Year after year, MotoGP gets all the glory. And there are great many reasons why that is the case, the action is intense, the bikes are amazing, and the racers themselves are interesting and full of personality. These are world superstars, on par with their auto siblings from Formula 1. Even people who have never watched a single MotoGP race might know names like Marc Marquez, Casey Stoner and, arguably the greatest of all time, Valentino Rossi.
But what if we told you that there exists a much older race. One that takes place only once a year, and is run on regular streets of a tiny island situated between Ireland and England. And that this race is more exciting, dangerous and fan-friendly than anything MotoGP can ever hope to do. Welcome to the winding and uneven roads of the Isle of Man and the lethal Tourist Trophy it hosts.
A Dangerous And Lethal Race
The Isle of Man TT has been around a long time. Racers have been coming to the small yet charming island off the shores of England for over 120 years. In that time, a staggering amount of people have died while competing there, and many more have been seriously injured. And while one of the best TT riders, Joey Dunlop met his untimely end at a different circuit, over 150 competitors have died at the actual race between 1907 and 2022. Rolling a bike up to the TT start line is not for the weak-of-heart.
So what makes this race so dangerous? Well the fact that it's a race on regular roads, running through towns, with no safety run-offs, where racers are sometimes mere inches from a stone wall. And even though riders are released one at a time from the start line, and compete with clock, competitors are usually just seconds behind each other. One wrong press on the clipons can send you and the rider behind you into an unyielding concrete barrier. So understandably, the stakes are as high as they get, making the rare taste of victory is only that much sweeter.
Anyone Who Dares Can Compete
The race is called the Tourist Trophy for a reason. Anyone brave enough, and with enough cash to fund the trip, can enter. For every well-known, sponsored legend like John McGuinness, Guy Martin or Michael Dunlop, there are dozens of completely unknown privateers that are there on a shoestring budget and a wing and a prayer. They'll ride, maybe finish, if they don't get hurt, and disappear back to their homes with an amazing story of having once competed among the best.
Some, that have that special drive and the means to do it, will return year upon year. And the fact that they're able to compete is more than enough for them. Their times will be placed among the elite racers of today, and the hope to move up the ranks only serves to bring them back year after year. Such is the case with Forest Dunn, who entered the TT race in 2016 and had a personal best finish of 7th position in the Superbike Classic TT in 2018. In 2019, he came in 27th in the Superbike TT and 22nd in the Superstock TT respectively. He's primed to continue his racing career this year, as he's been accepted into all categories once more.
A Wide Variety Of Classes
MotoGP has three classes, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoGP. That better be enough for you, because that's it. On the other hand, Isle of Man TT has five classes, and the last one is something so strange, that it's likely most motorcycle fans don't even know the category exists. The typical races, which would be familiar to most fans, start with the Superbike class.
The Superbike motorcycles are slightly modified versions of the standard production models with 1000cc engines and over 200 bhp. These bikes must maintain the overall appearance of their street counterparts, but teams are allowed to tune them specifically for racing. Following Superbike, comes Supersport. These machines have lower cc engines, usually 600cc four-cylinder and 675cc three-cylinder capacities. And unlike the Superbike category, Supersports are allowed to be heavily modified by teams.
The next format is the Superstock, which as you may guess, are bone stock versions of production sport bikes. Teams are restricted from modifying these too much, as they must closely resemble a motorcycle anyone can buy. The current race record is held by Peter Hickman on a BMW S 1000 RR. Then there's the Supertwin, which is a class that has twin-cylinder machines, with extensive modifications. Michael Dunlop holds the record for that one.
The last class is the one that breaks any lingering similarities to MotoGP into pieces. The Sidecar class can utilize 600cc, 675cc and 900cc machines and have a driver and a passenger to help navigate corners. And if you've never seen one of these races, you owe it to yourself to check it out. There are skills and then there are SKILLS.
A Race Made For The Fans
You can't get any closer to motorcycle action than when you're standing on the actual racetrack. And when that racetrack is a real street next to your home, you may as well just pull up your favorite camping chair, crack open a Guinness and settle in the best seat in the house. The bikes that are screaming around the corner, will be flying within inches of your face.
That is, of course, the best case scenario, as most fans of the race don't live on the island itself. But thousands of spectators make the pilgrimage every year and there are travel agencies that specialize in making that trek much easier for everyone. Once you get on the island, and find yourself accommodations, you can watch the race from the official Grandstands at Noble's Park or filter in anywhere you're allowed to along the route itself. Official tickets only exist for the Grandstands, and your biggest expense is getting to and staying on the island.
But even if you're unable to attend in person, it is still worth it to tune wherever you can and watch this pulse-pounding, historic race. Morning and afternoon qualifying rounds start May 29th, 2023, and the race itself lasts 13 days, with various qualifying rounds happening every day.