FEATURE I 2023 ISLE OF MAN TT: PART 2
P100
By the time I'm at Glen Helen,
I've already closed down the 10
second gap to Finland's Erno
Kostamo, the reigning Macau
Grand Prix Champion. I know I'm
going good.
A lap later, I'm on Frenchman
Amalric Blanc, and I pass him
going up Hailwood's Rise. At
the end of lap two, after starting
49th, I'm up to 39th, but I'm frig
-
ging exhausted.
The time
comes into Bal-
lacraine, the right hander that
leads
into the forest of Ballas-
pur, Doran's Bend, Laurel Bank
and
Glen Helen. Damn, I'm feel-
ing good now!
Through
my favorite section
of the track of Laurel Bank and
Glen Helen and onto the Cronky-
Voddy straight, it's game on. I've
got energy to burn, the BMW
is charging and I'm catching
"How in the blue hell am I
going to do another four laps?"
I ask myself. The next two laps
are just a matter of getting to
the next pit stop, but I'm still
making forward progress and
have jumped up to 33rd by the
second stop.
A drink of water and an elec
-
trolyte gel later, Gabe fills the
BMW's
tank, the Arai guy chang-
es my visor, Kiwi Simon cleans
my screen and
I see a carrot I
know will taste real sweet. It's
my old CVMA sparring buddy,
Texan Chris Sarbora, on his
MotoHub UK BMW just in front
of me in his pit.
I know I've already closed
down the one-minute gap on the
road to Chris as he started 43rd,
but I want to pass him all the
same, if anything so he has to
buy me a drink later in the week.
guys at a rate of knots now.
That physical wall I hit at the
end of lap two is smashed and
the adrenaline is flowing, but
as I come through the fifth-gear
Alpine right-hander, someone
pulls the plug out of the wall.
The BMW shuts off and coasts
to a halt.
It's beyond devastating.
I'd come this far and after all
the crap I'd gone through to get
Although the team failed
to finish the Superbike
race, it was still all smiles
for Rennie and Oscar.
Gabe (left) and Kiwi Simon
pull the BMW's shock out
ahead of the Senior TT.
