This year marks the 97th running of the Isle of Man TT, and the two weeks of practice and racing sessions should be considered a “must attend” item on any motorcyclist’s bucket list.
The TT is a special event to attend, and I can tell you as a journalist that it is one of the more surreal motorcycle races to cover. First, there is the serenity in watching machines race on public roads, just inches sometimes from where you are sitting. There is no where else that gets you that close to the action.
And then, there is the pound of flesh that comes with the spectacle: the knowledge that statistically speaking, two racers will lose their lives over the course of the fortnight. It is sobering to know going into an event that you will likely report the death of an athlete.
Whether you are a fan of road racing or one of its detractors, I still feel that it should be compulsory to attend an Isle of Man TT before one can make comment one way or another on its continuance.
This isn’t just another motorcycle race, and this isn’t just another extreme sport; this isn’t life in the sand of the coliseum, but it’s also not going through life in the passenger seat.
There is something truly special about the Isle of Man TT, and until you experience it from beyond these words, they will just continue to seem hyperbolic.
It is easy to wax poetic about the TT – you will just have to attend one yourself to understand that. Until you do though, we aim to bring you the best Isle of Man TT coverage available over the next two weeks. So, here’s a primer of information, before we start cluttering your A&R news feed with TT postings.
How to Watch, Listen, and Follow
Before we get into the storylines, we should talk about how to follow the Isle of Man TT – especially if you don’t live in the United Kingdom, which has nightly reports from ITV4.
In the USA, the Velocity Channel will be rebroadcasting the ITV4 shows, which is good news since the ITV4 crew does a remarkable job. Check your local listings for times, and know that even the ITV4 shows happen a day or two after-the-fact.
For those on the Isle of Man, as well as abroad, Manx Radio is an invaluable asset during the TT fortnight – best of all in addition to their terrestrial radio broadcast, Manx Radio streams their shows over the internet. You can listen to them here.
During the practice and race session, the Isle of Man TT live timing screen is very valuable, and free. It also has a toggle to stream the live Manx Radio broadcast.
The TT has caught up to modern times as well. Many racers and teams now have Twitter, and will be posting through the fortnight. We have consolidated their feeds into this Twitter list, to make following the TT paddock easier for you.
Lastly, you should of course follow the 2016 Isle of Man TT right here on Asphalt & Rubber. We have photographer Tony Goldsmith and journalist Steve English as our boots on the ground at the Isle of Man, and they will be bringing you photos and stories from the fortnight’s events. Expect to see a dedicated TT page on A&R shortly, as well.
The Rise of Michael Dunlop
The biggest storyline surely to build from the Isle of Man is Michael Dunlop. Nephew to the legendary road racer Joey Dunlop, Michael is a singular and focused man when he is behind a motorcycle’s handlebars – and when he is on his BMW S1000RR, he looks truly unstoppable.
Despite this, Michael had a fairly disastrous 2015 outing at the TT, which was a shock considering the crescendo he’s been working up in his results.
He has 11 TT wins to his name, and 8 of them came within the past three years. A truly remarkable and dominating performance.
This is because Michael Dunlop has moved beyond just a fast Supersport TT competitor, and now he is a true candidate for the top podium step, in any class.
Michael Dunlop shines when the weather does not, and rain always threatens the Isle of Man, especially during the TT fortnight. This would bode well for the young Northern Irishman, if it wasn’t for the trend from the Clerk of the Course to keep the racing on dry days only, especially when it comes to the superbikes.
As always, we will have to wait and see how the weather affects the practice and racing schedules, but expect there to be changes through-out the fortnight, for sure.
Similarly, we will have to wait and see what Michael Dunlop can do on his runs over the Mountain Course. He is again on the BMW S1000RR for the big bike classes, while he will be racing a Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class. There will be no excuses this year.
Still the King of the Mountain
John McGuinness will be another storyline to follow this TT, as the “Morecambe Missile” is on a path to exceed Joey Dunlop’s TT win record of 26 wins – McGuinness currently has 23 to his name.
There is a good chance that we will see John McGuinness win at least one race this TT outing, with him being the heavy favorite (no pun intended) in the TT Zero electric class.
Often the butt of jokes for his unsportsmanlike physique, McGuinness has been offered a chance by Mugen to keep his million-dollar race-winning Shinden electric bike, if he can lose some of that weight. I couldn’t make that up, if I tried.
On the petrol bikes too, McGuinness is a serious contender. A few years ago, he would be the easy favorite, but his position has given way to the new crop of up-and-coming racers. Still as one of the riders with the most course knowledge at the Isle of Man TT, McGuinness is still capable of surprising.
“McPint” generally goes better on the bigger Superbikes, rather than the Supersports, so expect him to make a stronger showing in the Superbike, Superstock, and Senior TT races, with podiums in the Supersport TT class considered a good showing.
As I mentioned already, he is the strong favorite in the TT Zero class, but there is always the chance of technical problem, or his teammate Bruce Anstey, coming into play.
The “Others”
Don’t think for a second that the Isle of Man TT is a show of only two riders, as a bevy of competitors can take the #1 position in parc fermé on race day.
Ian Hutchinson and Bruce Anstey both won races last year. Strong performances can also be expected from Michael Rutter, Conor Cummins, James Hillier, Lee Johnston, William Dunlop, Cameron Donald, and Dean Harrison. Of the “others” Ian Hutchinson and Bruce Anstey are the ones to keep your eyes on though.
Bruce Anstey might be an old man at the age of 47, but the Kiwi still holds the fastest Superbike TT race lap, which he set in 2014. When he “wakes up” on the race course, a nod that the Honda man has a tendency to be faster towards the end of a race, he can be truly remarkable.
If things click together for Anstey and his Hondas, he can easily add another tally to his mark.
We also suggest keeping an eye out for Ian Hutchinson. Though he speaks softly, “Hutchy” carries a big stick on the TT course. In 2010, Hutchinson swept the “solo” classes, taking all five race wins – a truly remarkable feat.
Unfortunately, injuries plagued the English rider after his historic TT feat, and it has been a long road to recovery for Ian Hutchinson.
His race win at the 2015 Macau GP marked his return to fitness, and it was no surprise to see him win three TT races last year (Superstock, Supersport 1, & Supersport 2). For 2016, eyes will be on Hutchinson again, to see if he can carry his momentum once more into parc fermé.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning the rise of youngster Dean Harrison. The 2014 Lightweight TT race winner, Harrison has moved up into the next echelon of racers at the Isle of Man TT.
He had some heartbreaking results in 2015 though, and will be looking to right those wrongs this year. Expect to hear his name in the mix of things
The 120 MPH Electric Barrier
The TT Zero race has made remarkable progress in its short time as part of the Isle of Man TT, both in terms of outright speed, but also general acceptance.
For the 2016 Isle of Man TT, the electric bikes, especially those from Team Mugen, will be looking to break the 120 mph lap barrier. A note, this is the average pace over the 37-mile TT course, not the top speed.
The electrics were very nearly there with John McGuinness’ 119.279 mph lap last year, and breaking the 120 mph mark would put the electrics in Supersport TT territory in terms of lap times.
We will surely see a 120+ mph lap this year, but the question will be by what margin will it be set. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we saw a 123 mph lap from McGuinness or Anstey; and while Team Mugen may be the favorites for 2016, I expect to see a very competitive showing from the Victory Motorcycles effort.
It might be long odds, but an upset by William Dunlop on the Victory RR electric superbike is certainly possible, as that machine has developed a great deal since its TT debut last year. We won’t have long to wait to see how far its come in a year’s time.
Two-Stroke vs. Four-Stroke – The GP Machines
For 2016, race fans will have the added treat of seeing two MotoGP machines racing on the Mountain Course. Bruce Anstey has a Honda RC213V-S at his disposal, which is basically Marc Marquez’s MotoGP-winning machine, detuned for the street.
Ian Lougher will also campaign a GP machine, the Suter MMX 500, which is basically a two-stroke 500cc GP race bike, with some modern upgrades.
It’s not clear how competitive either machine will be at the Isle of Man, especially with such little data on each machines, and little time to set them up for the TT course.
But, race fans along the TT hedgerows will get to hear a special treat, and the two bikes’ presence adds something special to the event that you won’t get anywhere else. That’s the raison d’être of the TT, in a nutshell.
TT Photos: © 2015 Tony Goldsmith / www.tonygoldsmith.net – All Rights Reserved
You can follow all the action from the 2016 Isle of Man TT, right here on Asphalt & Rubber
Comments