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Post by charleselan on Jun 1, 2018 18:31:14 GMT
The 2018 TT race meeting is underway once more and my great enthusiasm for the event has been severely dented by the tragic death of Dan Kneen earlier this week in practice. Dan was a really good lad, and this season had really begun to combine promise with results, along with a top quality ride on the Tyco BMW. As a Isle Of Man resident it is such a sad time, however as they all say he died doing what he loved, and no one forced him to race on the roads.
It would be great if Connor Cummins also a IOM resident could win a much deserved race and get it for the both of them.
The weather has been fantastic for this weeks practice and one hopes that it stays good all next week as well for the races. Not quite the buzz about this year as we are missing some big names in John Mc' and Guy Martin; Hutchy has still some way to go in his recovery but is racing on the works Honda, just keep it steady boy!
Peter Hickman is due a first win, keep it safe Pete, the same applies to Josh Brookes on the Norton who is putting in some good times.
The ITV4 presentation team have changed this year with the excellent Matt Roberts (Eurosport BSB presenter) replacing Craig Doyle who is obviously off doing something else. But why Oh! Why have we been subjected to Jodie Kidd; silly me she is the token female petrol head!! Good to still have Steve Plater and Cam Donald but missing James Whitam, however I know the latter is still undergoing treatment for leukaemia, the second time the poor man has had to go through that terrible thing.
Stay safe everyone, and lets have a superb race week.
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Post by Carl on Jun 1, 2018 20:14:39 GMT
The 2018 TT race meeting is underway once more and my great enthusiasm for the event has been severely dented by the tragic death of Dan Kneen earlier this week in practice. Dan was a really good lad, and this season had really begun to combine promise with results, along with a top quality ride on the Tyco BMW. As a Isle Of Man resident it is such a sad time, however as they all say he died doing what he loved, and no one forced him to race on the roads. It would be great if Connor Cummins also a IOM resident could win a much deserved race and get it for the both of them. The weather has been fantastic for this weeks practice and one hopes that it stays good all next week as well for the races. Not quite the buzz about this year as we are missing some big names in John Mc' and Guy Martin; Hutchy has still some way to go in his recovery but is racing on the works Honda, just keep it steady boy! Peter Hickman is due a first win, keep it safe Pete, the same applies to Josh Brookes on the Norton who is putting in some good times. The ITV4 presentation team have changed this year with the excellent Matt Roberts (Eurosport BSB presenter) replacing Craig Doyle who is obviously off doing something else. But why Oh! Why have we been subjected to Jodie Kidd; silly me she is the token female petrol head!! Good to still have Steve Plater and Cam Donald but missing James Whitam, however I know the latter is still undergoing treatment for leukaemia, the second time the poor man has had to go through that terrible thing. Stay safe everyone, and lets have a superb race week.
I am truly saddened to hear about Dan Kneen, a fine rider with great potential. Terrible news... |
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Post by charleselan on Jun 1, 2018 22:16:33 GMT
The 2018 TT race meeting is underway once more and my great enthusiasm for the event has been severely dented by the tragic death of Dan Kneen earlier this week in practice. Dan was a really good lad, and this season had really begun to combine promise with results, along with a top quality ride on the Tyco BMW. As a Isle Of Man resident it is such a sad time, however as they all say he died doing what he loved, and no one forced him to race on the roads. It would be great if Connor Cummins also a IOM resident could win a much deserved race and get it for the both of them. The weather has been fantastic for this weeks practice and one hopes that it stays good all next week as well for the races. Not quite the buzz about this year as we are missing some big names in John Mc' and Guy Martin; Hutchy has still some way to go in his recovery but is racing on the works Honda, just keep it steady boy! Peter Hickman is due a first win, keep it safe Pete, the same applies to Josh Brookes on the Norton who is putting in some good times. The ITV4 presentation team have changed this year with the excellent Matt Roberts (Eurosport BSB presenter) replacing Craig Doyle who is obviously off doing something else. But why Oh! Why have we been subjected to Jodie Kidd; silly me she is the token female petrol head!! Good to still have Steve Plater and Cam Donald but missing James Whitam, however I know the latter is still undergoing treatment for leukaemia, the second time the poor man has had to go through that terrible thing. Stay safe everyone, and lets have a superb race week.
I am truly saddened to hear about Dan Kneen, a fine rider with great potential. Terrible news... Carl, I should have added to the missing riders this year the truly outstanding New Zealander Bruce Anstey who is also fighting an aggressive cancer. Bruce is a rider I have huge regard for, a massive talent and still unbelievably quick in his mid forties. I am certain that we all wish him well in his fight against that most terrible of illness'. JC |
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Post by Carl on Jun 2, 2018 0:18:21 GMT
I am truly saddened to hear about Dan Kneen, a fine rider with great potential. Terrible news... Carl, I should have added to the missing riders this year the truly outstanding New Zealander Bruce Anstey who is also fighting an aggressive cancer. Bruce is a rider I have huge regard for, a massive talent and still unbelievably quick in his mid forties. I am certain that we all wish him well in his fight against that most terrible of illness'. JC John Charles,
I had been quite happy because the Isle of Man races will be shown again on my cable system, an hour each day over eight days, but watching this year will be bittersweet. There are always deaths, mostly of spectators taking reckless chances, and each one is an equal tragedy for family and friends.
I had the hardest time learning to understand James Whitham's pronounced dialect, but once accustomed I always paid close attention to his expert analysis of events. And Bruce Anstey was one of my favorites, a class act on and off the bike. Cancer is a slow death for those who lose the fight and all fans of motorsport wish both James and Bruce well.
Bittersweet this year!
-Carl
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Post by chrisb on Jun 2, 2018 6:36:37 GMT
may I echo your sentiments chaps, that was a real tragedy and my thoughts are with Dan's family and a really moving tribute by his brother who rode a lap of respect for his brother which nearly cracked me up, and I wish Steve Mercer a speedy recovery too,
the TT is so unbelievably fast as are all the road races but it is a shock to the system when you see the going down Bray hill for the first time, it really does take one's breath away
I too am a Mat fan, miss Steve Parish, not a fan of Jodie but pleased there is a female presenter although would have preferred someone like Jenny Tinmouth who comes across as a lovely person and is obviously very knowledgeable - but obviously doesn't know the right people,
I really do enjoy James's comments - his barbs are so typically Yorkshire they are a hoot, so please James all the best and the same for Bruce, amazing speed and great guy
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Post by charleselan on Jun 5, 2018 12:00:00 GMT
Yesterday saw the Superstock 1000cc race feature a mind numbing 134 mph average lap speed. It is hard to get ones ahead around the fact that the Superstocks are basically bikes that one can buy straight from the showroom and run on road legal tyres, not full slicks.
Peter Hickman won his first TT race in the Superstock beating Michael Dunlop fair and square both on BMW machines. This must now make Peter the very best all rounder since the days of Steve Hislop and Carl Fogarty, he has won British Superbike rounds and now a TT on the roads. Great bloke and rider, well done Peter.
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Post by charleselan on Jun 5, 2018 17:29:47 GMT
This is the press conference after the truly astonishing 2018 SuperStock IOM TT race, very refreshing to hear these guys talk, hats off to all three boys.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 5, 2018 20:59:40 GMT
many congratulations to Peter - a really approachable down to earth bloke, who is also a big chap and that is really refreshing
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Post by mikael on Jun 6, 2018 9:58:57 GMT
This is a race I would love to go and see live, once in life!
An average speed of 134 mph / 223 km/h, on bumpy roads lined with trees - or houses! ... yes, it's hard to comprehend ... amazing!
( I have a DVD at home called "History of the TT 1907-2000" (Duke) which is very interesting and which has whetted my interest since many years. What a history this race has! )
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Post by charleselan on Jun 6, 2018 12:17:40 GMT
This is a race I would love to go and see live, once in life!
An average speed of 134 mph / 223 km/h, on bumpy roads lined with trees - or houses! ... yes, it's hard to comprehend ... amazing!
( I have a DVD at home called "History of the TT 1907-2000" (Duke) which is very interesting and which has whetted my interest since many years. What a history this race has! )
Mikael, I have not been to the IOM TT races either but it now remains the one event that I would like to see; the Classic TT at the end of August is now almost on a par and would also be high on my list. It is a truly incredible spectacle and as you mention those speeds on bumpy everyday roads surrounded by trees and houses is hard to comprehend. Those lads are incredibly brave (and that hardly does them justice) as well as extremely talented. Out puts MotoGP into perspective, which in itself completely overshadows contemporary F1. There are some absolutely fantastic films available of the TT and the onboard ones are very special. In the week building up to this years race week the UK TV channel ITV4 showed several hour long programs one of which had a full lap on board with Steve Hislop on his Castrol Honda RC45 in 1994. This truly compelling viewing as Steve gives an outstanding commentary of the lap, which is right up there with the lap analysis that Jackie Stewart was famous for in car racing. Incidentally in another program listing the great TT riders the great Carl Fogarty made the comment that in his opinion Steve Hislop was the greatest TT rider he had ever seen, and coming from Carl that is some accolade. The Honda RC45 was, and is, a bike I would treasure in my garage as they were production machines and featured an amazing 750cc V4 engine, just an incredible bike, as was its predecessor the RC30. I have attached the film in question of Steve on his RC45. |
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Post by charleselan on Jun 6, 2018 19:01:35 GMT
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Post by chrisb on Jun 6, 2018 21:04:32 GMT
as someone who has been to the TT [twice, in 07 and 08] it is something i would wholeheartedly recommend - when you first see them come over the hill past the pits and down Bray hill you cannot fathom what is going on, they are just so damm quick, you see a MotoGP or BSB on a 'small' circuit they are quick but when you see the TT machines at 180 mph on a road that you would normally do 30 mph and the thing is bucking and weaving so much it makes a rodeo rider look still, you honestly stop breathing for a second, and then there is the noise, yeeoooww it is just beyond one's imagination, but so exhilarating and then you ride the course yourself, and when you get to the mountain, I was flat out at 150mph and the bikes just roared past me as if i was standing still, which was so scary, but a memory that will never fade
in saying that i fear that its popularity has overtaken its practicality and getting there is more and more difficult, I do intend to visit the classic because as you say JC it is almost as quick but far more civilised
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Post by chrisb on Jun 6, 2018 21:07:09 GMT
JC what a wonderful picture of a great champion, Hizzy was spectacular and flawed - my favourite was always Dave Jeffries and his loss is still felt today especially by McPint
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Post by mikael on Jun 7, 2018 11:50:36 GMT
JC, thank you for your posting of the movie and the nice photos. The movie is very interesting to watch. Initially the riding/driving of Hislop appears very smooth and controlled. (As an 11 times TT Winner, he certainly knew his way around the Isle of Man!) But at a closer look, one can sense the bumpiness of the road. And when he gets airborne in fifth gear and at "full song" - on a non-straight road section - that's scary enough!
The Honda RC45 V4 engine produces a really nice sound!
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Post by charleselan on Jun 7, 2018 11:52:22 GMT
JC what a wonderful picture of a great champion, Hizzy was spectacular and flawed - my favourite was always Dave Jeffries and his loss is still felt today especially by McPint Chris, They are great pictures of Hizzy and believe it or not there are not that many on the internet of good quality. He was my last real "favourite" and along with John Reynolds the last superstars for me in BSB. I was disgusted with Paul Bird when he sacked Steve after winning the BSB title for him, apparently the sponsors wanted a younger rider, and up stepped Shakey. Hizzy never held that against Shakey but I do not think he ever got over that. At his burial the minister conducting the service made a beautiful speech about the "flawed genius" that as Steve; the main flaw, (as if none of us humans are perfect), was the fact that if Hizzy got it into his head the bike was wrong then he just did not perform. However in utter contrast to that he rode the animal that was "White Lightening" the Rotary Norton to one of the greatest ever TT victories; I doubt anyone on the planet could have ridden that machine the way Steve Hislop did that day. Foggy played an equal part as they had one of the greatest TT battles of all time; Carl's Yamaha was in pieces after the race he had ridden it so hard. Hence Foggy's comment that Steve was the greatest TT rider he had ever seen has such a powerful meaning. I also remember the first BSB meeting broadcast by the BBC (when they actually supported motor sports) the round at Oulton Park if memory serves me correctly, after Steve's tragic helicopter accident they produced one of the best tributes I have ever seen to a rider/driver. The film clips of him in action accompanied by the Stereophonic track "Maybe Tomorrow" made the hairs on my body stand up, and every time I hear that track today the same applies, truly memorable. Dave Jefferies was a great TT champion, no doubt about that, and a tragedy. I was not really into the TT at that time as I had stepped away from it by the mid 1980's, however i came back to it in a very big way in the early 2000nds. The Hizzy material has all come retrospectively and through following him in BSB etc. |
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