Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1504322
FEATURE I 2023 ISLE OF MAN TT: PART 2 P108 CHEERS AND THANKS G etting a project like this off the ground takes so many people and it's impossible to thank them but I'm going to give it a try. First, thank you to the sponsors who jumped on to make this dream a reality. Abhi and Adam at Iconic Mo- torbikes were instrumental in helping fund the project, and I was extremely proud to wear a set of leathers that even Nathan Harrison told me looked "super factory". Ryan McFarlane at Strider Bikes, the brand of bike that my boy first learned to ride on, jumped on board as a last-minute sponsor and I was very happy to represent a brand I firmly believe in, not just for the product but what they are doing in schools to get young children riding bikes again. Oscar Solis and the crew at Metzeler tires have been with me for many years and I wouldn't run any- thing else at the TT. Oscar is a firm member of my racing inner circle and his advice on tire management is only superseded by his help as a mate when things get tough. I swear he should get a psychiatrist's certificate after this one. Heath and Gabrielle at Alpinestars gave me the best-looking leathers at the Isle of Man and I never once had any thoughts that I wasn't wearing the best protective gear possible. Brian, Jeff and Garrett at Arai Hel- mets and the crew from Arai Helmets Europe had me dialed for helmets from day one, and the service offered at the track in preparing each lid after prac- tice and racing was exceptional. Thank you to my Aussie mate Da- vid Johnson and Paul Phillips at the Isle of Man TT for brokering this deal to race a 1000cc bike with the Wilson Craig team. Without the support of either, it wouldn't have happened. John Barton at the TT also lent me a bunch of fireproof gear for my new pit team in Kibosh Racing, and is another man that went out of his way to help me, so thanks, mate. Thanks also to Darren Gilpin and the WCR team. I'm sorry it didn't work out, but I appreciate the time and ef- fort that went into the project. Simon and Maddi Patterson deserve a special mention. Without their help, I'd never have found another team to ride for and my TT would have been done after four nights. Andy and Richard Wilson, Gabe, and the whole crew in the Kibosh Racing Team were some of the best people I could ever have had the opportunity to race with. They didn't know me at all prior to me asking if I could race their bike, and they wel- comed me with open arms. The BMW was the perfect machine to race the TT with and I loved the fact it wore the same Marlboro color linkage refuses to go home. "That's it, boys," I tell them as Dave furiously hammers away in the pit. The TT grandstand by now is giving Dave a massive cheer, hoping to see the linkage on and me ride away, but, in my heart of hearts and after last Thurs - day's gearbox scare, run- ning around for last place with a dodgy linkage is the last thing I want. We call it. The TT is over. Gabe wheels the BMW away. The Kibosh team and I are given a standing ovation by the TT grand - stand. It's bittersweet. But I know it's for the best. The TT Mountain Course is not a place to be messed with on a bike not 100 percent. I walk back to the pits sad but relieved. I'm in one piece. It could always, always be worse at the TT. I give a quick TV interview, then someone hands me a beer. Job done. Final Thoughts I will always love the Isle of Man TT. It's a place so dear to my heart. To be a small part of TT history is Rennie's new teammate, Dr. Richard Wilson, rode like a demon to set a new personal best lap of 125.905 mph on the final lap of the Senior TT.