Isle of Man TT

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Isle of Man Tourist Trophy" redirects here. For a series of car races held on the Isle of Man between 1905 and 1922, see RAC Tourist Trophy.

Isle of Man TT.svg

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy

Region

Isle of Man

Course

Isle of Man TT Mountain Circuit

Type

Public road course

Clerk of the Course

Gary Thompson MBE BEM

Event Organiser

ACU Events Ltd

Principal sponsor

Isle of Man Department for Economic Development

History

First race

1907

Number of race meetings

101 (up to 2022)

First winner

C. R. Collier (1907)

Most wins

Joey Dunlop 26 (1977–2000)

Lap record

Peter Hickman 16m 42.778s – 135.452 mph (217.989 km/h) (2018)[1]

Fatalities

257

The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world: many competitors have died.[2]

Contents

- 1Overview

- 2Early Isle of Man TT race history (1904–1910)

- 2.1Gordon Bennett and Tourist Trophy car races

- 2.2International Motor-Cycle Cup Race (1905)

- 3Format of the races

- 3.1Race procedure

- 3.2Eligibility

- 3.3Race classes

- 3.4Discontinued race classes

- 4Practice sessions

- 4.1Current practice session schedule

- 4.2Practice week sessions

- 5TT course official vehicles

- 5.1Travelling Marshals

- 6Crossing places during practice and races

- 6.1In Douglas

- 6.2Elsewhere

- 7TT Course access road

- 8Description

- 9Safety

- 9.12018 Course Car incident

- 10Cancellations

- 10.1World Wars I and II

- 10.22001 cancellation

- 10.32020 and 2021 cancellations

- 11Total overall race winners

- 12FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship Rounds (1949–1976)

- 12.1Multiple winners (riders)

- 12.2Multiple winners (manufacturers)

- 12.3By year

- 13Current lap records

- 14Current race records

- 15Race awards

- 15.1Race winner trophies

- 15.2Fastest lap awards

- 15.3Special awards

- 15.4Other Special awards

- 16Video games

- 17In popular culture

- 18See also

- 19Notes

- 19.1Citations

- 19.2References

- 20External links

Overview[edit]

The Isle of Man TT is run in a time-trial format on public roads closed to the public by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man). The event consists of one week of practice sessions followed by one week of racing. It has been a tradition, perhaps started by racing competitors in the early 1920s, for spectators to tour the Snaefell Mountain Course on motorcycles during the Isle of Man TT on Mad Sunday,[3] an informal and unofficial sanctioned event held on the Sunday[4] between 'Practice Week' and 'Race Week'.

The first Isle of Man TT race was held on Tuesday 28 May 1907 and was called the International Auto-Cycle Tourist Trophy.[5] The event was organised by the Auto-Cycle Club over 10 laps of the Isle of Man St John's Short Course of 15 miles 1,470 yards for road-legal 'touring' motorcycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mudguards.

From 1911, the Isle of Man TT transferred to the much longer Snaefell Mountain Course of 37.40 miles (60.19 km) (current length 37.73 miles (60.72 km)). Its elevation goes from sea-level to 1,300 feet.[6] The race programme developed from a single race with two classes for the 1907 Isle of Man TT, expanding in 1911 to two individual races for the 350cc Junior TT motor-cycles and the Blue Riband event the 500cc Senior TT race. The race did not take place from 1915 to 1919 due to the First World War. It resumed in 1920. A 250cc Lightweight TT race was added to the Isle of Man TT programme in 1922, followed by a Sidecar TT race in 1923.

There was no racing on the Isle of Man between 1940 and 1945 due to the Second World War. It recommenced with the Manx Grand Prix in 1946 and the Isle of Man TT in 1947, with a greatly expanded format that included the new Clubman's TT races. The Isle of Man TT became part of the FIM Motor-cycle Grand Prix World Championship (now MotoGP) as the British round of the World Motor-Cycling Championship during the period 1949–1976. Following safety concerns with the Snaefell Mountain Course and problems over inadequate "start-money" for competitors, there was a boycott of the Isle of Man TT races from the early 1970s by many of the leading competitors, motorcycle manufacturers and national motorcycle sporting federations.[7]

It is regarded as the most dangerous motorsport event in the world; The New York Times said in 2017 that the number of deaths had risen "to 146 since it was first run in 1907; if one includes fatal accidents occurring during the Manx Grand Prix ... the figure rises above 250".[8][9] An account of the 2003 race by Sports Illustrated writer Franz Lidz called the TT "a test of nerves and speed that may be sports' most dangerous event."[10]

In 1976, the Isle of Man TT lost its world championship status; this was transferred to the United Kingdom by the FIM and run as the British Grand Prix for the 1977 season. The Isle of Man TT Races then became an integral part of the new style TT Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 World Championships between 1977 and 1990 to develop and maintain the international racing status of the Isle of Man TT races.[11]

The event was redeveloped by the Isle of Man Department of Tourism as the Isle of Man TT Festival from 1989 onwards. This included new racing events for the new Isle of Man TT Festival programme, including the Pre-TT Classic Races in 1989 followed by the Post-TT Races from 1991, both held on the Billown Circuit. In 2013, the Isle of Man Classic TT was developed by the Isle of Man Department of Economic Development and the Auto-Cycle Union for historic racing motorcycles, and along with the Manx Grand Prix now forms part of the 'Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling' held in late August of each year.

There has been criticism of the event. In 2007, an incident during the Senior Race resulted in the deaths of a rider and two spectators.[12] The resultant inquest made several recommendations and included several comments, such as: 'Senior Marshals may well have been elevated beyond the sphere of their competence'.[13] The coroner also noted that "I am more than aware of the fact that the witnesses from the Manx Motor Cycle Club and the marshals are all volunteers. They give their time freely and without paid reward. Having said that however, if it were suggested because they were volunteers there should be some allowance in the standards expected of them, then I regret I cannot agree."[14]

In 2018, a solo competitor was seriously injured during a head-on collision with an official Course Car being driven at high speed when conveying police officers to officiate at the scene of a fatality further along the course. He was one of seven riders who had been halted on the course and turned back by marshals, being instructed to proceed back to the paddock area in the reverse-direction after the red flag stoppage.

The 2020 and 2021 TT races were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16]

Early Isle of Man TT race history (1904–1910)[edit]

Gordon Bennett and Tourist Trophy car races[edit]

Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial, restricted to touring automobiles. As the Motor Car Act 1903 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph (32 km/h) on automobiles in the UK, Julian Orde, Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man for the permission to race automobiles on the island's public roads.[17] The Highways (Light Locomotive) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man for the 52.15-mile (83.93 km) Highroads Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial which was won by Clifford Earl (Napier) in 7 hours 26.5 minutes for five laps (255.5 mi or 411.2 km) of the Highroads Course. The 1905 Gordon Bennett Trial was held on 30 May 1905 and was again won by Clifford Earl driving a Napier automobile in 6 hours and 6 minutes for six laps of the Highroads Course. This was followed in September 1905 with the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race for racing automobiles, now known as the RAC Tourist Trophy and was won by John Napier (Arrol-Johnston) in 6 hours and 9 minutes at an average speed of 33.90 mph (54.56 km/h).[18]

International Motor-Cycle Cup Race (1905)[edit]

For the 1905 Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trial it was decided to run an eliminating trial for motorcycles the day afterwards for a team to represent Great Britain in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Races. An accident at Ramsey Hairpin forced out one of the pre-race favourites, and the inability of the competitors to climb the steep Mountain Section of the course forced the organisers to use a 25-mile (40 km) section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. This ran from Douglas south to Castletown and then north to Ballacraine along the primary A3 road and returning to the start at the Quarterbridge in Douglas via Crosby and Glen Vine along the current Snaefell Mountain Course in the reverse direction. The 1905 International Motor-Cycle Cup Race for five laps (125 mi or 201 km) was won by J.S. Campbell (Ariel) despite a fire during a pit stop[19] in 4 hours, 9 minutes and 36 seconds at an average race speed of 30.04 mph (48.34 km/h).[20]

Format of the races[edit]

Competitors line up at the start of the 2010 Senior TT race

The TT Races since the first race in 1907 have been in the format of time-trial. The races held on the Clypse Course during the period 1954–1959 were the more traditional full grid starts along with the 1924 Lightweight TT Race and Clubmen TT Races from 1948, which were also "mass-start" races. The current format is a "clutch start" and race competitors will be "started singly at 10-second intervals".[21]

Race procedure[edit]

- Start Preliminaries

- First Signal – 45 minutes before the start with a warm-up of engines in the Race Paddock and assembly area.

- Second Signal – 30 minutes before start.

- Third Signal – 15 minutes before start, race competitors move to the start-line and form-up in qualification order.

- Fourth Signal – 5 minutes before start, signal to clear the grid and race competitors move towards the exit-gate.

Eligibility[edit]

Entrants must be in possession of a valid National Entrants or FIM Sponsors Licence for Road Racing.

Entrants must also cite pre-filled documentation of completion of a UK driver's licence or motorcycle certification, or a driver's licence from a comparable country that is recognised by UK comparable department of transportation standards and may withhold due to any pre race or post race suspensions.

Race classes[edit]

Current

- Senior TT (1909–present)

- Lightweight TT (1922–1976, 1995–2004, 2012–present)

- Junior TT / Supersport TT (1911–present)

- Superbike TT (2005–present)

- Superstock TT (2005–present)

- Sidecar TT (1923–1925, 1951–1967, 1977–present)

Former

- Singles TT (1907–1908, 1994–2000)

- Twin TT (1907–1908)

- Sidecar 1000 TT (1975–1976)

- Sidecar 750 TT (1968–1974)

- Sidecar 500 TT (1968–1976)

- Ultra-Lightweight TT (1924–1925, 1951–1974, 1989–2004, 2008)

- Clubman Senior TT (1947–1956)

- Clubman Junior TT (1947–1956)

- Clubman Lightweight TT (1947–1950)

- Clubman 1000 TT (1949–1950, 1953)

- 50 TT (1962–1968)

- Classic TT (1975–1984)

- Formula 1 TT (1977–2004)

- Formula 2 TT (1977–1987)

- Formula 3 TT (1977–1982)

- Production 1500 TT (1985–1985)

- Production 1000 TT (1974, 2002–2004)

- Production 750 TT (1967–1973, 1984–1985)

- Production 500 / 600 TT (1967–1974, 2002–2004)

- Production 250 TT (1967–1974, 1984–1985)

- Production TT (1975–1976, 1996–2000)

- Production A TT (1986–1988)

- Production B TT (1986–1988)

- Production C TT (1986–1988)

- Production D TT (1986–1988)

- Supersport 600 TT (1989–1994)

- Supersport 400 TT (1989–1994)

- Lightweight 400 TT (1999–2004)

- TTXGP (2009)

- TT Zero (2010–2019)

Superbike TT[edit]

The 2015 specification for entries into the Superbike TT race are defined as:

- Any machine complying with the following specifications:

- TT Superbike: (Machines complying with the 2015 FIM Superbike Championship specifications)

- Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 850 cc up to 1200 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke

Minimum Weight 165 kg (364 lb). Other machines admitted at the discretion of the Organisers[22]

Supersport TT[edit]

The 1911 Isle of Man TT was the first time the Junior TT race took place, open to 300 cc single-cylinder and 340 cc twin cylinder motorcycles, contested over five laps of the new 37.5-mile (60.4 km) Snaefell Mountain Course. The first event on the new course was the Junior TT Race contested by 35 entrants, won by Percy J. Evans riding a Humber motor-cycle at an average race speed of 41.45 mph (66.71 km/h). The 1912 event was the first to limit the Junior TT to only 350 cc machines and this engine capacity prevailed until 1976, after which the category was dropped. The event was instead run for 250 cc machines until 1994 when replaced by the 600 cc Supersport class.

- 1911 For single cylinder motorcycles not exceeding 300 cc engine capacity and 340 cc twin cylinder motorcycles.

- 1912–1948 For motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity.

- 1949–1953 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the Snaefell mountain course.

- 1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the Clypse Course.

- 1960–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 350 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.

- 1977–1994 for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.

- 1995 onwards for motorcycles not exceeding 600 cc engine capacity and held on the Mountain Course.

The 2015 specifications for entries into the Supersport TT race are:

- TT Supersport: (Machines complying with the 2015 FIM Supersport Championship specifications)

- Over 400 cc up to 600 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 600 cc up to 675 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 600 cc up to 750 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke

Minimum Weight 161 kg[23]

Superstock TT[edit]

Main article: Superstock TT

The 2015 specifications for entries for the Superstock TT, an event for production based motorcycles racing with treaded road tyres, are based on the FIM Superstock Championship specifications, as follows:

- Superstock TT: (Machines complying with the 2012 FIM Superstock Championship specifications)

- Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 850 cc up to 1200 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke

Minimum (Dry) Weight 170 kg[24]

Lightweight TT[edit]

Main article: Lightweight TT

Winner of the 2012 Lightweight TT Ryan Farquhar 650 cc Kawasaki, (2) at the startline

The 1922 event was the first time the Lightweight TT race took place, won by a motorcycle-journalist Geoff S. Davison, riding a Levis at an average speed of 49.89 mph (80.29 km/h) for seven laps of the Snaefell Mountain Course. In the changes following the loss of FIM World Championship status after the 1976 event, the Lightweight TT event was dropped with the 250 cc machines running for the Junior TT in place of the now defunct 350 cc formula. The Lightweight TT returned in 1995 before being split into two distinct events from 1999, dropping from the schedule again after 2003. As with the Ultra-Lightweight TT Race, it was reintroduced 2008–2009 when held on the Billown short road circuit; and then dropped again from the race schedule on cost grounds.

- 1924–1948 For motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity.

- 1949–1953 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Snaefell mountain course.

- 1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Clypse Course.

- 1960–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.

- 1977–1994 event not run (250 cc formula run as Junior TT).

- 1995–1998 for 2-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, and 4-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 400 cc, held on the Mountain Course.

- 1999–2003 Lightweight 400 TT for 4-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 400 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.

- 1999–2002 Lightweight 250 TT for 2-stroke motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course (the category running within Junior TT in 2003).

- 2008–2009 for motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc engine capacity, held on the Billown Circuit.

- 2012– The event was re-introduced from the 2012 event for water-cooled four-stroke twin cylinder not exceeding an engine capacity of 650 cc and complying with the ACU Standing Regulations.[25]

The 2019 specifications for entries into the Lightweight TT race are:

- Machines must comply with general technical rules as per ACU Standing Regulations and 2019 Isle of Man TT race regulations.

- Any four-stroke twin cylinder motorcycle originally sold for road use with a water-cooled engine of up to 650 cc engine capacity.

- Eligible machines must be from models homologated for UK road use 2009 or later.

Mininium weight for the Lightweight TT class is 161 kilograms (355 lb).[26]

Sidecar TT[edit]

Main article: Sidecar TT

Sidecar TT race competitors line up to start the race

The 1923 TT was the first time the Sidecar TT race was run, over three laps (113 mi or 182 km) of the Mountain Course and was won by Freddie Dixon and passenger Walter Denny with a Douglas and special banking-sidecar at an average race speed of 53.15 mph (85.54 km/h). For the 1926 event the Sidecar and Ultra-Lightweight TT classes were dropped due to lack of entries.

The Sidecar race was re-introduced from the 1954 event for Sidecars not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity, run on the Clypse Course. A non-championship 750 cc class for sidecars was introduced at the 1968 event. For the 1976 event the race was held over two-legs. From 1975, the previous 500 cc and 750 cc classes for Sidecars were replaced by a 1000 cc engine capacity class.

The new FIM Formula 2 class for Sidecars was introduced for the 1990 Isle of Man TT.

- 1954–1959 FIM World Championship Event for Side-Cars not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity. Race held on the Clypse Course.

- 1960–1976 FIM World Championship Event held on Mountain Course.

- 1968–1974 Non-Championship event for Sidecars not exceeding 750 cc.

- 1975–1989 Sidecars not exceeding 1000 cc engine capacity.

- 1990– FIM Formula 2 Sidecar race for two-stroke engines not exceeding 350 cc or four-stroke engines not exceeding 600 cc.

The 2015 specifications for entries into the Sidecar TT race are:

- Machines must comply with general technical rules as per ACU Standing Regulations and 2015 Isle of Man TT regulations.

- Engine Types

- 501 – 600 cc, 4 stroke, 4 cylinder, Production based motorcycle engines.

Senior TT[edit]

Main article: Senior TT

Ian Hutchinson on the start-line of the Senior TT Race on 11 June 2010

For the 1911 Isle of Man TT, the first TT event using the Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course, two separate races were introduced. The first event was a four lap Junior TT race and a separate Senior TT race for 500 cc single-cylinder and 585 cc twin-cylinder motorcycles, over five laps of the new 37.5-mile (60.4 km) Snaefell Mountain Course. The new technical challenges of the Mountain Course forced changes on entrants and motorcycle manufacturers alike. The American Indian motorcycle factory fitted a two-speed gearbox and chain-drive. This proved to be the winning combination when Oliver Godfrey won the 1911 Senior TT race riding an Indian at an average speed of 47.63 mph (76.65 km/h). Fitted with a six-speed belt drive[27] Charlie Collier riding a Matchless motorcycle finished second in the 1911 Senior TT race and was later disqualified for illegal refuelling. During an early morning practice session for the 1911 Isle of Man TT races, Victor Surridge died after crashing his Rudge motorcycle at Glen Helen, the first death of a competitor on the Snaefell Mountain Course and the first death in the Isle of Man of a person in an automotive accident.[28]

- 1911 For single cylinder motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity and 585 cc twin cylinder motorcycles.

- 1912–1939 For motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity.

- 1947–1948 For motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity and a ban on engine supercharging.

- 1949–1976 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity.

- 1977–1984 for motorcycles not exceeding 500 cc engine capacity.

- 1985–2004 for motorcycles complying with ACU TT Formula 1 rules not exceeding 1,010 cc engine capacity.

- 2004 onwards for motorcycles complying with ACU/FIM Superbike rules not exceeding 1,000 cc engine capacity.

The 2015 specifications for entries into the Senior TT race are:

- TT Superbike: (Machines complying with the 2015 FIM Superbike Championship specifications)[29]

- Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 4 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 750 cc up to 1000 cc 3 cylinders 4-stroke

- Over 850 cc up to 1200 cc 2 cylinders 4-stroke

- Supersport Junior TT (without limitation of tyre choice)

- TT Superstock (without limitation of tyre choice)

- Other machines admitted at the discretion of the Organisers.

TT Zero[edit]

Main article: TT Zero

Starting from the 2010 races, the TT Zero event over one lap (37.73 mi or 60.72 km) of the Snaefell Mountain Course replaced the TTXGP. The TT Zero event as an officially sanctioned TT race is for racing motorcycles where "The technical concept is for motorcycles (two wheeled) to be powered without the use of carbon based fuels and have zero toxic/noxious emissions".[30] The Isle of Man Government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first entrant to exceed the prestigious 100 mph (160 km/h) (22 minutes and 38.388 seconds) average speed around the Mountain Course. This was achieved by Michael Rutter of team MotoCzysz in the 2012 race,[31] and has been exceeded every year since.

In 2019, a moratorium on further events in this class was announced, due to the slow take-up in electric motorcycles. Speaking about the future of the event, Enterprise Minister Alex Allinson has ruled out further competition in this class until at least 2024.[32]

Discontinued race classes[edit]

Ultra-Lightweight TT[edit]

Main article: Ultra-Lightweight TT

1924 was the first time the Ultra-Lightweight TT race took place for motorcycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity. It was won by Jock Porter, riding a New Gerrard motorcycle at an average speed of 51.21 mph (82.41 km/h) over three laps of the Snaefell mountain course. The Ultra-Lightweight class was re-introduced in 1951 for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc until discontinued in 1974, and then re-introduced for 1989, again for two-stroke 125 cc motorcycles, until dropped again due to lack of entries after 2004. The event was reintroduced 2008–2009 held on the four-mile Billown Circuit and then dropped from the race schedule on cost grounds for the 2010 races.

- 1924–1925 For motorcycles not exceeding 175 cc engine capacity.

- 1951–1953 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Snaefell mountain course.

- 1954–1959 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Clypse Course.

- 1960–1974 FIM World Championship event for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.

- 1989–2004 for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.

- 2008–2009 for motorcycles not exceeding 125 cc engine capacity, held on the Billown Circuit.

- 50 cc race 1962–1968, an additional World Championship event for Ultra-Lightweight motorcycles not exceeding 50 cc engine capacity, held on the Mountain Course.

Clubman TT and Production TT[edit]

The Clubman races with Lightweight, Junior and Senior classes were held for production motorcycles from 1947 until 1956.[33] A Senior 1000 cc class provided an opportunity for Vincent motorcycles.[34] The riders were little-known, but as the stars were barred from entering the class, it provided a stepping-stone for future-stars but resulted in less spectator-interest. The series became dominated by one model – the BSA Gold Star,[35][36][37] and with little competition from other manufacturers, was discontinued. When previewing the impending re-introduction of a specification-controlled, roadster-based class in March 1967, David Dixon wrote: "lack of inter-make rivalry probably put the final nail in the coffin".[35]

Writing in UK monthly magazine Motor Cyclist Illustrated, racing journalist Ray Knight, who had achieved a lap speed of nearly 88 mph on a Triumph Tiger 100 roadster-based racing motorcycle in the Manx Grand Prix,[38][39][40] commented in early 1965 that the ACU had refused a request from manufacturers to run a production TT race, which he thought was a missed opportunity, particularly considering the dwindling support for the 500 cc race.[41]

A Production TT for roadster-based motorcycles having classes for maximum engine capacities of 250 cc, 500 cc and 750 cc was introduced from 1967 until 1976 when the class was discontinued.

The Production TT was reintroduced for the 1984 races in three classes, reduced to two classes on safety grounds for the 1990 races. For the 2005 races the Superstock class replaced the previous 1000 cc and 600 cc Production TT classes that had been part of the race schedule since 1989.

Practice sessions[edit]

2013 TT start of the Newcomers Speed Control Lap with John McGuinness (left) and Bruce Anstey (right)

The format of the Isle of Man TT is one week of practice/qualifying followed by one week of racing. Historically, there was an early morning practice session from 05:00–07:30 am. This was discontinued for the 2004 Isle of Man TT races.

During an early morning practice session for the 1927 Isle of Man TT races, Archie Birkin, brother of Tim Birkin of the Bentley Boys fame, crashed fatally at Rhencullen after swerving to avoid a collision with a Fish Van being driven on open roads.[42] From 1928 onwards, practice sessions for the Isle of Man TT Races and Manx Grand Prix were held on closed public roads.[43] Evening practice sessions were introduced for the 1937 Isle of Man TT races and continue to this day.[44]

The Thursday afternoon practice session were discontinued from the Centenary 2007 Isle of Man TT races and replaced with an evening practice session. For the 2015 Isle of Man TT races, a Saturday evening untimed practice session from 18:00–21:30 was added to the schedule. For the 2020 Isle of Man TT races, a revised practice schedule is introduced with the first practice session moved from Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon.[45] The first practice sessions provide controlled laps for newcomers. Competitors are escorted for one lap of the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course by the Travelling Marshals at a steady pace and accompanied by experienced Isle of Man TT and/or Manx Grand Prix competitors.

Current practice session schedule[edit]

Start of a practice session

The section of the primary A18 Snaefell Mountain Road from Ramsey Hairpin to the Creg-ny-Baa to close at 16:45 pm for the practice periods (from 17:00 hours from the Bungalow), 1 hour and 15 minutes before the rest of the TT Course at 18:00 pm.[46]

The schedule for the first Sunday untimed session on Sunday 30 May 2021:

13:30 Newcomers Speed Control Lap

13:50 Superbike TT / Superstock TT / Supersport TT

15:30 Lightweight TT / Supersport TT / Newcomers (all solo classes)

16:30 Sidecar TT

Practice week sessions[edit]

The main practice and timed practice sessions are usually held on Monday-Friday of the next week. The public roads forming the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course will be closed in for the 2021 Isle of Man TT races for the Solo and Sidecar classes.

Schedule for the four-day evening timed session Monday-Thursday of practice week:

Monday 31 May to Thursday 3 June 2020:

18:20 – 19:55 Solo Motor-Cycles timed practice session.

20:00 – 20:50 Sidecar timed practice session.

For Friday 4 June 2021 an afternoon practice session with a provisional evening practice session:

13:00 – 14:55 Solo Motor-Cycles timed practice session.

15:05 Sidecar timed practice session.

In the event of inclement weather either delaying or leading to the cancellation of one or more timed practice sessions, a reserve morning session could be held with the public roads closed 06:00 – 07:30 on the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course. Further untimed practice sessions are held during race week after the racing has been completed for selected race classes.

The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[47]

TT course official vehicles[edit]

After the completion of a practice or race period, an official course vehicle displaying the notice Roads Open proceeds around the Mountain Course, passing each point opening the roads including side-access junctions to public use. On the Snaefell mountain road section from Ramsey to Douglas, the official vehicle displays the notice Roads Open One Way.

Travelling Marshals[edit]

Originally introduced in 1935, there are eight machines positioned around the course to provide a rapid response to any incidents. Selected riders have previous race experience and are first-aid trained, with machines carrying medical equipment that can assist in managing a casualty. They also have other duties such as course inspection, observation of machines on the course for visible faults, and review and report any course incidents.[48]

Crossing places during practice and races[edit]

The 1982 Road Racing Act (Isle of Man) and the supplementary TT Road Races Orders allow vehicles and pedestrians to cross the Snaefell Mountain Course at certain points between scheduled race periods under the supervision of a police officer. Several permanent pedestrian overbridges have been erected. These points include:

In Douglas[edit]

- A2 St Ninian's Crossroads with the A22 Ballaquayle Road and the A22 Ballanard Road

- A2 junction at Bray Hill with the Tromode Road and Stoney Road

- A1 Peel Road between Braddan Bridge (Jubilee Oak) and the Quarterbridge

- A2 Governor's Road, Onchan, the A2 Glencrutchery Road and Victoria Road at Governor's Bridge

- A2 Glencrutchery Road between Second & Third Avenues and Victoria Road

- A18 Bemahague Road at Bedstead Corner, Onchan

- Pedestrian overbridge at Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, close to start/finish and TT Grandstand

- Pedestrian overbridge at Bedstead Corner, Douglas, with Hailwood Avenue junction to right

Elsewhere[edit]

- A1 Douglas to Peel road with the A23 Eyreton Road and the B36 Old Church Road, Crosby

- A3 Castletown to Ramsey road junction with B10 Sartfield Road and the Ballaleigh Road at Barregarrow Crossroads, Michael

- A3 junction with A10 Station Road and C37 Ballaugh Glen Road at Ballaugh Bridge

- A3 junction with A14 Sandygate Road and A14 Tholt-y-Will Glen Road at Sulby Crossroads

- A2 Albert Square and Princes Road, Ramsey at the junction with A18 Snaefell Mountain Road, close to May Hill

- Pedestrian overbridge before School House Corner, western approach to Ramsey town

- Pedestrian overbridge exiting Ramsey town centre, looking south-east towards May Hill

- Pedestrian overbridge at The Bungalow, on Snaefell mountain

TT Course access road[edit]

Part of the access road passing under the A1 Peel Road

The TT Access Road runs parallel to a section of the A1 Peel Road, which is part of the Snaefell Mountain Course, and operates during practice and race periods to enable vehicles to pass from inside of the race course to the outside. It runs along a section of former railway line on the historic Douglas to Peel route, from the junction of the A5 New Castletown Road at the Quarter Bridge, passing under the course at Braddan Bridge, to an exit at Braddan School Road in Douglas outskirts, near the former Braddan Railway Halt and the A23/Ballafletcher Road junction. The access road is a narrow, single-track width with passing places and is restricted to cars and light vans below a weight limit of 3,500 kilograms (3.4 long tons; 3.9 short tons). When used for vehicular traffic, pedestrian access is prohibited, but at other times it is part of a system of nature trails.[49][50]

Description[edit]

The Oxford Companion to World Sports and Games observed:

The oldest motor-cycle racing circuit still in use is the Snaefell Mountain Course over which the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races are run. Starting at the town of Douglas on the south-east coast, the course takes a wide sweep to the west and north to enter the town of Ramsey on the north-east coast and thence return to the starting point, each lap measuring 373⁄4 miles (60.7 km) and taking in over 200 bends while climbing from sea level to an altitude of over 1,300 ft (396 m). This circuit is the epitome of the natural road course, all the roads used being ordinary public highways closed for the racing and practice sessions.[51]

During race week, the TT races create a carnival atmosphere with picnicking spectators flanking vantage points on the circuit similar to other community festivals in another form of cycle racing – the Tour de Yorkshire and Le Tour de France.

Safety[edit]

Main article: Snaefell Mountain Course § Safety

See also: List of Snaefell Mountain Course fatal accidents

Between 1907 and 2022 there have been 153 fatalities during official practices or races on the Snaefell Mountain Course, and 263 total fatalities (this number includes the riders killed during the Manx Grand Prix, and Clubman TT race series of the late 1940s/1950s).[8][52][53] In 2016, 5 riders died on the course during official practices or races.[54][55][9][56] There were six fatalities among competitors in the 1970 Isle of Man TT, making it the deadliest year in the history of the event.[57][58]

2018 Course Car incident[edit]

Sidecars returning to Paddock past Sarah's Cottage in reverse direction to a normal race, after a Red Flag race stoppage caused by a competitor crash during 2009

On 30 May 2018, an experienced TT rider, Steve Mercer,[59][60] was seriously injured during a head-on collision with an official Course Car at Ballacrye. The car, being driven at high speed,[61][62] was conveying police officers to officiate at the scene of a fatality involving Dan Kneen. Mercer was unconscious for five days and hospitalised for five months due to multiple injuries. He was one of seven riders who had been halted on the course and turned back by marshals, being instructed to proceed back to the TT Grandstand area in the reverse direction after the red flag stoppage.[63][64] Immediately after the accident the organisers changed their protocols, requiring that returning riders must be controlled by motorcycle-mounted travelling marshals to the front and rear.[65][66] An independent inquiry into the circumstances was arranged by ACU Events, the event organisers.[67]

The Auto-Cycle Union, the Isle of Man Department for Enterprise, and the inquiry report author, lawyer Rob Jones, a former chief executive of the Motor Sports Association, all refused to release the report as it was confidential and privately owned by the ACU.[62][64][68][69]

The ACU admitted liability for the accident, but instructed that any legal claim for compensation by Mercer must be filed in the Isle of Man. The ACU stated that Mercer was receiving financial assistance through its "extensive insurance arrangements".[60][70][71]

In 2019 it was reported that the driver of the car in the collision had quit after criticism that he exceeded a newly introduced speed limit recorded by a GPS tracking device when he drove to attend a fatality involving Chris Swallow at Ballaugh in August's Senior Classic TT. Gary Thompson, Clerk of the Course and an ACU employee, had been criticised in 2018 for also fulfilling the role of Safety Officer; consequently a new incumbent was in place for 2019.[62][72][73]

Cancellations[edit]

World Wars I and II[edit]

From 1915 to 1919, and 1940 to 1946, no TT events took place, due to the outbreak of World Wars I and II.[74] Events continued from 1920 to 1939 and 1947 to 2000.

Since TT 1947, the Isle of Man TT has only been cancelled three times; 2001, 2020 and 2021, all of which were due to viral outbreaks.

2001 cancellation[edit]

The 2001 Isle of Man TT races were cancelled, and did not take place because of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK in the spring and summer of 2001, and the difficulties of disinfecting 40,000 spectators and competitors (and their motorcycles) to ensure the disease was kept off the island.

2020 and 2021 cancellations[edit]

In March 2020, the Isle of Man Government announced the cancellation of the 2020 TT due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[75] The Classic TT was subsequently cancelled in May,[76] and in December 2020, it was announced that 2021's TT races would also not go ahead, due to the continued worldwide spread of the virus.[77]

The event returned in 2022 after a two-year absence.[78]

In 2020, the Isle of Man Government lost an estimated £4.8 million of its annual projected revenue due to the cancellation of the TT races.[79]

Jump to search

Jump to navigation

Isle of Man TT Mountain Course

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Snaefell Mountain Course)

TT Mountain Circuit

Isle of Man TT Course (OpenStreetMap).svg

Location

Douglas, Isle of Man

Time zone

British Summer Time (during event-season)

Major events

Isle of Man TT

Manx Grand Prix

Sidecar World Championship (1960-1976)

Length

37.730 miles (60.718 km)

Turns

219

Race lap record

16:42.778 seconds – 135.452 mph / 217.99 kmh average (Peter Hickman, BMW S1000RR, 2018)

The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or TT Course[1] is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle TT Course is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the separate event of the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling for the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT Races held in September of each year.[2] The start-line for the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course is located on Glencrutchery Road in the town of Douglas, Isle of Man.[3]

The clockwise course has a lap of 37.730 mi (60.721 km),[4] from the start line at the TT Grandstand on Glencrutchery Road (A2 Ramsey to Douglas) in the island's main town of Douglas.[3] After negotiating urban streets, the racing circuit turns right to leave Douglas at Quarter Bridge, then proceeds along the A1 Douglas to Peel road through the villages of Braddan, Union Mills, Glen Vine, Crosby, and Greeba. The course then turns right at Ballacraine on to the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road, firstly through countryside glens followed by agricultural land interspersed by the villages of Kirk Michael, Ballaugh and Sulby, finally intersecting with the A18 Snaefell mountain road after negotiating urban streets in the town of Ramsey. The A18 then takes the course back to Douglas through the highest point, situated after the Bungalow at Hailwood's Height near the 31st Milestone and the UK Ordnance Survey spot height of 1,385 ft (422 m) above sea level. The descent starts through countryside before entering the residential outskirts of Douglas back to the finish line.

Contents

- 1Evening Standard Top 10 UK road trip routes

- 2History

- 2.1Course changes: 1920–1939

- 2.2Course changes: 1947–1999

- 2.3Course changes: 2000–Present

- 3Official lap records

- 4Cycling

- 5Cars

- 6Named corners

- 7Safety

- 8See also

- 9Sources

- 10External links

Evening Standard Top 10 UK road trip routes[edit]

In 2019, the Evening Standard UK newspaper nominated the TT Course as one of 10 of the most spectacular road trip routes in the UK.

Tourist Trophy Route, Isle of Man – Sitting pretty between the UK and Ireland, the Isle of Man hosts the world-famous motorcycle race – the Isle of Man TT – each year. If you don’t fancy racing, you can follow the 37.730 mi (60.721 km) circuit in your own time. Expect to be in awe of the stunning landmarks along the way..."[5]

History[edit]

Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Trial and originally was restricted to touring automobiles. As the UK Motor Car Act 1903 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph (32 km/h) on cars within the United Kingdom, the Secretary of the Automobile Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man to seek permission to race cars on public roads.[6] The Highways (Light Locomotives) Act 1904 passed by Tynwald gave permission to use local roads for the 52.15 mi (83.93 km) Highroads Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Trial.[7]

For the 1905 Gordon Bennett Car event it was decided to run a trial for motor-cycles the day after for a team to represent Great Britain in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Races. The inability of the motorcycle competitors to climb the steep primary A18 Snaefell Mountain Road section of the course forced the organisers to use a 25-mile (40 km) section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. For this reason, the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race used the 15 mi (24 km) St. John's Short Course. The 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race for automobiles the Highroad Course was reduced from 52.15 mi (83.93 km) to 40.38 mi (64.99 km). For the 1908 Tourist Trophy race for automobiles, the course was again reduced to 37.50 mi (60.35 km) with the removal of the Peel and Sandygate loops and was known as the Four Inch Course.[8] The name of the course derives from the regulations for the 1908 Tourist Trophy adopted by the Royal Automobile Club which limited the engines of the competing automobiles to a cylinder diameter of 4 inches (100 mm). The Four-Inch Course was adopted by the Auto-Cycle Club for the 1911 races. The Four-Inch Course subsequently became known as the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or TT Course when used for motor-cycle racing.[8]

Course changes: 1920–1939[edit]

Brandywell TT Race Marshal Shelter and Weather Station on the A18 Mountain Road/B10 Sartfield Road looking north towards Snaefell Mountain and North Barrule

For the 1920 Isle of Man TT, changes were made to the Mountain Course and competitors turned left at Cronk-ny-Mona and followed the primary A18 Mountain Road to Governor's Bridge with a new start/finish line on Glencrutchery Road which lengthened the course from the pre-World War I length of 37.50 mi (60.35 km) to 37.75 mi (60.75 km). An extensive programme of road improvements occurred to many roads in 1922 by the Highway Board including the Mountain Course with road widening at Sulby Bridge, from Port-e-Chee on the A1 Peel Road to Braddan Bridge and part of the main road through Crosby.[9] Modification of Signpost Corner including rounding off the bend occurred in 1922 along with further road widening at Governor's Bridge with the completion of the link road to A2 Glencrutchery Road/Governor's Road and the removal of fence posts at Keppel Gate.[10] Further changes to the course followed in 1922 with the adoption of a private road part of the Ballastowle Estate between Parliament Square and May Hill in Ramsey.[11] The course had previously had negotiated the A2 Albert Road and Tower Road in Ramsey and the new course length was now 37.739 mi (60.735 km). The official course distance for the Snaefell Mountain Course was amended in 1938 to 37.73 mi (60.72 km) which is the current course length.[12]

For the 1934 Isle of Man TT races major alterations to the TT Mountain Course were carried out which included the removal of the East Snaefell Mountain sheep-gate.[13] This was followed by the removal of the hump-backed bridge at Ballig and the road work was completed for the Manx Grand Prix in September 1935. Road widening occurred on the Mountain Course at the Highlander, Laurel Bank, Glen Helen (between the Old Quarry and Brew's Restaurant), and at Brandywell with the removal of the Beinn-y-Phott sheep-gate for the 1935 Isle of Man TT races.[14] Road Improvements occurred at the 26th Milestone, Greeba Bridge and on the Sulby Straight for the 1938 Isle of Man TT races. Further road widening and landscaping occurred at the Waterworks with road widening between the Gooseneck and the 26th Milestone for the 1939 races.[15] A memorial to Jimmie Guthrie was built in 1939 at The Cutting at a cost of £1,500[16] (equivalent to £95,000 in 2020).

Course changes: 1947–1999[edit]

Route of the Clypse Course used between 1954–1959

Major road widening occurred on the Mountain course at the 33rd Milestone, including the removal of fence posts at road level and the removal of a section of a grass bank before the start of the 1947 Isle of Man TT races.[17] Changes to the Mountain Course occurred for the 1953 races including road widening at Bedstead Corner, elevation works at Signpost Corner and Cronk-ny-Mona, and the widening of the corner at Gorse Lea.[18] Before the commencement of racing for the 1953 Manx Grand Prix, the cottage at Appledene Corner was demolished between the 6th and 7th Milestone road-side marker on the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road on the Mountain Course.[19] Further changes occurred to the Mountain Course to facilitate racing on the Clypse Course and during the winter of 1953/54 road widening occurred on the primary A18 Mountain Road at Creg-ny-Baa, Signpost Corner, Cronk-ny-Mona, and at the approach to Governor's Bridge.[20] The approach to the Quarterbridge on the primary A2 Douglas to Peel road was widened and re-profiled and the jumps at the Highlander and adjacent to Ballagarraghyn Cottages were removed for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races.[21] Other major course alterations for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races included road widening at Appledene, Handley's Corner, Barregarrow, Rhencullen, Ballaugh Bridge, Ginger Hall (Sulby), and Kerrowmoar.[22] During the winter of 1957/58 the hotel at the Bungalow tram-crossing was removed on the Mountain Section of the course.[23][24]

During the 1960s further road-widening occurred at Ballig and also at Greeba Bridge on the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road. In 1963 a roundabout was added to the road junction at the Quarterbridge.[25] The winter of 1970/1971 and road-widening occurred on the A18 Mountain Road at Verandah by cutting into the hillside.[26] During the winter of 1975/76 road-widening and landscaping by the Isle of Man Highway Board occurred at Snugbrough on the primary A2 road at the 2nd Milestone.[27] The winter of 1986 further re-profiling occurred at the Quarterbridge road junction with a new road traffic system including two new mini-roundabouts, the removal of a traffic island, and trees. Road re-profiling and widening occurred at Quarry Bends during the winter of 1987. During the winter months of 1991/1992 the A18 Mountain Road was closed for repair work to the road foundation between the 26th Milestone and the Mountain Box and also between the Windy Corner and Keppel Gate.[28]

Course changes: 2000–Present[edit]

Governor's Bridge road junction between the A18 Bemahague Road and the A2 Governor's Road

From 2003 to 2006, road repair work was carried-out on the primary A3 road from Barregarrow to Cronk-y-Voddy, including Handley's Corner and the 11th Milestone. In 2004 the western-side embankment is removed from Guthrie's Memorial on the A18 Mountain Road. Also, during the winter of 2004/2005 road widening occurred at Windy Corner followed by Brandish Corner during the winter of 2005/2006 by the Department of Transport. In October 2007 the Department of Transport began road widening at Braddan Bridge on the Mountain Course with the creation of a new roundabout incorporating the 'Jubilee Oak' Tree on the A1 Douglas to Peel Road. The Department of Transport also announced the proposal of building a new section of road and roundabout for the Mountain Course with a link road from Signpost Corner to Governor's Bridge using the existing A18 Bemahague Road. This road widening scheme began in February 2008[29] with the removal of trees on the Bemahague Estate which included Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor, and the creation of a small mini-roundabout. Further work by the Department of Transport in July and September 2008 included a storm drain and the completion of the mini-roundabout. The TT races and Manx Grand Prix continued to use the original A18 Bemahague Road that runs parallel to the new link road and the Governor's Dip for motorcycle racing. In July 2008, the Department of Transport announced a £4 Million road safety scheme for the Quarterbridge road junction, including the building of a new roundabout and the demolition of the Quarterbridge Hotel.[30] In August 2009, for the 2009 Manx Grand Prix a section of grass bank is removed from the southern side of Keppel Gate. This was to provide a run-off area after a practice crash by the Australian TT competitor Cameron Donald and a further more serious incident involving Travelling Marshal John McBride at Keppel Gate during the 2009 Isle of Man TT races.

Keppel Gate and Keppel Park showing the 2015 landscaping

During the winter of 2010, further road construction and repair work was carried out by the Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure Highways Division, and the Isle of Man Water Authority between Cronk Urleigh and the 13th Milestone. This was followed by major road resurfacing work between the 13th Milestone and Westwood Corner near Kirk Michael, Barregarrow Hill, and Sulby Straight from Kella Crossroads to Sulby Bridge during the spring of 2011. The Highways Division modified the road junction at Signpost Corner including improved drainage, elevation changes, and repairs to the road surface in November 2010[31] and the same major repair process of road resurfacing was repeated for the Quarter Bridge road junction in February 2011.[32] The Department of Infrastructure during the winter of 2011/2012 removed and re-positioned roadside fence-posts from Brandywell to the 32nd Milestone and from Windy Corner to the 33rd Milestone. During the winter of 2012/2013 the stone TT Marshal shelter at Guthrie's Memorial was demolished. The roadway at Hillberry Corner underwent repairs to the carriageway and was resurfaced and re-profiled by the Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure, Highways Division during the Spring of 2014. In April 2015, the Highways Division instigated a programme of landscaping at Keppel Gate including the removal of a small grass bank on the north-eastern side of the corner, road re-profiling and re-surfacing work.[33]

Official lap records[edit]

The lap record for the Senior TT race is 16 minutes and 42.778 seconds at an average speed of 135.452 mph (217.989 km/h) set by Peter Hickman during the 2018 Senior TT Race. The race record is also held by Hickman in 1 hour, 43 minutes and 08,065 seconds; an average race speed of 131.700 mph (211.951 km/h) achieved during the same 6 lap Senior TT race.[34]

The lap record for the Sidecar TT race is 19 minutes and 22.928 seconds at an average speed of 116.798 mph (187.968 km/h) set by Ben Birchall and passenger Tom Birchall during the 2016 Sidecar TT Race 1.[35][36] The race record for the Sidecar TT is 58 minutes and 24.971 seconds an average race speed of 116.259 mph (187.101 km/h) for 3 laps (113.00 miles) of the Mountain Course is also held by Ben and Tom Birchall, during the 2015 Sidecar TT Race 2.[37]

In the 2006 TT practice New Zealander Bruce Anstey achieved the unofficial current top speed record of 206 mph (332 km/h)[38] at the end of Sulby straight on a Suzuki 1000cc machine. This speed value was registered by the on-board datalogging equipment.

Cycling[edit]

The same course has also been used for cycle racing, including individual time trials and, from 1936, the Manx International massed-start road race. The first race held on 18 June 1936 was won by Charles Holland of the Midland Cycle and Athletics Club in 1 hour, 42 minutes and 57 seconds for one lap of the Mountain Course.[39] In May 2017 it was announced that the circuit would be used for the 2017 British National Road Race Championships in June of that year, two weeks after the TT races.[40]

The cycling absolute lap record for the Mountain Course was broken in 2015 by Isle of Man born professional cyclist Peter Kennaugh in a time of 1 hour, 23 minutes and 48 seconds,[41] beating the previous longstanding record, set by former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman in 1993, by 6 seconds.[42]

Cars[edit]

On 6 June 1990 Tony Pond completed the first 100 mph (160 km/h) average-speed lap in 22 minutes, 9.1 seconds driving a Rover 827 Vitesse.[43]

In 2011 Mark Higgins completed a lap in 19 minutes, 56.67 seconds at an average speed over 113 mph (182 km/h) driving a U.S.-spec 4-door Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

In 2014 Mark Higgins broke his own record driving a 2015 U.S.-spec Subaru Impreza WRX STI with a lap time of 19 minutes, 15.88 at an average speed of 117.510 mph (189.114 km/h).[44]

On 4 June 2016 Higgins improved on his record with a lap in 17 minutes 49.75 seconds, an average speed of 126.971 mph (204.340 km/h) driving a Prodrive-prepared Subaru WRX STI.[45]

Named corners[edit]

This section is about corners named after Isle of Man TT riders.

TT Race Marshal Signal Box on the A18 Mountain Road looking north towards Guthrie's Memorial and the Point of Ayre

It is estimated that there are over 200 corners on the Mountain Course with about 60 named corners, some named after individuals. The first corner to be named after a competitor was Edges Corner in 1920 on the primary A21 Johnny Watterson's Lane on the Mountain Course between Cronk-ny-Mona and the A22 Ballanard Road in Douglas used for racing between 1911 and 1922.[24]

Part of the TT Course was renamed Brandish Corner after Walter Brandish crashed in the right-hand gutter while trying to pass another competitor at Upper Hillberry Corner (previously Telegraph Hill) between Creg-ny-Baa and Hillberry Corner and broke a leg during practice for the 1923 TT races.[46] During an early morning practice session for the 1927 TT, Archie Birkin swerved in Kirk Michael village to avoid a fish-van travelling to Peel on the primary A3 road, collided with a wall and was killed. The corner was then named Birkin's Bend, and afterwards, from 1928, practice sessions for the TT races and Manx Grand Prix were held on closed roads. The Ballameanagh Corner between the 11th Milestone and the 12th Milestone was renamed Handley's Corner after Wal Handley, riding a Rudge motorcycle, crashed during lap 1 of the 1932 TT Senior race, sustained a back injury and subsequently retired from the race. In 1939 a stone memorial to Jimmie Guthrie was built at The Cutting on the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road and the S-bend corner was renamed Guthrie's Memorial.[16]

Following a crash during an evening practice session for the 1950 Isle of Man TT races by Bill Doran between Ballig Bridge and Laurel Bank, the corner was named Doran's Bend. A stone shelter in a style of a small mountain Alpine Lodge was built in 1955 as a memorial to Les Graham, the inaugural 500 cc World Champion solo motorcyclist, on the A18 Mountain Road.[47] The corner is named Les Graham Memorial or sometimes referred to as the Bungalow Bridge.

The uphill section of the Mountain Course from the Bungalow to the highest point of the course near Brandywell was named in 1981 as Hailwood's Rise, in memory of Mike Hailwood, the former world motorcycle champion, and the highest point of the course preceding the Brandywell road junction was named Hailwood's Height.[48] In 2003 the 32nd Milestone was named Duke's,[49] after the 1950s world solo motorcycle champion Geoff Duke, and the 26th Milestone was named Joey's after the former Formula 1 TT motor-cycle champion Joey Dunlop, who tallied 26 race wins.

In 2013 the Isle of Man Government took the unusual step of naming corners after active competitors, with 23 times TT winner John McGuinness,[50] and Dave Molyneux, the most successful Manxman with 17 wins, being honoured.[51]

The latest corners to be named have been named in honour of non-riders who have demonstrated a dedication to the TT. These include Ray Caley, former operator of the shop and post office at the junction of the course with Sulby Glen road who died in 2017.[52] Caley's Corner is at the beginning of Sulby Straight. In 2019 Harold Leece was recognised for his garden hospitality to TT spectators with his name on a directional marker board. Harold's corner is the 170 mph right hand bend as the riders approach Gorse Lea.[53]

Safety[edit]

Between 1911 and 2019 there have been 260 rider competitor fatalities during official practices or races on the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course (this number includes the riders killed during the Manx Grand Prix, and Clubman TT race series of the late 1940s/1950s). The first fatality on the TT Course was near Glen Helen during practice for the 1911 TT when Victor Surridge, a works Rudge-Whitworth rider, crashed heavily and died of his injuries.[54] This was also possibly the first death in the Isle of Man of a person in a motorcycle or other road-vehicle accident.[55]

The A3 Castletown to Ramsey road approaching Douglas Road Corner, Kirk Michael with safety air fencing on the outside of the bend

The compulsory use of crash helmets for the 1914 Isle of Man TT motor-cycle races was the result of a fatal accident to Frank Bateman on the Keppel Gate section of the TT Course near to Kates Cottage during the 1913 Senior TT race.[56] The first introduction of a flag to signify the end of an Isle of Man TT race was as a result of a fatal accident to Fred Walker near to the finish line of the 1914 Junior TT motor-cycle race after crashing into course boundary boards at St. Ninians Crossroads and Ballaquayle Road in the town of Douglas.[57]

During an early morning practice session for the 1927 Isle of Man TT races, Archie Birkin, brother of Tim Birkin of the Bentley Boys fame, crashed fatally at Rhencullen after swerving to avoid a collision with a Fish Van being driven on open roads.[58] From 1928 onwards, practice sessions for the Isle of Man TT Races and Manx Grand Prix were held on closed public roads.[59]

During the first lap of the 1934 Lightweight TT race, Syd Crabtree, European Grand Prix competitor and winner of the 1929 Lightweight TT, crashed fatally in heavy hill fog on the Mountain section of the TT Course near to the Stonebreakers Hut on the Verandah section of the course.[60][61] For the 1935 Isle of Man TT races, two motorcycle-equipped Travelling Marshals were employed to search for missing riders, particularly in poor weather conditions on the Mountain section of the TT Course.[62] After a fatal crash by Doug J. Pirie, in poor visibility caused by mountain mist and fog near to the 33rd TT Milestone during the 1935 Lightweight TT, races were delayed or postponed to the next day until the weather improved.[63] The first evening practice sessions were introduced for the 1937 Isle of Man TT races which continue to this day.[64]

Further changes to the Mountain Course occurred during the winter of 1953/54 as the result of fatalities to competitors during the TT races and Manx Grand Prix from 1951 to 1953. Changes were also made to facilitate the return of Sidecar TT on the new Clypse Course. On safety grounds, 'seeding' of competitors occurred for the 1959 TT race. The Thursday afternoon practice session from 13:45–17:00 pm introduced in the late 1950s was discontinued for the Centenary 2007 Isle of Man TT races. Also during the late 1950s, Appledene Cottage was demolished on safety grounds along with Old Brew's Restaurant near Glen Helen during the early 1960s accompanied by a road widening programme at Greeba Bridge.

There were six fatalities among the competitors at the 1970 Isle of Man TT, including world championship contender Santiago Herrero, making 1970 the deadliest year in the history of the event.[65][66] Further road safety work during the winter of 1970/1971 road-widening occurred at the Verandah series of bends and also at the Bungalow Bridge by the Isle of Man Highway Board cutting into the hillside.[67][68] Despite the safety improvements to the Verandah section, while lying in first place on the second lap during the 1972 Isle of Man TT 125 cc Ultra-Lightweight TT race held in heavy rain, Gilberto Parlotti crashed his 125 cc Morbidelli at the Verandah and later died from his injuries.[69] From 1973, any weather conditions that would not allow a rescue helicopter to take-off or land would lead to the race start being delayed or postponed at any TT or Manx Grand Prix race.[70]

The A2 Quarterbridge Road including the road junctions at Selborne Drive and Brunswick Drive and the A2 Bray Hill were subjected to major road repairs and re-profiling during the winter of 1978/79 by the Isle of Man Highway Board. This followed a series of fatal accidents during the start of the 1978 Sidecar TT 'A' race, to the Swiss sidecar competitor Ernst Trachsel on Quarterbridge Road, and the sidecar crew of Mac Hobson & Kenny Birch on nearby Bray Hill.[71] For the 1979 TT races the practice of starting competitors in pairs was abandoned followed by the Manx Grand Prix in 2011 after the result of fatal crash at Alpine Cottage during the 2010 Junior Manx Grand Prix.

Competitors at the TT Grandstand waiting for the start of the Newcomers Speed Control Lap (denoted by Hi-Visibility orange tabards) for the 2010 Manx Grand Prix

Following a fatal accident to French newcomer Serge le Moal during the first practice session of the 2004 Isle of Man TT races,[72] a Newcomers Speed Control Lap was introduced for the 2004 Manx Grand Prix followed by the 2005 TT races. A mandatory TT Mountain Course licence for Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix competitors was introduced for 2006. During the winter of 2004/2005 road widening by the Isle of Man Department of Transport occurred at Windy Corner followed by Brandish Corner during the winter of 2005/2006, included a slightly banked section and a constant radius curve as a safety improvement for general road traffic.[73] A serious accident occurred at the 26th Milestone during the 2007 Isle of Man TT Centenary races on lap 5 of the Senior race resulting in the deaths of a competitor and two visiting spectators.[74]

After a series of safety reviews, a number of general measures were introduced after 2007 for the Isle of Man TT races and the Manx Grand Prix and other events such as the Southern 100 motor-cycle races and the Rally Isle of Man. This included the introduction of restricted areas, safety fencing and the continued introduction of air-fencing to corners to the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course. Following the start of the 2013 Senior TT race, a competitor lost control on the steep descent of Bray Hill and the racing motor-cycle collided with a wall and spectator’s safety area near the junction of Bray Hill and Cronkbourne Road in the town of Douglas, injuring 11 spectators.[75][76] During an evening practice session for the 2018 Isle of Man TT, a race competitor received serious injuries after colliding with a course inspection car near to Ballacrye Corner in Ballaugh parish when travelling in a group of race competitors in the reverse course direction. The incident occurred following a red-flag incident near Sky Hill (Churchtown) after a fatal accident to Isle of Man competitor, Dan Kneen.[77] Following a meeting of the Strategic Motorsport Group organised by the Isle of Man Government, the Clerk of Course announced procedural changes to red flag incidents. Competitors would now wait on the course until the incident had been cleared and only travel in 'course direction' accompanied by TT Travelling Marshals at the front and rear of the convoy.[78] After a further legal review by the ACU in 2018 into the cause of the accident and the collision with a course inspection car a number of safety changes were initiated. This included the creation of a new event safety officer and GPS tracking to be fitted to all course inspection cars.[79]

Joey Dunlop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joey Dunlop

Joey Dunlop.JPG

Dunlop at the TT races

Nationality

British

Born

25 February 1952

Armoy, Northern Ireland

Died

2 July 2000 (aged 48)

Tallinn, Estonia

Bike number

3

hideMotorcycle racing career statistics

Isle of Man TT career

TTs contested

102 (1976–2000)

TT wins

26

First TT win

1977 Jubilee Classic

Last TT win

2000 Ultra-Lightweight 125 TT

TT podiums

40

Dunlop on a Honda RS125 exiting the Gooseneck, a bend at the start of the mountain section of the Isle of Man TT course

William Joseph Dunlop OBE (25 February 1952 – 2 July 2000) was a Northern Irish motorcyclist from Ballymoney. He won his third hat trick at the Isle of Man TT in 2000 and set his fastest lap on the course of 123.87 mph in the Senior race, which he finished third. In 2016 he was voted through Motorcycle News as the fifth greatest motorcycling icon ever, behind Valentino Rossi.[citation needed][1][failed verification] His achievements include three hat-tricks at the Isle of Man TT meeting (1985, 1988 and 2000), where he won a record 26 races in total. A curve at the 26th milestone on the Isle of Man was named in his honour.

During his career he won the Ulster Grand Prix 24 times. In 1986, he won a fifth consecutive TT Formula One world title; initially based on one race at the Isle of Man TT after the loss of World Championship status from 1977-onwards and organised by the Auto-Cycle Union, the title was eventually expanded to take in more rounds in other countries.[2]

He was awarded the MBE in 1986 for his services to the sport, and in 1996 he was awarded the OBE for his humanitarian work for children in Romanian orphanages, to which he had delivered clothing and food.[3] Dunlop has featured in documentary films regarding his career: V Four Victory (1983), Joey – The Man Who Conquered the TT (2013)[4] and Road (2014).

Rider seated without helmet on white and green motorcycle prior to race

Senior TT in 1992

Contents

- 1Charity work and recognition

- 2Shipwreck

- 3Personal life

- 4Death

- 5Legacy

- 6Racing record

- 6.1Complete TT record

- 6.2Ulster Grand Prix: 24 victories

- 6.3North West 200: 13 victories

- 6.4Formula TT World Championship

- 6.5World Grand Prix Championships

- 6.6World Formula 750 Championship

- 6.7Macau Grand Prix

- 6.8Imola 200

- 6.9World Superbikes (WSBK) 1988

- 7See also

- 8References

- 9External links

Charity work and recognition[edit]

Three way road junction with bridge over river to left and building rooftops to centre behind road and lower down closer to river level

Joey Dunlop Foundation building at Braddan Bridge, Douglas, Isle of Man

Dunlop helped orphans in the Balkans, driving a van loaded with supplies to orphanages in Romania, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina before the annual racing season began.[5] In 1996, he received an OBE for his humanitarian work.[6]

After Dunlop's death, the Joey Dunlop Foundation was initiated, a charity that provides appropriate accommodation for disabled visitors to the Isle of Man.[7][8]

On 30 January 2015, Dunlop was voted Northern Ireland's greatest sports star by readers of the Belfast Telegraph newspaper.[9]

Shipwreck[edit]

On the night of 23 May 1985, Dunlop was travelling from Northern Ireland to the Isle of Man for the annual TT races by sea, onboard the Tornamona, a former fishing boat. The vessel had departed from Strangford, County Down with Dunlop, other riders, racing bikes and equipment onboard. Strong currents into Strangford Lough pushed the Tornamona onto St Patrick's Rock where her rudder broke off in a crevice. The boat sank and all 13 passengers and crew were rescued by the Portaferry Lifeboat.[10][11] The bikes were later recovered by divers.[1]

Personal life[edit]

Dunlop married on 22 September 1972 at Ballymoney register office.[citation needed] He was the proprietor of a pub in Ballymoney, and was highly superstitious, always wearing a red T-shirt and his yellow crash helmet when racing.[12] Dunlop was presented with the Freedom of the Borough by Ballymoney Council in 1993.[13]

Death[edit]

Dunlop died in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2000 while leading a 125cc race (he had already won the 750cc and 600cc events) on Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa Circuit. He appeared to lose control of his bike in the wet conditions and died instantly on impact with trees. As a mark of respect, the Estonian government's official website was replaced with a tribute to Dunlop within hours of his death. Northern Ireland television carried live coverage of his funeral. Fifty thousand mourners, including bikers from all parts of Britain and Ireland and people from all backgrounds in Northern Ireland, attended the funeral procession to Garryduff Presbyterian church and his burial in the adjoining graveyard.[14]

Statue on the TT course

Memorial at the Joey and Robert Dunlop Memorial Gardens, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland

Legacy[edit]

The most successful overall rider at the annual TT races is awarded the "Joey Dunlop Cup". A memorial statue was erected in his home town of Ballymoney. On the Isle of Man, a statue of Dunlop astride a Honda overlooks the Bungalow Bend at Snaefell and the 26th Milestone area of the TT course was named "Joey's". A memorial stone was installed at the crash site in Tallinn as well. Irish publishers The O'Brien Press produced a full-colour pictorial tribute to Dunlop following his death. Northern Ireland band Therapy? recorded a song in memory of Dunlop, called Joey; it appeared on the album Shameless, released in 2001.[15]

Following his death, the Leisure Centre in his hometown of Ballymoney was renamed from the Riada Centre to the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre.[citation needed] In 2001, the Joey Dunlop Memorial Garden was established in the Dunlop family's hometown, and in 2010 the tribute was extended to include the Robert Dunlop Memorial Garden to honour Joey's late brother, Robert Dunlop.[16][17] On 26 February 2022, a statue of William Dunlop, son of Robert and nephew of Joey, was added to the Memorial Garden. William died while racing at the Skerries 100 event in 2018.[

Jump to search

Jump to navigation

Guy Martin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the French chef, see Guy Martin (chef).

hideThis article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)

This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. The readable prose size is 60 kilobytes. (October 2018)

This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (May 2016)

This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. (June 2016)

This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (June 2016)

Guy Martin

Man with wavy dark hair wearing a blue top smiling and looking at something off camera

Martin at the 2014 Bol d'Or

Nationality

British

Born

4 November 1981 (age 40)

Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England

hideMotorcycle racing career statistics

Isle of Man TT career

TTs contested

14 (2003–2015, 2017)

TT wins

0

TT podiums

17 [1]

Guy Martin (born 4 November 1981) is a British former motorcycle racer and heavy vehicle mechanic who became a television presenter.[2] In July 2017, Martin retired from motorcycle racing.

Martin started racing in 1998 and in 2004 competed on a road circuit for the first time at the Isle of Man TT.[3] He has a total of 17 podium finishes at TT events over several years.[1] He has broken his back twice in racing accidents,[4] in the 2010 TT and the 2015 Ulster Grand Prix.

In August 2017, Martin joined Formula 1 car team Williams' pit-crew for the Belgian GP.[5] Martin returned to road racing in May 2019 at the Tandragee 100 in Northern Ireland.[6]

Martin starred in Closer to the Edge, a 2011 documentary on TT racing. He has since presented programmes on various engineering topics and the Channel 4 series Speed with Guy Martin when he set speed records in a variety of human and engine powered vehicles. He has authored four books, and competed in mountain bike pedal-cycle races.

Contents

- 1Early life

- 2Career

- 2.1Mechanic

- 2.2Racing

- 2.3Television

- 2.4Writing

- 3Speed records

- 4Views

- 4.1Work ethic

- 4.2Television and fame

- 4.3Racing and thrill seeking

- 5Motorcycle racing seasons

- 5.1Early years

- 5.22006 season

- 5.32007 season

- 5.42008 season

- 5.52009 season

- 5.62010 season

- 5.72012 season

- 5.82013 season

- 5.92015 season

- 5.102016 season

- 5.112017 season

- 6Retirement from motorcycle racing

- 7Race results

- 7.1Isle of Man TT

- 7.2Southern 100

- 8Mountain bike racing and Pedal cars

- 9Film and television

- 9.1Filmography

- 9.2Engineering

- 9.3Racing and speed

- 9.4Autobiographical

- 10Personal life

- 10.1Personal machinery

- 11Legal issues

- 12References

- 13External links

Early life[edit]

Martin was born on 4 November 1981 in a suburb of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England.[7] He was named Guy in tribute to Guy Gibson of No. 617 Squadron RAF.[8] His father Ian was a successful privateer motorbike racer who had competed in several Isle of Man TT events, but he was forced to supplement his income with a job as a lorry mechanic, additionally selling bikes. His mother, Rita Kidals, was of Latvian heritage, her father having come to Britain in 1947 as a political refugee. Soon after Martin's birth, the family moved to a house outside the town, where they remained.

Martin has two sisters and a brother. His brother, Stuart, is also a truck mechanic and motorbike racer. His younger sister, Kate, was the first female mechanic in the BSB paddock before leaving to start a family with two-times TT sidecar winner, Patrick Farrance. Martin and his siblings attended every Isle of Man TT from their births, until their father Ian crashed his Yamaha FZ750 whilst racing at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough in 1988, when Guy was aged 7.[9] After recovering from the resulting broken hip, Martin's father did not race again, but worked as a mechanic in classic bike racing.[10]

Martin attended Kirmington Church of England Primary School and The Vale Academy school, leaving at age 16.

Career[edit]

Mechanic[edit]

Martin had shown an interest in working on trucks as early as age 12.[7] As a child he was fascinated by engines, and would take apart lawnmowers to try to make them go faster.[11]

Post-school he enrolled in North Lindsey College on a motor vehicle engineering course, but on recognising further education without pay was not for him, he secured an apprenticeship as a truck fitter with a Volvo centre, John Hebb Volvo.[12] He also worked for his father, who at the time was self-employed, running a truck maintenance business.[12] Due to the filming commitments for The Boat that Guy Built, he ended up losing his job working for his father, but immediately went into town to apply for another truck job.[13] He currently works for Moody International, a Scania centre in Grimsby.[14] He only takes short periods off to race or do television work.[7]

He also earns money by tuning fellow racers' bikes in the evenings,[15] and also takes casual work during TT race weeks.[11] Eager to keep his options open, he has even bought a tractor, using it on biomass farms for seasonal muck-spreading at night.[16]

Racing[edit]

While completing his apprenticeship as a lorry mechanic, Martin raced motorbikes in his spare time.[7] Martin returned to the Isle of Man at age 16; overhearing lorry driver and amateur racer Baz Kirk discussing his plans to race in the 1997 Manx Grand Prix with his father, he was offered the chance to assist him as a race mechanic.[12]

Martin decided to take up racing after a crash on public roads at age 18.[17] He moved to Ireland to join Team Racing. In 2004 he moved to the Uel Duncan Racing team, staying with them until 2005. In 2006 Martin raced for Alistair Flanagan's AIM Yamaha race team, replacing John McGuinness. In the search for a more competitive team, Martin joined Hydrex Honda for the 2007 season.

The end of 2009 saw Martin leave Hydrex for Northern Ireland-based Wilson Craig Honda, but since November 2010, Martin has raced for TAS Racing (known as Relentless Suzuki, then Tyco Suzuki from 2012 to 2014, and Tyco BMW from 2015 to present), the team run by the Neill family also based in Northern Ireland, and with a long TT heritage. This switch to what was effectively a factory team meant the end of tuning his own equipment – for TAS he would simply be riding pre-prepared machines.[18]

Martin agreed a new deal for 2015 with TAS after the team agreed a new equipment deal with BMW Motorrad, to ride the BMW S1000RR alongside William Dunlop.[19] Martin was prepared to retire had TAS not chosen to switch to BMW, believing he had raced the Suzuki as hard as he could.[8][20] With the new bike, he ran his fastest ever lap of the TT circuit in June 2015 – 132.398 mph – just outside the outright lap record.[21]

Martin suffered a serious crash in the Dundrod 150 Superbike event, part of the Ulster Grand Prix races in August 2015.[22] Following the crash, Martin only got back on his racing motorbike in March 2016, for the filming of the F1 special for his Speed series.[23]

Since 2011, he has also got into bicycle racing, in 24-hour events.[11][24] For the 2016 season Martin decided not to race in the TT for the first time in 11 years, opting instead for a mountain bike race. He was uncertain if the decision would lead him to retire from road racing, mountain bike racing, or if he would go on to do something else, but said "if I do race on the roads it will be with TAS".[21]

Martin signed a new deal with Honda Racing on 18 January 2017 to ride the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2, rekindling his ambition to win the Isle of Man TT and renewing his focus on his road racing career.[25]

Television[edit]

Martin first came to the attention of TV executives in 2009 when he appeared in an ITV4 programme intended primarily for fans of that year's TT race. The then film-producer, Andy Spellman, filmed with Guy at the TT. Spellman shot some additional test material of Martin back at home in the summer and the boss of North One Television showed the clips to a BBC executive.[7]

Having engaged Andy Spellman as his advisor and agent in 2009, Martin worked with North One Television producers James Woodroffe and Ewan Keil, as he has done to the present day. Martin's first appearances on TV documentaries were on programmes based around his passion for engineering rather than his love of adrenaline sport, The Boat that Guy Built airing on the BBC in 2011, and How Britain Worked on Channel 4 in 2012.[7] His thrill-seeking side later emerged with the production of the series Speed with Guy Martin, first airing on Channel 4 in 2013.[7] Uncomfortable with presenting to camera or working from a script, his preferred style is to improvise his dialogue, and work by responding to questions from crew off camera.[8]

He later turned down an invitation from Chris Evans to join the new presenting team of the BBC's motoring show, Top Gear.[4]

Writing[edit]

Martin has written three books about his life, releasing his autobiography, Guy Martin: My Autobiography, on 8 May 2014.[26] It reached No.1 in the Sunday Times bestseller list and remained there for at least six weeks,[27] and eventually became the second best selling autobiography of 2014.[7] This was followed by Guy Martin: When You Dead, You Dead, released on 22 October 2015, and covering the previous year in diary format, from the 24-hour Solo World Mountain Bike Championship to the Isle of Man TT.[28] It was listed No.1 in online retailer Amazon's sales figures for celebrity autobiographies in November 2015, with his main autobiography being No.10.[29] October 2016 saw the release of his latest book, titled "Guy Martin: Worms to Catch" featuring Guy's thoughts on the past year and upcoming challenges.

Martin is also listed as the author of companion books for some of his television shows: How Britain Worked, published on 4 October 2012[30] and Speed, published on 1 December 2013.[31]

Martin also writes for the driving section of The Sunday Times newspaper.[32] He has written car reviews on the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon,[33] the 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR,[34] the 2015 Ford Transit L2 H2, and the 2016 Ford Mustang V8 GT,[35] as well as writing about his own Volvo Vöx[36] and his Wall of Death show.[37]

Speed records[edit]

Martin has set the following speed records.

Record

Issuer

Speed

Location

Date

Previous holder

Ref.

Fastest speed on a gravity powered snow sled

Guinness World Records

134.368 km/h (83.49 mph)

Grandvalira, Andorra

10 January 2014

62.25 mph (Rolf Allerdissen, 2010)

[38]

Fastest speed in a soapbox

Guinness World Records

137.78 km/h (85.61 mph)

Mont Ventoux, France

16 October 2014

[39]

Highest speed on a Wall of Death

Guinness World Records

125.77 km/h (78.15 mph)

Manby Airfield, UK

28 March 2016

created for the attempt

[39]

Fastest hovercraft

British record

121.04 km/h (75.21 mph)

Loch Ken, UK

8 October 2014

[40]

Fastest tractor

Guinness World Records

217.568 km/h (135.191 mph)

Elvington Airfield, York, UK

23 October 2019

In July 2015 it was confirmed that Martin was to pilot Triumph Motorcycles' attempt on the motorcycle land speed record (World's Fastest Motorcycle), at the time standing at 376.363 mph (605 km/h), set by Rocky Robinson in 2010. The attempt was originally scheduled for August during the FIM event at Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States. Competing in the Division C (streamlined motorcycle) category, the Triumph Rocket Streamliner is 25.5 feet long, powered by two turbocharged, methanol fuelled, Triumph Rocket III engines, enclosed in a carbon Kevlar monocoque.[41][42] A documentary about the attempt was made for Channel 4.[43] His August 2015 crash at the Ulster GP caused the attempt to be postponed until September 2016.[22]

Martin's quest to set a new two-wheeled world land speed record was called off due to conditions on the course. The attempt, on the purpose-built 400 mph motorcycle, suffered a number of setbacks at the track at Bonneville Salt Flats, in Utah, USA.

The streamliner tipped over when it passed over a rut in the track as it was being towed to the start line. Triumph said rain meant it was not possible to create the required-consistency across the 11-mile course necessary to undertake the attempt. On 18 September 2016, Martin had hoped to complete a required 300 mph trial run before attempting to set a new world record.

A mile into the run the machine lost traction on the damp surface, veering off the steered path and tipping over on the course. Martin was confirmed to be "completely uninjured" and the record attempt was postponed once more.

Views[edit]

This section is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (June 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Work ethic[edit]

Martin attributes his strong work ethic to his father's example.[16] He has also retained his truck job in part due to the financial security it offered over racing.[13] Describing it as "like an ingrained, default setting",[7] he prioritises his mechanic job over other work, even cancelling complicated film shoots at short notice if needed.[16] He also seeks out casual work as a way to switch off during TT events (practice only being in the evenings).[11] To work through aches and pains he takes cod liver oil, but suspects it is only working as a placebo effect.[16]

Television and fame[edit]

Martin is not comfortable with being a public figure and rejects any notion that he is a celebrity, turning down offers such as Top Gear's Star In A Reasonably Priced Car segment.[14] After struggling to come to terms with the fame brought about by his media work, Martin was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.[7] About his psychiatrist's findings, he says "It hasn't changed anything, it just confirms why I do certain things in a certain way."[16] As a result of his BBC work, he had begun to be recognized by non-racing fans even before the release of the TT3D film.[15] He would be quite happy if nobody watched his shows, as it would mean he would never get recognized.[16] While not wanting to seem unappreciative of the public's support, he tries to cope with fame by avoiding crowded situations.[14] He prefers to live out of his van while racing or on television shoots.[4]

He does not see TV work as a job in itself and would not miss it if it were to end; he views it as a means to do things he otherwise could not,[7][13] gaining invaluable sources of information and experiences from the people it allows him to meet.[11] As such, he frequently turns down offers of television work if they don't interest him, and has said his existing TV workload was already becoming an issue.[4][7] He fears being seen as inauthentic if he became a full-time presenter, seeing some in the industry as "passionate about anything that they're told to be passionate about".[24] He had only watched one of his shows, the Pike's Peak episode of Speed, and only on the recommendation of a usually unimpressed friend.[8] In Guy Martin's Best Bits (2020) he provided commentary whilst watching several of his shows to date.[44] While appreciating the things his fame has brought him, he's deliberately avoided getting into an unsustainable financial position by living to excess.[24]

Racing and thrill seeking[edit]

Although following in his father's footsteps into motorcycle racing, Martin is clear that it was his own choice, his father never pressured him into it. His passion for the TT was ignited at age 16 with the invitation from Baz Kirk to return to the island.[12] Although he has raced in track events, he is attracted to road racing, and the TT in particular, due to their dangerous nature. He hopes to win a TT before the event is banned for health and safety reasons.[18] He says "I like a bit of danger. I haven't got a death wish but it makes things exciting, doesn't it?".[23] He likes the appeal of reaching 200 mph all the time in road races, and their unforgiving nature, something he believes series like the MotoGP or Superbikes simply don't offer.[18]

Mindful of the risks, he would not regret dying in a race, but he is prepared to go beyond the line (beyond which you risk crashing), in order to win.[13] The danger feeds his need to feel in control of his destiny,[24] although he conceded the inherent risks mean he would be doing well if he lived to age 60.[16] His major crashes of 2010 and 2015 have not changed his outlook;[23] he has described the moment before losing control in 2010 crash as priceless, the ultimate feeling of danger.[45] He wants to go fast and get near death, while also walking away.[14] He denies he is reckless and believes everything he does is calculated;[16] believing you get out of life what you put in, he ensures he trains and prepares hard for dangerous activities so he is in control of, and can even enjoy, the experience.[46] His television producer agrees, stating "he's not stubborn, or reckless, he's calculating".[7] This attraction of the combination of speed and a sense of danger was part of the motivation for him doing his Speed series.[45]

He has never wanted to race motorbikes full-time, believing he would get sick of the sight of them,[13] and liking the ability of being able to point to his amateur status to professionals, as both an excuse when he loses and a way to gloat when he wins.[11] He decided to prioritise cycling over the TT in 2016 as he felt he was nearing the point where he would be too old to compete properly, and after 11 seasons at the TT he was beginning to find the routine of the motorcycle season monotonous.[21] While not seeing it as thrilling as motorbikes,[8] he is attracted by the isolation it offers,[24] and the equal combination of both a physical and mental challenge,[11] feeding into a new found desire to break himself simply for the sense of achievement.[14]

Motorcycle racing seasons[edit]

This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful.

Find sources: "Guy Martin" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion policy. (May 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Early years[edit]

[icon]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2018)

A successful debut year on the roads that saw him win the Cock o' the North and International Gold Cup races at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough as well as the Irish 750cc Support Championship.

2006 season[edit]

The International road race meetings had mixed results: the North West 200 never went particularly well, The Isle of Man TT looked promising but problems soon led to it being another disappointment. At the final international of the year, the Ulster Grand Prix, he took 4 race wins and a 2nd making him the Man of the Meeting.

Guy after winning the 2007 Ulster Grand Prix Supersport race

2007 season[edit]

In the early season Martin took part in British Superbike and Supersport rounds to prepare for the road racing season. The first major international of the year was the North West 200 in which he finished with an eighth, a fourth, two thirds and a second. In the CP Hire Superstock race after a bad start Martin finished third. The Isle of Man TT was the next major race on the calendar and he got a third, two seconds and a DNF after running out of fuel with fewer than three miles to go until his first pit stop. In the Senior race he just missed out on becoming only the second rider, at the time, to have lapped at more than 130 mph, his best lap falling short at 129.816 mph. Later video footage showed him run wide on the entry to Windy Corner and it was this mistake that led him to miss out on the magical 130 mph lap.

Martin continued to race on the English scene and he regained his Cock o' the North title at the Scarborough circuit before going to Ireland for the Kells Road Races in which he took one race win. This was preparation for the Ulster Grand Prix and in the first race Martin brought home a fifth position, in race two a win, and in the superbike race, which was shortened due to weather, a second. After this red flag the day's racing was cancelled due to bad weather and that meant for the second year in a row Martin was the Man of the Meeting. The Scarborough Gold Cup meeting ended with him winning all the races on the final day including the Gold Cup and the second 600 race of the day after a good battle with John McGuinness and Ian Lougher who were also both on the same Hondas as Martin.

2008 season[edit]

As well as contesting a full season in the British Superbike Championship, in 2008 Martin again competed in the three International road races but was denied his first TT win when he broke down whilst comfortably leading the opening Superbike race. He was eleven seconds in the lead when an electrical problem forced him out on the fourth lap. He claimed a podium, third, in the Superstock race but suffered further retirements in the Senior and second Supersport races. In September 2008 it was back to Oliver's Mount for the International Gold Cup. Martin won the feature event and now has won 6 Gold Cups in a row, a new record, and also has the lap record for the 1000cc bikes at Scarborough with a time of 1:45.3.

2009 season[edit]

In 2009 Martin contested all three Internationals as well as selected British Championship and Irish National races. In a move from previous seasons, Martin moved away from the main Hydrex team, preferring instead to run a smaller, close knit team and after a steady North West 200 meeting, confidence was high going into the TT, his number one event of the year, as he sought to win a race at the 37.73 mile circuit on the Isle of Man.

2009 was expected to be the year he broke the seal, but after claiming two seconds and a third on the Superstock, Superbike and Supersport bikes early in the week Martin's engine gave up after coming onto the pit lane in the 2nd 600 race. More grief was to come when putting the bike into gear at the end of his 2nd pit stop during the Senior race his chain snapped, meaning he ended up with another DNF.

Martin regrouped to claim the Southern 100 Championship on the Billown road course in July, after finishing second on no less than three occasions – 2005, 2006 and 2007 – before heading to the third International race of the season, the Ulster Grand Prix. After taking third in the Dundrod 150 Superbike race, Martin repeated the result in the feature UGP Superbike race, held over eight laps, but he ensured he would not be without an International win in 2009 when he won a thrilling second Superbike race, just over a tenth of a second in front of fellow Lincolnshire rider Gary Johnson. He also placed fourth and fifth in the equally close Superstock and Supersport races. At the 2009 Gold Cup at Oliver's Mount, Martin won the Steve Henshaw Gold Cup feature race, becoming the first rider to win seven consecutive meetings.

2010 season[edit]

Martin at the 2010 Isle of Man TT

In 2010 he failed to take a podium at the North West 200, with his best result being fourth in the second Superbike race. He went to the Isle of Man TT, looking to achieve his first TT victory. However, the meeting was dominated by Ian Hutchinson, who took a record-breaking five victories in all the solo races, and Martin suffered serious injuries in a major crash in the final race.[47]

Prior to that crash, during the Superbike race, Martin received a 30-second penalty for exceeding the posted pit lane speed limit of 60 km/h by just 0.112 km/h. Had he not received the penalty, his overall time would have been 1:46:48.05 and put him in 2nd place, behind Ian Hutchinson who finished with a time of 1:46:31.82.

His performance at the TT was criticised by Simon Buckmaster, whose Performance Technical Racing built the bikes which Martin was running. He accused Martin of not listening to his race advice, arguing "He needs to stop being distracted and lift his professionalism. Instead of being a TV star and courting publicity 24x7, he should be concentrating on racing and what's needed to win. Get his focus and concentration into racing, not promoting his name and money-spinning deals." He also cited disrespectful behavior during the race and bad language and criticism directed toward a member of PTR in a magazine interview.[48] Martin received considerable public support over both the nature and timing of Buckmaster's comments, coming as Martin was still recovering from the crash, but in a subsequent interview Buckmaster defended what he had said, arguing he was not slating him and stating Martin had no issue with the comments.[49]

2010 TT crash[edit]

In the final race, the Senior TT, Martin was a challenger to stop Hutchinson achieving the clean sweep, but was involved in an incident on the third lap of the race at Ballagarey, having led the race just before the first pit stop.[50]

Recollecting the crash in 2012, Martin recounted how he has been pushing too hard going into the corner at 160-170 mph, having willingly crossed the line [which if you push beyond you might crash] in order to win. He recalled being thrown from the bike and accepting he was not going to survive the approaching high speed impact with a wall, attributing it to luck that he hit it at the right angle to get away with it.[51]

Airlifted to Noble's Hospital in Douglas with chest injuries, he was later diagnosed as suffering bruising to both lungs and minor fractures to his upper spine.[50]

2011 Ulster GP[edit]

A superbike race 2 win at the Ulster Grand Prix followed for Martin after his consistent TT. He finished second in the opening superbike race behind Bruce Anstey on the Padgetts racing Honda Fireblade.

2012 season[edit]

Martin at the 2013 Isle of Man TT

Martin made his first 2012 appearance at the Cookstown 100 meeting in preparation for the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT. Martin brought his race season to a close winning five races at Scarborough's Oliver Mount Gold Cup. He also took part in the Ryan Farquhar Parade lap on one of Ryan's own KMR Kawasaki's.

2012 North West 200[edit]

Following on from the Cookstown meeting, Martin was set to campaign in all the main races at the North West 200, as a prelude to working up for the Isle of Man TT. However, during the Supersport race he crashed. As a consequence, he was left with a suspected head injury, which resulted in his team manager, Philip Neill, withdrawing Martin from the remainder of the racing programme.[52]

This led to rumours of a 'bust-up' with the Suzuki Team, and resulted in Martin's team boss, Hector Neill, being interviewed on Manx Radio TT 365 prior to the TT, during which Neill scotched such rumours as; "Media inspired skulduggery. Paddock tittle-tattle and unfounded hear-say".[53]

2012 TT[edit]

Martin's start to the 2012 TT Festival saw him competing – in a private capacity – at the Pre-TT Classic races at the Billown Circuit, Castletown. Martin was lucky to escape injury while competing in the superbike race, and was battling for the lead of the race on a Suzuki XR69 with Jamie Coward, when he crashed on the final lap. This again led to reports of tension, as the Pre-TT races do not form any part of the main TT racing programme, and posed a potential injury risk to Martin before the TT had begun in earnest. During the practice week for the 2012 Isle of Man TT, Martin made steady progress – albeit amid rumours of differing opinions with his team's management regarding machinery set-up and the team's choice of Pirelli tyres.

Martin made a good start to the Superbike TT, and at the end of the first lap he was lying in third place behind John McGuinness and Cameron Donald. He continued to hold station during the following three laps, but a problem during his final pit stop at the end of lap four, resulted in the team being unable to replace his rear tyre.[54] As a consequence of diminishing grip from a fading tyre, Martin was overtaken on corrected time by Bruce Anstey by the end of lap five, although he did hold on to finish fourth with a time of 1hr.47.20 at an average speed of 126.54 mph.[55] This was followed by fifth place in the Superstock race, a retirement in the first Supersport race and 8th place in the second Supersport outing.[56]

Rumours continued to circulate throughout the week about Martin's differences with his team, perhaps instigated by Martin's lateness of signing a contract at the start of the season, although as practice week went on, it was obvious the rumours regarding Martin's split from his team were untrue. The Senior race was scheduled to take place on its traditional Friday – 8 June. However, following adverse weather, the race was postponed until Saturday, 9 June. As a consequence of continued poor weather, the decision to cancel the Senior TT was taken. This was the first time in the race's 105-year history that the Senior had been cancelled due to weather.

2013 season[edit]

Martin at the 2013 Isle of Man TT

2013 Ulster Grand Prix[edit]

The 2013 Ulster Grand Prix was Martin's most successful campaign at the event, and which saw him secure a hat trick of victories at the meeting winning the Supersport 1, UGP Superbike and Superbike categories.

2015 season[edit]

Martin joined his teammates in early March, 2015, for pre-season testing. This initially took the form of a four-day test programme at Cartagena and following this the squad deployed to the BMW Motorrad test camp at Almeria in Spain for the next three days.[57]

2015 early season[edit]

Martin opened his 2015 season at the Oliver's Mount Circuit on Saturday 11 April,[58] at which he recorded a maiden victory on his BMW S1000RR Superstock at the Scarborough venue.[58] Finishing fourth the following day in treacherous conditions, Martin went on to lift the main prize of the meeting, the Spring Cup.[58]

Following their success at Scarborough, the Tyco Team headed to the opening event in the Irish Racing Calendar, the Cookstown 100. Martin continued his fine early season form by winning the opening Royal Hotel Superbike Race, and then sealing a brace of superbike wins at the feature race, the KDM Cookstown 100, again accomplished on Superstock machinery.[59]

2015 Northwest 200[edit]

Martin was introduced to his factory BMW S1000RR Superbike during a day's testing at Kirkistown on 7 May, in preparation for the team's campaign at the Vauxhall International North West 200 for the opening practice session on 12 May. Martin's arrival at the triangle circuit generated the usual media interest, however the attention continued following some controversial comments concerning the circuit by Martin. On return from a practice lap on his Supersport machine, Martin was briefly interviewed by BBC Sport presenter Stephen Watson.[60] Struggling to qualify, Martin said he was "bored" riding the course, citing the number of chicanes which had been introduced in an effort to improve safety.[60] As on previous occasions this resulted in Martin's team boss, Hector Neill, again having to rally to his rider's defence. Interviewed by the BBC and other assorted media Neill downplayed the comments, merely alluding to the fact that Martin was becoming concerned that the course was starting to resemble more a purpose-built racing track as opposed to a pure road circuit.[60] This brought reaction from various commentators and competitors, with Philip McCallen questioning Martin's commitment to the sport as well as his indiscreet criticism of the course.[61]

In a further interview with BBC Sport, again conducted by Watson and with event director Mervyn Whyte in attendance,[62] Martin apologized for his comments and whilst he was supportive of the event, describing it as a "mega event," he continued that he was not too stuck on the circuit, and that he simply didn't like chicanes.[62] Watson drew Martin's attention to the fact that the comments by this time had been seen by over 300,000 people on Facebook. Martin made light of the situation, stating that he was "caught in the heat of the moment, and simply let rip."[62] He then questioned why he was generating such attention for his comments, when the main attention should not have been directed towards him but rather directed towards the racing, and to the fact that Alastair Seeley had qualified on pole position and had subsequently gone on to win the opening race.[62]

The 2015 Vauxhall International North West 200 was blighted by a series of incidents resulting in races being red flagged.[63] Martin did not make an impression in any of the races, and failed to finish in the top six.[63]

2015 TT[edit]

Martin's 2015 Isle of Man TT provided mixed results. Opening his account with a retirement in the Superbike Race, he followed this up by taking a respectable 5th place astride the Smiths Triumph in the opening Supersport TT.[64] Switching back to his BMW S1000RR Superstock machine, Martin came home in 7th place in the Superstock TT.[64] Brought in as a late replacement for the injured William Dunlop in the TT Zero Race, and with negligible practice time, Martin took his electrically powered Victory Racing machine to 4th place in his first participation in the class.[64] He then secured his only podium place of the meeting, again on board the Smiths Triumph Daytona, when he claimed 3rd place in the second Supersport outing.[64] Martin rounded off his 2015 campaign when he took the factory BMW S1000RR Superbike to 4th place in the Senior TT with an average race speed of 129.602 mph, but with a fastest lap average of 132.398 mph, a personal best for Martin and just two seconds slower than race winner and outright lap record holder John McGuinness.[64][65]

2015 Southern 100[edit]

Guy Martin leads Dan Kneen and Michael Dunlop into Church Bends during the 2015 Diamond Jubilee Southern 100

Martin arrived back on the Isle of Man in July in order to compete in the Southern 100 Races which were celebrating their Diamond Jubilee. Poor weather initially hampered the racing programme with the Corlett's Trophies 1000/600cc race red flagged in wet conditions.[66] The race was re-run two days later, with Dan Kneen taking the lead for the opening two laps. However, Martin edged him out, taking the lead on lap 3 and thereafter dicing for the lead with Kneen and Michael Dunlop.[66] Leading at Stadium Corner on the final circuit, Martin looked favourite to take the honours. However, getting maximum drive out of the final corner, Dunlop snatched victory at the line by 0.087 seconds.[66]

Martin then began to take hold of the meeting. On board his BMW S1000RR Martin took to the grid for the finale to the event, the Southern 100 Solo Championship.[66] Pushed hard during the 9-lap race by Dan Kneen, Martin led the pack by the end of the opening lap and continued to hold station at the end of lap 2. Lap 3 saw Martin maintain his lead, however Dunlop low sided at Ballabeg Hairpin putting him out of the race.[66] The ensuing melee enabled Martin and Kneen to break free from the chasing pack and their two-way battle ensued into the following lap.[66] As the race went into the final two laps, the rear echelon of the field started to have an effect on the front running riders, with Kneen being held up in an overtaking manoeuvre at Iron Gate.[66] This enabled Martin to stay clear on the final circuit taking the Southern 100 title for the third year in succession.[66]

Martin at Church Bends during the 2015 Southern 100.

Following his victory, Guy Martin joined the late Joey Dunlop as the only riders to have won the Southern 100 Solo Championship Race for three years in succession.

2015 Ulster GP crash[edit]

Martin crashed at high speed when leading the 2015 Dundrod 150 Superbike race (part of the Ulster GP) in August. On the final lap, being pursued by Bruce Anstey, he left the course at Ireland's Corner, fracturing thoracic vertebrae, his sternum and a number of ribs and his throttle hand, requiring steel rods to be inserted into his back and a pin in his hand. He signed himself out of hospital four days later.[22]

Having no memory of the incident, being shown footage of the crash for the first time (as depicted on Guy Martin's Wall of Death: Live) confirmed his suspicion that he had been pushing hard for a perfect corner, due to the pressure from Anstey. He stated that while he had accidents that looked worse, this was the one that caused the most damage. The programme also detailed his recovery period at home, revealing his ice bath treatments in an outdoor pool to relieve the pain, which was affecting his sleep.

2016 season[edit]

In January 2016 Martin confirmed he would not be racing the 2016 Isle of Man TT as it clashed with a mountain bike race he wanted to compete in, and he would also not be racing the prior North West 200 due to the mountain bike training.[21]

It was hoped that Martin would be participating at the Southern 100 motorcycle races, defending his solo title and increasing the event's profile. However following his participation in the Tour Divide it was subsequently announced that Martin would not be competing at the Southern 100.[67]

2017 season[edit]

It was uncertain whether Martin would retire from racing or return for the 2017 season, but it was announced on 18 January that he had signed for the Honda Racing, based in Louth, Lincolnshire, and would compete alongside teammate John McGuinness at various national and international meetings including the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT Races.[68]

In addition, it was confirmed on 20 March that Martin would compete at the 2017 Tandragee 100 and the Cookstown 100 events.[69]

Tandragee 100[edit]

Martin's first competitive appearance since 2015 was his debut for Honda at the Tandragee 100 on 22 April, riding the new Honda Fireblade Superstock-class machine. During the first lap of the Open Superbike race, Martin was involved in a collision with another rider at Marlacoo corner. Both were unhurt, but retired from the race.[70][71] Due to an incident involving an Italian rider and poor weather conditions, the rest of the meeting was cancelled.

Spring Cup[edit]

After the Tandragee races, Martin travelled overnight to make the start at Oliver's Mount for the annual Spring Cup races. Although he had been successful previously at the Scarborough circuit, this low key appearance was more about gaining race-time on the new Honda.

Cookstown 100[edit]

Martin's next outing of the season was on the Superstock Fireblade SP2 at the Cookstown 100, additionally riding for the Wilson Craig Team in the Supersport class.[72] After practice, Martin was qualified fifth fastest in the Supersport, but failed to start in the race. Martin took the big Honda to fifth place in the first Superbike Race, however he again failed to start in the second race.[72]

North West 200[edit]

As at the Cookstown 100, it was confirmed Martin would ride for both the factory-supported Honda team, and in the Supersport 600 cc class for the Wilson Craig Team. Interviewed by BBC Sport,[73] Martin was in upbeat mood, saying he hadn't pushed the machine too hard, and was quite happy with a "steady ride round." Martin's criticism of the course in regard to the chicanes was mentioned.[73] When queried on a previous statement made after the 2015 meeting that he would not return to the triangle circuit, Martin commented that the primary reason was to get the necessary race-time to enter the Isle of Man TT Races. He also confirmed that he enjoyed riding at the Northwest 200 and that he had development work to do with the new Honda.[73] When queried why he did not renew his association with the Irish Tyco BMW Team, Martin stated that after the 2015 accident, he had decided to retire from racing but still had respect for Tyco BMW, concluding during the Tour Divide cycle race that he no longer had passion for racing.[73] A reason Martin gave for signing for Honda, was that he could fulfill an ambition, as Honda had promised him he could race a vintage Honda RC181.[73]

Practice produced mixed results for Martin. Following an accident in practice injuring teammate John McGuinness at Primrose Hill on 11 May, a decision was made by Honda Racing to withdraw Martin from that evening's Superstock race. Honda Racing, after further appraisal of the incident involving McGuinness, also withdrew from the remaining events.[74]

On the Wilson Craig Honda 600 Martin qualified 16th fastest during first practice for the Supersport race, recording a fastest lap of 109.614 mph,[75] slipping to 27th fastest in the second qualifying period,[75] which led to Martin starting the race from the ninth row on the grid, bringing his machine home in 23rd place.[76]

Isle of Man TT[edit]

Following the North West 200 incident involving John McGuinness riding the new Honda SP2, tests were carried out by the Honda Racing Team prior to the bike arriving at the TT races. The 2017 Isle of Man TT qualifying week was disrupted by poor weather and Martin had little track time. The weather improved towards the end of the week, enabling a full practice session to take place on Friday 2 June. Due to the lack of practice, the first race day was postponed with the time allotted to additional practice. On 3 June, in ideal conditions, Martin completed four practice laps recording the 26th fastest time, around the road course of 37.73 miles (60.72 km) in a time of 18 minutes 11.69 seconds at an average speed of 124.403 mph (200.207 km/h).

The opening race, the Superbike TT, was rescheduled for Sunday 4 June but Martin only got 8 miles into the race before he crashed at Doran's Bend.[77] In an interview afterwards, Martin stated that as he attempted to change down the gearbox after Ballig Bridge in order to negotiate the 4th gear left handed Doran's Bend, he hit a false neutral.[78] Martin was unable to offer an opinion as to whether the bike would be safe to ride in the Senior TT, merely describing the SP2 as a "Jonah".[clarification needed] Despite crashing at around 135 mph (217 km/h), Martin only sustained a bruised wrist.[77] Following his spill in the opening race, Martin also failed to start in both the Supersport race and the Superstock event.

Southern 100[edit]

At the start of the season Martin confirmed his intention to compete at the 2017 Southern 100 races on the Isle of Man. However following the problems with the Honda CBR1000RR SP2 at the TT races, Martin decided not to participate at the event.[79]

Ulster Grand Prix[edit]

On 21 July 2017, Honda Racing, an English company based in Louth, Lincolnshire also known as Honda Racing CBR,[80][81] issued a statement to the effect that Guy Martin would not be competing at the 2017 Ulster Grand Prix; the decision was described by an event organiser as "Naturally I'm disappointed...but it's not altogether surprising given the difficulties the team has experienced throughout the season".[82]

Retirement from motorcycle racing[edit]

On 26 July 2017, it was officially announced that Guy Martin had retired from motorcycle racing. In an exclusive interview with the Motorcycle News Martin said:

Racing's been good to me, but I'm bored of it. You spend the early part of the year preparing for the season – testing, racing, talking about it, and then doing it all over again. It's like Groundhog Day. It's time to stop.[83]

Martin returned to road racing in May 2019 at Tandragee, winning the 1000 cc class on a BSA Rocket, finishing second on the road to outright winner Dean Stimpson on a 500 cc machine with both classes run together. He had provisionally entered the earlier Cookstown event but failed to appear.[6][84]

Race results[edit]

Isle of Man TT[edit]

2009[edit]

Race

Position

Time

Speed

Replica

Superbike

3rd

01:46:59.69

126.948

Silver

Supersport Race 1

2nd

01:13:03.39

123.948

Silver

Superstock

2nd

01:11:06.31

127.349

Silver

Supersport Race 2

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Senior

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Source: [85]

2010[edit]

Race

Position

Time

Speed

Replica

Superbike

4th

1:47:18.05

126.586

Silver

Supersport Race 1

2nd

1:12:40.78

124.591

Silver

Superstock

5th

1:11:50.06

126.057

Silver

Supersport Race 2

4th

1:13:00.31

124.035

Silver

Senior

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Source: [86]

2011[edit]

Race

Position

Time

Speed

Replica

Superbike

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Supersport Race 1

3rd

0:54:56:06

123.628

Silver

Superstock

3rd

1:11:36.59

126.452

Silver

Supersport Race 2

3rd

1:13:29.28

123.220

Silver

Senior

2nd

1:45:53:00

128.281

Silver

Source: [87]

2012[edit]

Race

Position

Time (HH:MM:SS)

Speed (Mph)

Replica

Superbike

4th

01:47:20.18

126.544

Silver

Superstock Race

5th

01:12:06.85

125.567

Silver

Supersport Race 1

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Supersport Race 2

8th

01:15:17.95

120.256

Silver

Senior

Race Cancelled

Source:[56]

2013[edit]

Race

Position

Time (HH:MM:SS)

Speed (Mph)

Replica

Superbike

4th

01:46:58.894

126.964

Silver

Superstock Race

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Supersport Race 1

6th

01:13:17.846

123.540

Silver

Supersport Race 2

8th

01:14:07.563

122.159

Silver

Senior

5th

01:46:14.371

127.851

Silver

Source:[56]

2014[edit]

Race

Position

Time (HH:MM:SS)

Speed (Mph)

Replica

Superbike

2nd

01:46:06.954

128.000

Silver

Supersport Race 1

6th

01:13:44.591

122.794

Silver

Superstock

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Supersport Race 2

10th

01:14:30.161

121.542

Silver

Senior

3rd

01:45:56.962

128.201

Silver

Source:[56]

2015[edit]

Race

Position

Time (HH:MM:SS)

Speed (Mph)

Replica

Superbike

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Supersport Race 1

5th

01:12:58.110

124.097

Silver

Superstock

7th

01:11:10.217

127.233

Silver

TT Zero

4th

20:37.287

109.717

Silver

Supersport Race 2

3rd

01:12:30.775

124.877

Silver

Senior

4th

01:09:52.148

129.602

Silver

Source:[56]

2017[edit]

Race

Position

Time (HH:MM:SS)

Speed (Mph)

Replica

Superbike

DNF

DNF

DNF

DNF

Supersport Race 1

DNS

DNS

DNS

DNS

Superstock

DNS

DNS

DNS

DNS

TT Zero

2nd

Senior

DNS

DNS

DNS

DNS

Source:[56]

Southern 100[edit]

2015[edit]

Race

Position

Time

Speed

Corlett's Trophies 600/1000cc

2nd

16:06.033

110.866 mph

Ellan Vannin Fuels Senior Race

1st

16:17.148

109.605 mph

Manx Gas Southern 100 Solo Championship Race

1st

20:32.654

111.710 mph

Source:[88]

Mountain bike racing and Pedal cars[edit]

Martin has successfully raced mountain bikes in cross country, downhill races and endurance races. In June 2011, after two years of training, he raced in the Salzkammergut Trophy in Austria. With a time of 14 hours 40 minutes, he was the first British non-professional rider to finish.[89] He achieved his goal of a podium-finish during a 2013 British Championship event in Fort William, Scotland.[90][11]

He placed second in the male solo rider category at the Strathpuffer 24-hour mountain bike race (held at Strathpeffer, Scotland) in both 2014 and 2015.[91][92]

Martin racing an Apollo pedal car at Shenington

Martin achieved an ambition and competed in the 2016 Tour Divide mountain bike race, which runs from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, negotiating the Rocky Mountains, beginning on 11 June.[21] He completed the course, taking 18 days, six hours and 23 minutes, with an average of 150 miles a day.[93]

Martin also competed as part of a Pedal Car Racing team in the 24-hour, 2015 British Pedal Car Championship event at the Shenington Kart circuit on 27/28 June, as part of the Team JMC/Hope Factory Racing Team.

Film and television[edit]

This section contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (June 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Filmography[edit]

Programme

Format

Episodes

Subject

Original broadcast

From

To

Channel

The Boat that Guy Built

Documentary (TV)

6[94]

Maritime (narrowboat Reckless)

2 March 2011[94]

6 April 2011[94]

BBC One

TT3D Closer to the Edge

Documentary (film)

n/a

The 2010 Isle of Man TT

How Britain Worked

Documentary (TV)

6 (1 series)[95]

The Industrial Revolution

21 October 2012[96]

25 November 2012[96]

Channel 4

Speed with Guy Martin

Documentary (TV)

14 (3 series of 4 episodes, plus two Formula 1 specials)

Vehicular speed record attempts

29 December 2013[97]

9 October 2016[97]

Guy Martin's Spitfire

Documentary (TV)

1

Aviation (Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Ia serial N3200)

12 October 2014[98]

n/a

Guy Martin's Passion for Life

Documentary (TV)

1

Autobiographical

27 December 2014[99]

n/a

Our Guy In India

Documentary (TV)

2

Travelogue (journey on a Royal Enfield (India) motorcycle)

1 February 2015[100]

8 February 2015[100]

Guy Martin: Last Flight of the Vulcan Bomber

Documentary (TV)

1

Aviation (Avro Vulcan XH558 jet bomber)

29 November 2015[101]

n/a

Our Guy in Latvia

Documentary (TV)

1

Autobiographical

14 December 2015[102]

n/a

Guy Martin's Wall of Death: Live

Documentary (TV)

1

Wall of Death

28 March 2016[103]

n/a

Our Guy in China

Documentary (TV)

3

Exploring China and record-attempt crossing of the Taklamakan Desert

21 November 2016[104]

5 December 2016

Guy Martin's WWI Tank

Documentary (TV)

1

Participating in creating a working replica of WWI Mark IV tank now on display at the Norfolk Tank Museum

19 November 2017[105]

n/a

Guy Martin vs the Robot Car

Documentary (TV)

1

Investigates autonomous vehicles

26 November 2017[106]

n/a

Our Guy in Russia

Documentary (TV)

3

Exploring Russia and visiting Chernobyl

16 July 2018[107]

30 July 2018[107]

Guy Martin: The World's Fastest Van?

Documentary (TV)

1

Martin rebuilds his transit van and tries to break the van lap record at the Nürburgring in Germany.

4 November 2018[108]

n/a

Guy Martin's D-Day Landing

Documentary (TV)

1

Martin restores a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, and trains with the Red Devils.

2 June 2019[109]

n/a

Our Guy in Japan

Documentary (TV)

2

Exploring Japan

24 November 2019[110]

1 December 2019

Guy Martin: World's Fastest Tractor

Documentary (TV)

1

Martin Attempts to build the Worlds fastest tractor and set a speed record of over 100 mph.

17 November 2019[111]

n/a

Guy Martin's Great Escape

Documentary (TV)

1

Recreating the iconic scene from the movie with the same name

8 December 2019[112]

n/a

Guy Martin's Best Bits

Documentary (TV)

4

Martin looks back at some of his greatest achievement

10 October 2020[113]

31 October 2020

Guy Martin's Battle of Britain

Documentary (TV)

2

Martin trains as a Second World War fighter pilot

18 April 2021[114]

25 April 2021

Guy Martin: The World's Fastest Electric Car?

Documentary (TV)

1

Martin attempts to set a new world record for the fastest road-legal battery vehicle

9 August 2021[115]

n/a

Guy's Garage

Documentary (TV)

4

Martin transforms some of Europe's most iconic road vehicles into extreme racing machines

22 November 2021[116]

n/a

Guy Martin's Lancaster Bomber

Documentary (TV)

1

Martin pays homage to the World War II bomber and explores if he has the capability to become a Lancaster crewman.

19 December 2021[117]

n/a

Engineering[edit]

The Boat that Guy Built[edit]

This six-part series sees Martin and his friend, Mark 'Mavis' Davies, renovate a narrowboat, called Reckless, while travelling on the canal network using the inventions of the Industrial Revolution. The programme includes reconstructions of early industrial processes such as smelting iron.[118]

How Britain Worked[edit]

This six-part series examined some of the important engineering advances at the time of the Industrial Revolution. Feeling the country had lost its reputation as the workshop of the world and "went soft" under the auspices of health and safety culture, through replicating original working methods in various practical projects, the series was to highlight the ordinary workers who were experiencing long hours while working to remarkable precision, "within a couple of thousandths of an inch".[51]

Episode list[96]

Episode

Title

Original broadcast

1

Severn Valley Railway

21 October 2012

2

Yorkshire Saw Mill

28 October 2012

3

Victorian Seaside Resort

4 November 2012

4

Newcomen Beam Engine

13 November 2012

5

Brixham Sailing Trawler

18 November 2012

6

Birmingham Botanical Gardens (United Kingdom)

25 November 2012

Severn Valley Railway[edit]

In this episode, Martin helps to overhaul and later drives a steam locomotive on the Severn Valley Railway, Shropshire, in the process working on its boiler, safety valves and a wheel. Using Victorian methods, he also lays some track, forges a coal shovel out of wrought iron, and repairs a 100-year-old train driver's pocket watch.

Yorkshire Saw Mill[edit]

In this episode, Martin helps to repair the world's oldest surviving water turbine used to power Gayle Mill, a saw mill in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. Felling a tree by hand, he transports the lumber to the mill by steam traction engine, to build a replica of the first pedal-powered bicycles. Also covered is the migration of farm workers to city factories, displaced by mechanisation.

Victorian Seaside Resort[edit]

In this episode, Martin helps with winter maintenance on attractions in the Welsh resort of Llandudno, working on the pier, a helter-skelter ride, and the Great Orme Tramway. He also participates in a promenade concert, and covers the Victorian craze of sea bathing.

Newcomen Beam Engine[edit]

In this episode, Martin helps to restore the Newcomen beam engine in the Black Country Living Museum, including making fire bricks using the original methods, restoring the timber frame, renovate the mechanical parts and clean the boiler. Covering Victorian mining methods Martin goes down the museum's mine shaft.

Brixham Sailing Trawler[edit]

In this episode, Martin helps to restore the oldest surviving Brixham sailing trawler, using traditional carpentry and rope making techniques (on rope making machines used for HMS Victory), as well as testing a self-made period life jacket. Examining the growth in popularity for fish and chips, he takes a trip on a deep sea trawler.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens[edit]

In this episode, Martin helps to restore Birmingham Botanical Gardens (United Kingdom), learning the Victorian method for glassblowing for the greenhouse panes, rebuilding the very first lawnmower, and for building a rockery. He covers the engineering behind the Victorian fashion for collecting plants from around the world, to be shown off in extravagant botanical gardens.

Guy Martin's Spitfire[edit]

Guy Martin joins the two-year restoration of an early model of Supermarine Spitfire (Spitfire Mark Ia), N3200, squadron code 'QV', that had buried in a French beach for 46 years after being shot down during the Dunkirk evacuation, and tells the "Boy's Own"-style story of its pilot, Squadron Leader Geoffrey Stephenson. Saltwater corrosion ensured very little (if anything) was safely usable on the end aircraft.

Guy Martin: Last Flight of the Vulcan Bomber[edit]

In this feature length one-off special, Martin follows the final flights of the Cold War era Avro Vulcan Delta winged jet bomber XH558 Spirit of Great Britain. Having been restored to flight in 2007 by a charitable trust, it had been the last flying Vulcan, performing displays every year, until it was decided 2015 would be its last season due to its age and associated insurmountable engineering issues. Its last flight occurred on 28 October 2015. Martin joins the team with four months left, and once certified by the team's chief engineer, is permitted to assist in preparing it for a 1,000 mile farewell tour, as it is jacked up for a vertical alignment test. Examining the design and history, he also meets former Vulcan pilots and the Red Arrows, who display with the aircraft, and aerial footage tracks it on the tours. Since in-flight cockpit access is only granted to Vulcan crew, he also flies alongside it in a formation with other aircraft. He also takes the controls of one of the other surviving Vulcans in taxiable condition, for a fast taxi manoeuvre (ground run to the point of nose lift).

Racing and speed[edit]

TT3D: Closer to the Edge[edit]

Main article: TT3D: Closer to the Edge

TT3D: Closer to the Edge is a documentary film about the Isle of Man TT races. The film examines what motivates the riders who race the TT and risk everything to become "King of the Mountain". Filmed in 3D, the film is a story about freedom of choice and the strength of human spirit. The film follows the leading riders in the 2010 race meeting, in particular Martin and Ian Hutchinson.

Speed with Guy Martin[edit]

Main article: Speed with Guy Martin

In this series, Martin attempts various challenges based on speed using a variety of vehicles, mostly featuring record attempts. Three series of four hour-long episode were broadcast, along with three special episodes. This was despite Martin's reluctance to film a third series, saying that he would prefer to "move on while we are ahead", continuing with a few one-off specials.[8]

Episode list[edit]

Source for episode titles and broadcast dates:[119]

Series

No.

Episode

Vehicle

Original broadcast

1

1

Britain's Fastest Cyclist

bicycle

29 December 2013

2

Hydroplaning Bike

motorcycle

5 January 2014

3

Human Powered Aircraft

aircraft

12 January 2014

4

World's Fastest Toboggan

gravity powered sled

19 January 2014

2

1

Tandem

bicycle (tandem)

29 October 2014

2

Pike's Peak

motorcycle

2 November 2014

3

Hovercraft

hovercraft

9 November 2014

4

Gravity Racer

soapbox

16 November 2014

specials

F1 Special

motorcycle (against Red Bull RB8 Formula One car)

17 March 2016

3

1

Transit Van

Transit van

4 September 2016

2

Pedal Power Airship

airship

25 September 2016

3

World's Fastest Human-Powered Boat

boat

2 October 2016

4

World's Fastest Motorbike

motorbike

9 October 2016

specials

F1 Challenge

pit crew at 2017 Belgian Grand Prix

17 September 2017

specials

Classic F1 Special

Williams FW08C, Williams FW08B

27 August 2018

specials

Guy Goes Back to School

Planned

1 Sept 2021

Guy Martin's Wall of Death: Live[edit]

In this live special, Martin attempted to set a world speed record on a purpose built version of the wall of death fairground attraction.[120] It also featured recordings of Martin being trained by experienced rider Ken Fox on an existing wall to overcome dizziness, and being given aerial training to overcome the chief limiting factor, the effect of G-force on the human body. The science was explored by Hugh Hunt of Cambridge University, revealing the equation G=S2/(25*D), where G is G-Force, S is speed in mph, and D is diameter of the wall, in metres. This revealed the chosen location, a hangar on Manby Airfield, would be too small for Martin's desired target of 100 mph, but with a revised target of 80 mph while remaining below 7G, the 37.5 metre wall that was ultimately built would suffice. This would allow Martin to challenge a previous claimed record of around 70 mph, which the programme believed was wrong, determined through video analysis as having been 45 mph. For the show, Guinness World Records created a new record, Highest speed on a Wall of Death, and set an initial qualifying benchmark of 60 mph in one of two attempts. On a first attempt, using an Indian Scout motorcycle, Martin managed to achieve 70.33 mph, while on a second run, on a bike purposely built by Martin (a 1972 Rob North T160 Trident triple), he extended the record to 125.77 km/h (78.15 mph). Prior to Martin's attempt, on the smaller wall cyclist Shanaze Reade also set the Guinness record for Highest bicycle speed on a Wall of Death, at 42.94 km/h (26.68 mph).[8][39][121]

Autobiographical[edit]

Guy Martin's Passion for Life[edit]

This one-off half hour programme explored various aspects of Martin's life. It was a repackaging of material previously released as four 7 minute long online only episodes, under Channel 4's Shorts brand, on their online platform 4oD. Episodes "Prized Possession" and "TT Racer" were released on 18 August 2014, followed by "Inside the Mind of a Racer" and "Proud Mechanic" on 1 October 2014. Proud Possession focuses on his Merlin engine.[122]

Our Guy in Latvia[edit]

Guy travelled to Latvia to investigate the history of the Latvian side of his family – his deceased maternal grandfather, Walter Kidals, was a Latvian who had come to Britain in 1947 as a refugee from World War II. The family knew little about his story, even his wife had been unaware he was an orphan. Born Waldemars Kidals, the programme found that in 1941 he had been conscripted into the Latvian Legion, part of the Axis Forces when Nazi Germany had occupied Latvia, and later spent two years in a Belgian prisoner-of-war camp. Having been exonerated by the post-war trials, and with Latvia now part of the Soviet Union, all surviving former Latvian conscripts were allowed to settle in the United States and Britain as political refugees – Walter opted for the UK, travelling to Hull.[4][123]

In the programme, Martin met surviving members of his family and visited the now cleared site of his family's former farmhouse. Travelling in a 1982 Lada 1300S, he also visited an immersive Cold War Russian prison experience, and watched a reenactment of a battle between the Legion forces and the Soviet Red Army.[4][123]

Our Guy In India[edit]

Martin is shown embarking on a 1,000-mile motorbike trip, as he explores rarely seen aspects of modern India en route to Rider Mania, described as "one of the world's maddest bike races".[124]

Our Guy In China[edit]

Martin's love of industry and endeavour leads him to China, where he reveals the unseen side of its innovation, technological development and gigantic manufacturing.[125]

Personal life[edit]

Martin lives in Kirmington[126] with his partner Sharon and their daughter Dottie.[127]

In 2017, Martin purchased the pub in his home village. It is run by his elder sister.[128]

Personal machinery[edit]

Martin owned a Merlin aero engine from a 1942 Lancaster bomber, and a Scania 144 530 truck engine. He also has a 1915 Amanco Chore Boy stationary engine with original low tension magneto in his kitchen.[17]

Martin owns a 2013 Ford Transit van and a unique Volvo Vöx supercar.[129] The van is for general transport while the Vöx is just for special occasions,[129] however he does his daily commute to his truck job on his mountain bike.[11] He has owned various Vauxhall Astra vans, until a bad example put him off the type.[14] He now swears by the reliability of the Transit,[33] driving it around 40,000 miles a year.[17]

He bought the Vöx in 2012 from Koenigsegg engineer Mattias Vöcks. Based on a 1967 Volvo Amazon, it was upgraded and customised by Vöcks into an E85 biofuel powered 788 bhp vehicle, which Martin claims has reached 205 mph on a racetrack.[129] The Vöx followed a string of high performance cars Martin bought for special occasions (only ever owning one at a time, and sometimes only owning his van).[130] At age 21 he bought a BMW E46 M3 CSL,[129] followed by a Porsche GT3 RS at age 24,[14] then a new BMW E92 M3 V8,[130] and lastly before the Vöx, a 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage bought new at age 28.[130]

Martin also owns a large collection of bicycles and motorcycles, including a Bimota.[17] In bicycles, he has owned a Raleigh Chopper, then a Raleigh Mustang, Falcon Fattrack, but describes his first proper bike as being a Whyte 46 bought in 2005, followed by an Orange 224, Scott Ransom 10, Alpine 160, finally settling on a Cotic.[15]

Legal issues[edit]

By late-2011, he had accrued 21 penalty points on his standard UK driving licence, having been caught speeding several times in his Ford Transit van. He avoided a driving ban when on 18 points, being given another three in lieu of a ban, after the judge showed leniency due to the effect it would have on his livelihood, had he lost it.[129][15] After a period of "driving like a saint" he was expecting to have regained a clean record by April 2015.[14]

Following claims made in his 7 April 2015 Sunday Times review of the Aston Martin Vanquish, in which he recounted testing the car on an early morning lap of the TT course, police opened an investigation. Driving almost the full length of the TT course (joining at Quarterbridge garage and finishing at Governor's Bridge), he said he was impressed at how fast it really was, reaching 180 mph down Sulby Straight and becoming airborne at Ballacrye corner, resulting in "something like a 22-minute lap".[33] On 27 May, police confirmed that after taking advice from the Attorney General's Chambers, they would be taking no further action, while reminding residents and visitors that "Where there is no upper speed limit, road users must at all times be aware that there is a fine line between what is fast and what is dangerous."[131] A few days later in a radio interview, Martin repeated the claims, and stated he had not broken the law as he had only reached high speeds on derestricted roads (i.e., those with no upper speed limit).[132]

In November 2018, Martin appeared at Lincoln magistrates' court in relation to Irish documentation submitted as part of an application for a UK driving licence. The matter was escalated to Lincoln Crown Court as he pleaded not guilty, opting for a jury trial. After an initial hearing in December 2018, the matter was referred for trial in July 2019.[133][134][135]

Due to stand trial on 6 January 2020, in late-December 2019 the two charges were dropped, citing that Martin believed his licence from Northern Ireland was genuine, giving him HGV-entitlement and that his autism made him "vulnerable enough for others to see him as an easy target" and that he "may well have been taken in by somebody".[136]

Jump to search

Jump to navigation

Jump to navigation

Jump to search