T.T. 2003 Race Week - 2nd June 2003

TT Production 1000 Race

Well, the time had arrived for my first TT…… never thought that I would actually get here…. But here I was…… and surprisingly enough the old sphincter muscle wasn't winking at all……. fantastic.

The weather was a bit shite, and they called a delay for the Ultra-Lightweight Race and then another, and then another….. although it was still dry, but didn't look like it would be for long, there was, surprise, surprise…… mist on the Mountain….. They actually started the race 3 hours late, funnily enough at the same time as the race I was scheduled to be in was to start….. oh well, the same for us all…… It had been the absolute correct decision though, as the sun started to burn through the clouds and it turned out to be a top day, apart from the strong breeze that was blowing…. Had spent Sunday getting the bike ready with Stuey, and put new tyres on it, done the brakes etc, etc…… but compromised on the suspension settings, as I still felt that whatever we had tried it was still a bloody handful and trying to keep hold of it was a problem….. was hoping that it wasn't going to tire me out too much….. and before this event I was really looking forward to riding a big bike in anger around the TT course…. Don't think I really thought how hard it would be, although getting them set up perfectly would obviously help…… the top lads must have the experience to do this, cos they wouldn't be able to go as fast as they do if they didn't……. hadn't really had enough laps on it to try everything that we had wanted, so it was a gamble going into the race with what we had.

Had to get my kit checked before going out onto the Glencrutchery Road, the team had the bike at the ready, lined up in my No33 spot…. Had to go back to the van to get a drink, and when I got back, they had started, and No 12 was next away…. Still no panic, had plenty of time to get me crash hat on…. Lined up behind No32, which just happened to be on of the top Irish Lads, John Donnan, or JD as he is known, so that was my first target…… Had been getting off the line well all week, so it was nice to get away cleanly again when the flag dropped………… hit the bottom of Bray flat out in top and pulled a couple of nice wheelies….. could see JD tipping in to the QB and knew that I had already pulled a couple of seconds on him…… felt that I was going pretty well, and was gaining on him at every corner, the bike doesn't rev as much as the 600, and I hit the rev limiter once or twice when it caught me out… but no matter it felt, 'not too shabby'….. took Ballagarey in 5th and kept it pinned….. was flat out all the way into Crosby……. Rolled the throttle a bit on the fast left hander where David Jefferies had crashed, and it made me think for a second, you can see why you can get into trouble here, one of the dodgiest corners on the course if you ask me, but pretty satisfying if you get it right…… Down past the Highlander I was pretty much on Donnan's tail, even more so into Greeba Castle where I had to brake to avoid running into him….. had a couple of bites at him, but wanted to be ultra safe, so sat behind waiting for my chance….. should really have nailed him into Greeba Bridge but was being too cautious….. knew I was losing time because of this so had to get past asap…. Backed off a bit so I could round Gorse Lea quicker than him, and doing so it gave me the drive I needed to get past and was into Ballacraine before him….. kept my head down and tried not to hold on too tight, as the dreaded arm pump was my biggest worry……. Had a slight moment at the Black Dub where the front jumped a bit coming off the new tarmac that had been recently laid… I had been taking the same line all week, but this time it felt like the was a major ripple in it, and it upset the bike a bit……. Took Glen Helen as nicely as you like, and it felt really smooth, feels great when you can get it right and could see another bloke on the Cronk-y-Voddy…… took the end of the Cronky in 6th and as usual the bike jumped around a bit (had a mate, and an ex TT winner phone me afterwards to say I got a reaction from the whole crowd here the way my bike was handling…. Like I didn't know already)…. It was things like this that made you fight it and tire you out really quickly…. Going into Handley's caught up with No31… so pulled 20 seconds on him already which was nice, but never managed to get past till Bishop's Court….. Then I passed No 30 going into Quarry Bends and then got No28 after the Ginger Hall……. No29 was another local, Paul Duckett, and I thought now that would be a laugh if I could catch him…… but unluckily for me, there was no sign of him….. had a bit of a lonely ride over the mountain, and I started to get really tired in the arms.... was breathing in deeply to get more oxygen in, but it wasn't helping much and neither was the wind trying to blow the bike back up straight when you were banking it over….. was trying to relax on the fast straight bits, but wasn't having much luck….. could really do with a taller screen on it….. crossed the line at 154mph in 5th gear, which was near the top of the speed trap figures (159mph fastest) and snicked it into 6th before the traffic lights at the top of Bray then plunged down the hill…… was not in the line I would have liked at the bottom and hit it with a thump, and another couple of huge wheelies ensued but this time I was struggling to hold on to it…….. This lap round, I could hardly hold on and it wasn't much fun, and the more I tried to relax the more I slowed, so that was no use, got a board from Stuey's dad, John, at Ballacraine saying P19, which was disappointing, although a top 20 position had been my target of the day…… Hit the same bump at the Black Dub, even when I reminded myself to avoid it, so a schoolboy error on my behalf there, was definitely going to go wide to avoid it the next time around…… had a couple of times when the feeling in my arms wouldn't let me let go of the throttle and my other arm was struggling to pull the clutch in….. all not good when your trying to slow down…. Quarry Bends is a section where it zaps your strength by trying to change direction while keeping it on full pipe…… dreaded this bit every lap….. Was starting to get worried that as I was slowing I was going to get caught, and sure enough, had No 34, Alan 'Bud' Jackson come pass me after the Ginger Hall…… was thinking of calling it a day when I got to the pits as I had hardly any feeling in my arms…. Knew I could have rounded School House Corner in Ramsey better than I was doing, but being extra cautious was costing me time… but I would rather get to the finish and talk about how fast I could be, rather than not getting there at all….. Was fighting the bike everywhere until I got to the Mountain section when it was pretty much okay….. knew I should have been taking everywhere faster than I was though, but not much I could do about that….. started to feel a little better on the way down to the Creg-ny-Baa pub…… all I wanted was a breather, and I hoped that I would get one in the pits…….. went into the Stop Box… foot down and carried on to the bottom where my pit was (No64)….. Stuey was holding up a big board saying 'No Swearing' and for the first time the bike went into neutral as I was slowing….. bollocks…… managed to stop okay… the boys did a good job, got fuel, a drink and a new visor with some more rip offs, and 45 seconds after putting my foot down in the stop box, I was off down Bray Hill again…….. had a pretty steady lap and again was passed by a bike in after the Ginger Hall…. It was No31, Adrian Crossan, I had slowed that much he had got back past me…… that made me pull my finger out a bit and I chased back after him….. was getting quite a few waves from the crowd most notably at the Gooseneck where I think everyone did it, and managed to get back past this Crossan bloke going up Hailwood's Rise…….. kept my head down and felt that I was going better……. Was pretty much okay round the rest of the corners and managed to get to the end safe and sound, although thoroughly knackered…….. couldn't wait to give the bike to the boys, I just wanted to get off it, then couldn't get my earplugs out as my fingers wouldn't work….. All the while Chris Kinley from Manx Radio was waiting to interview me 'live' on the air…. Stuey told me to try not to swear…… that was in the back of my mind the whole time the microphone was on me… and he said I was in a provisional 16th or 17th place… not too bad….. considering I was struggling as much as I was…… but after a few others had finished, was demoted to 22nd……. But with a bronze replica first time out which was a nice bonus…. Was more disappointed though as the boys had me down at 14th after the first lap, then I went steadily backwards…… a slight consolation was that I had recorded my PB (Personal Best) which was 19'38.6 (115.24mph) on the first lap…. On sommat that was as hard as hell to hold on to…… would have been nice to build on that instead of going the other way….

Went and had a shower, then to the beer tent when I got interviewed on the TV by some bird from Northwest Tonight…… that was pretty embarrassing, especially when my Team behind me were laughing….. then my phone started ringing in my pocket……

Even hours afterwards my arms were still aching and to be honest I was glad it was all over, just looking forward to the 600 Production TT on the Pro-Cet Racing R6 Yamaha, which is a hoot to ride compared to that big Suzuki…… so hopefully will have a good run on that and get another replica…..

So tune in next time for another very exciting, arms like Popeye, couldn't brake even if I wanted to, episode of………………….. Tommy Clucas Racing.