FEATURE I 2023 ISLE OF MAN TT: PART 1
P86
but I'm going faster than I ever
did on the CBR, the massive
Munich midrange making up for
my top-end trepidation.
Through Kate's Cottage and
down the slide to the Creg-ny-
Baa hotel, a thought dawns that
this lap might actually be a good
one. I flash over the line, pull
into the escape road and ride
into the pits to see Oscar with a
massive smile on his face.
"You got 119.8 mph, man.
That's enough to qualify!" It's
two mph up on what I managed
on the Honda after just three
laps and an hour in the saddle.
The relief feels like some
-
one just threw a cold bucket
of water over me straight from
Douglas Promenade.
"We're on the dance floor," I
say to Oscar.
WEEK ONE
Up until this point, my 2023 Isle
of Man TT has been the wildest
of rollercoasters. After last year
when my team packed up and
left before the start of the last
race in the Supersport class, I
am hoping for a boring, plain
sailing kind of race in the Super
-
bike, Superstock and Senior TTs.
Signing with the Wilson Craig
Honda team, a famous name
around the TT Mountain Course
if ever there was one, I'm sure
we'll put in a good performance.
A shakedown race at Kirkistown
in Northern Ireland a month ear
-
lier boded well with 11th in the
rain, and I was quite happy with
the performance of the Honda,
even if it was one of the older
2017-2021 models.
The issues start on Friday
before practice on Monday.
Jurby racetrack, the tradition
-
al arena for pre-TT shakedown
testing on the island, is closed.
The Southern 100 classic races
are being held and thus no
medics are available and so the
entire TT paddock can do noth
-
ing but wait until official practice
starts on Monday before any
testing can be carried out.
This is a real kick in the teeth
for me, Darren and the crew. I
need as much time on the CBR
as possible, if just to warm the
Lap three, Friday
night. It's now or never
to get on the grid.
