FEATURE I 2023 ISLE OF MAN TT: PART 1
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a BMW S 1000 RR sitting in the
garage and the team's lead rider,
corrective facial surgeon Dr. Rich
-
ard Wilson, is running a new CBR
this year and thus isn't using it.
Richard's father, Andy, a now
retired dentist, is running the
team that includes Gary Vines
on a Honda CBR600RR, the rider
I had plenty of battles with last
year along with the eventually
tragic Raul Torras Martinez.
It's a great piss-taking atmo
-
sphere in the true British sense
and, with promise of "a little help
to prepare the bike" from Andy
and the team's only mechanic,
Italian Gabriele Pezzotta, the de
-
cision is made. I am now a BMW
rider, but first I must complete at
least two laps to qualify the bike
and I have to be within the cut-off
time. At best, I'll have three prac
-
tice laps tonight. No pressure…
By now it's 12:30 pm and with
the flag drop set for 2:30 pm,
the administrative race is on.
Paperwork signed with head of-
fice, transponders and GPS units
fitted, new Metzeler tires on, and
the bike into technical inspec-
tion, the Kibosh crew springs
into action for a rider they'd only
just met an hour before and now
they trust with their race bike. It
dawns on me there's probably
no racing paddock in the world
where this could happen except
the Isle of Man. It is heartwarm
-
ing to experience.
With about an hour before I
am due to go out, I head back up
to the Wilson Craig team one last
time to say goodbye and thanks
for everything they did for me.
The team of Darren, Alan, Lee,
and many more worked their
asses off from day one and I
know they're as disappointed as I
am this endeavor didn't work out.
I feel especially bad for
Alan—he's a genuinely nice guy
and the look of concern he had
for me while we chatted in the
transporter last night after the
gearbox issues was touching.
I see Darren Gilpin and he
comes over from the corner.
"Listen, we really didn't mean to
f--- up your TT," he says.
Your new bike,
sir! Rennie's
good fortune
was hard to
believe as the
Kibosh BMW
team welcomed
him in with
open arms.
