me. Thursday was a rest day for me, to recover from late nights sat in the garden drinking with friends and to recoup some energy for the Senior.
In the evening we had the TTTweetmeet 2013 at the Creg. So great to meet up with people we see regularly on our timelines. Standing on the balcony I looked out to the views and I was reminded just how lucky I was (as if I weren’t already sure) – a real ‘I live here’ moment. It was also a fantastic effort on the charity front, with £1035 being raised for the Joey Dunlop Foundation which will help them to carry on doing their fantastic work with the property at Braddan.
Friday dawned – another superb day weather wise, and the anticipation for the Senior was palpable around the Island. Would Dunlop claim his fifth win? Would he take the lightweight and set a new record of 6? Would McGuinness come back strong? Would we see Gary Johnson, Cam Donald, Anstey or any of the others come and nick it? That is the beauty of these races – it really could be anyone. They all have the skill, they all have the experience, but would their machinery perform and keep them going over the 6 laps? Before we find that out, we had the Lightweight race to go. James Hillier won after close racing at the start which saw him increase his lead to over 30 seconds from
Dean Harrison had 35 seconds over our local lad Conor Cummins. Anyone who saw Conor’s accident will agree that to see him back to podium form is nothing short of amazing.
So finally, it was time for the Senior. The riders set off one by one but before everybody was out on the course, a red flag came out. News soon came over the radio that there had been an incident at Bray Hill and there it was again. That sick feeling in the pit of the stomach. The spectators sitting in the sunshine opposite me were subdued as we waited for more news. The next information that came out was that there had been an incident on Bray Hill, involving a rider, who was ok, but that some spectators had been hurt.
It is easy to get drawn into tweeting about what’s going on, and I shared a couple of tweets without really thinking. After realising that I could be doing more harm than good until we knew all the details I stopped. Sadly it was not the same for everyone – pictures were appearing on Twitter of the scene, which then were picked up by the mainstream media. The official ACU statement confirmed that 10 spectators were injured, with injuries ranging from minor to serious but not life threatening. It was also confirmed that the rider involved had sustained a fracture.
It was inevitable that there would be some kind of backlash in the media. They were quick to pick up on events, talking about how dangerous it is, and how many people get hurt. I would be surprised if anybody out there yesterday, or any of the other days, did not realise that it could be dangerous. There are signs all around the course warning of danger, as there is a warning in the Programme/guide. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that with bikes travelling at c.190 miles an hour in places, there is potential for something to go wrong. But then is that not part of the beauty of road racing? The option to sit so near to the action and feel the speed at close quarters is not like anything else in the world.
Again, there are calls for its banning. I wonder how many calls there have been to ban people from climbing Mount Everest? What about skiing? Rallying? Or Formula 1? There is nobody out on that course – rider or spectator – who does not know what the risks are, and who doesn’t love the sport any less because of it?
The number of visitors this year felt like the most there have been in years. Both weeks were buzzing, and thousands of people have enjoyed the spectacle that is the Isle of Man TT. It has been going for over 100 years, and I can’t see it going anywhere fast. Especially if we have anything to do with it. My thoughts are with those injured and I hope they all make a full & speedy recovery. It also seems appropriate to remember again Yoshinari Matsushita – RIP Yoshi.
And now it is all over…. the spectacular firework display last night in Douglas and the Post TT Races at Billown rounded off the fortnight in superb style. Every year I wonder if next year will be as good, and every year it proves it can stand up to the previous year. It has been the most amazing fortnight, full of new experiences, new friends, old friends, fast bikes, sunshine & fun. I miss it already.
The Island has already started its transformation back to a sleepy spot in the Irish Sea – it always amazes me how fast everybody disappears and how quickly the road falls silent. Living near a campsite means a steady stream of bikes up and down the main road near my flat. Today, it is noticeably quieter and I have really missed it!!
Monday and the return to work is all too close. But I have the Southern 100 in July and Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix in August lined up.
Then of course, there’s always next year…..