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Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix
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Former Pirelli National Superstock 600 Race winner Davey Todd will make his Mountain Course debut at the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, riding for the highly experienced and respected Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing Team.
The Saltburn rider will have a full complement of machinery for his maiden TT appearance, riding one of the latest generation GSXR Suzuki 1000 machines in the RST Superbike, PokerStars Senior and RL360 Quantum Superstock TT Races.
The 22-year old made his name in the National Superstock 600cc Championship, finishing in a strong sixth overall in 2016 after taking race wins at Oulton Park and Brands Hatch and a brace of fourths at Silverstone and Donington Park.
2017 saw him take third place in the opening round at Donington Park but he then left the series to turn his attention to road racing where he immediately impressed. An excellent second place finish was secured in the Dundrod 150 National Race at the Ulster Grand Prix and he was on course for a sensational top six result in the second Ulster Grand Prix Supersport 600cc race before being forced to retire but not before he’d lapped at 125.503mph which more than demonstrated his road racing potential.
Todd had earlier made the established guard sit up and take note with a number of top five results at the Skerries 100 Road Races before going to the Armoy event and making headlines with a second place in one of the Supersport Races behind Irish Champion Derek McGee. He then took his 600cc machine to a superb third in the Superbike Race behind TT hero Michael Dunlop and McGee, beating William Dunlop in the process.
Todd also impressed on his debut at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough with a series of top ten results at the Barry Sheene Festival in July and the youngster has all the talent to succeed on the 37.73-mile Mountain Course in the years ahead.
An enthusiastic Todd said:
"This is the opportunity I have been waiting for and I'm very grateful to John Burrows and his team for giving me this shot! I know I'm joining a very professional team with proven competitive machinery so I'm very excited about my prospects for next season.”
" I'll be a newcomer to the TT Races but I'm preparing hard for the event and when I get there I'll aim to make progress quickly but stay safe.."
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Motorcycle apparel brand RST has signed a new long-term sponsorship agreement with the Isle of Man Government to be the Official Safety Partner of the Isle of Man TT Races and Classic TT Races, extending a relationship that originally began in 2015.
The company will be the title sponsor of both the RST Superbike TT and RST Superbike Classic TT Races and the title sponsor of the ‘RST Classic TT Heroes Dinner’.
As part of their sponsorship, RST will provide the TT Travelling Marshals and Rider Liaison Officers with the safety equipment that they require during the events including custom made jackets for the Travelling Marshals and personalised equipment for the Rider Liaison Officers.
RST will develop a line of high quality safety wear products and a premium merchandise featuring the TT logo that will available to purchase from their retail unit at the TT Grandstand at both events as well as globally through the company’s network of distributors and retailers as well as through the company’s own on-line store from March 2018.
RST will sponsor a new Star of Tomorrow Award at the TT Races, which will be judged on a range of factors by the TT Rider Liaison Officers. The award will include two complete sets of factory, made to measure safety wear as well as a package of undercuts, sliders and casual wear.
Jonny Towers, Founder of RST commented:
“Since the outset RST has had a strong sponsorship programme that focuses on British riders and the TT Races has been a particular focus for us when selecting riders because we don’t believe that there’s a better way of demonstrating and showcasing our products than in the world’s toughest and most prestigious motorcycle race.”
Richard Quayle TT Rider Liaison Officer commented:
“RST are a great partner for the Isle of Man TT and Classic TT and we are happy to endorse the effectiveness of their products and associate the TT’s name with their company because their products have been proven time and time again on the Mountain Course.”
He continued:
“Their support for the up and coming riders is a real tangible benefit for the guys starting out and shows that their thinking is aligned and in tune with riders and their requirements.”
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Team Birchall - TT sidecar winners and lap record holders - travelled to Andorra last Sunday to attend the 2017 FIM Awards ceremony. The Mitchells of Mansfield supported riders joined the other FIM World Champions at the event held at the Andorra Park Hotel in the Pyrenean Principality.
The Birchalls, along with team-members James Brindley and Tom Mitchell, rubbed shoulders with 35 fellow FIM World Champions and members from the FIM Team World Championships. Swapping their leathers for dinner jackets, the boys enjoyed an evening to remember relaxing and sharing stories with motorcycling royalty such as Marc Marquez, Toni Cairoli and Jonathan Rea.
Earlier in the day, the team had attended a fan signing session with the other world champions at the Centre de Congressos in Andorra before heading to the red-carpet and the awards ceremony where they picked up their medals for the 2017 FIM World Sidecar Championships.
The ceremony capped an outstanding year that also saw the brothers win both Sidecar races at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, breaking the outright sidecar lap record in the process.
Ben Birchall: “What an amazing experience – I’m absolutely blown away by the whole weekend and how we were treated by the FIM during our time in Andorra. The country is incredible, its love for motorcycling is obvious and the awards couldn’t have been held in a more beautiful location. To attend such a prestigious event, surrounded by other world champions is something I’ll never forget. I feel honoured to be a world champion myself and the whole experience has only strengthened my desire to defend our title in the 2018 season.”
Tom Birchall: “What an incredible event held in such a beautiful country. I want to say a massive thank you to the FIM for including us in the celebrations. It was awesome to be there with other riders such as Marc Marquez and Jonny Rea – as bike fans ourselves it was an honour and a privilege to be included in such company.
“With the capacity changes over the past couple of years in the Sidecar World Championships, I really think the FIM have made the right decisions and the championship is stronger than ever - we’ll be back next year to hopefully retain the crown. I want to say a massive thank you to all our sponsors, friends, family and supporters, without whom this wouldn’t be possible. 2017 was our best yet, but lets see if we can go even better next year.”
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The Manx Motor Cycle Club, organisers of the Manx Grand Prix, are pleased to announce an additional race to the 2018 Race Programme with a second Lightweight Race added to the traditional schedule on the last race day and expected to quickly become an integral part of the event.
Practising for this year’s event will commence on Saturday 18 August with the MGP Races starting on Monday 27 August when the four lap Newcomers Race will signal the start of the five race programme. Wednesday 29 August features the Junior Race in the morning followed by the first Lightweight MGP Race later in the day.
Friday 31 August will see the second Lightweight Race open proceedings followed by the Blue Riband Senior Manx Grand Prix.
Club Chairman, Harvey Garton, commented:
“Following feedback from the 2017 races, it was acknowledged that the event would benefit from two races on the final day and the club felt the best way forward was to incorporate a second Lightweight Race to complement the very popular Senior Manx Grand Prix.”
There's good news for fans wanting to experience the Manx Grand Prix in person. Information on travel and accommodation options as well as grandstand seats can be obtained from the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling’s authorised Travel Partners - iomtt travel - by calling +44 (0) 1624 640 011.
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Named this week by the Daily Telegraph as ‘one of the best biking events on the planet’, the 2017 Classic TT presented by Bennetts, part of the Isle of Man Festival of Motor Cycling, sealed its reputation as a nostalgia inspired, forward thinking sports and lifestyle event to rival any in the annual worldwide Motorcycling calendar. 
The event saw the best motorcycle racers tackle the TT Mountain Course on machines rooted in the Isle of Man’s rich heritage, interspersed with a packed schedule of sold out events that supported the high quality entertainment.
The Classic TT centres round a four-day programme of entertainment across the August Bank Holiday weekend, which sees some of the world’s most valuable motorcycles being raced around the 37 and ¾ mile TT Mountain Course.
Stand out performances included a brace of lap records for the evergreen Bruce Anstey from New Zealand. Anstey smashed the previous best speeds in both the Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Race where he finished runner up to Bradford’s Dean Harrison, and the Dunlop Lightweight Race, which he won convincingly including the first 120mph lap of the Mountain Course on a 250cc machine. 2015 British Superbike Champion Josh Brookes won the Bennetts Senior Race on his Classic TT debut while TT veteran Michael Rutter took the honours in the Sure Junior event, a race he had previously won back in 2015.
For 2017 the entertainment on track also included a recreation of Bob McIntyre’s first 100mph Mountain Course lap by leading current TT racer Michael Dunlop on an exact replica of the Gilera machine McIntyre used 60 years previously as well as an appearance from one of the most technically advanced machines ever to race in the TT – the priceless ‘Honda 6’ owned by New York based Team Obsolete and demonstrated by former Honda TT factory rider Steve Plater.
Away from the race track this year’s entertainment included the now traditional Classic TT Paddock Carnival which drew large crowds, a vintage car and motorcycle Concours d’Elegance competition, an outdoor cinema screening iconic motorcycle themed films, live music from the award winning '50s act the Bluejays, stunt shows from the iconic Purple Helmets and the Vintage Motorcycle Club’s Festival of Jurby with thousands of fans visiting the event at Jurby Aerodrome.
This year there were sold out notices posted for the grandstand seats for all of the Classic TT Races while tickets for the Classic TT Party and RST Heroes Dinner also both sold out in advance.
The Department of Economic Development, promoter of the Classic TT, has commissioned a visitor survey to review the economic contribution that the event makes with the results expected to be available in October. The early indications suggest another significant increase in the number of air and ferry visitors, with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company reporting a 5.6% increase in the number of motorcycles carried for the Festival of Motorcycling this year.
TV highlights of the Classic TT will be aired on ITV4 this Thursday at 9pm featuring highlights of the four races as well as coverage of the Festival of Jurby. The programme will also go behind the scenes and look in depth at some of the bikes making the headlines at this year’s event. A number of international broadcasters are also expected to carry the programme.
Vince Chaney, Managing Director, commented:
“Bennetts have proudly title sponsored the Classic TT since its inception in 2013 and have enjoyed watching it grow at a rapid pace in such a short period of time. The event offers fans a unique blend of high-speed racing and a varied mix of off track entertainment whilst drawing in the most wide-ranging mix of classic and vintage motorcycles you will find anywhere in the world. The Classic TT is a great platform for us to engage with our customers and we look forward to seeing it develop and grow in the years to come.”
Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for Economic Development added:
“We believe that the Classic TT has reached a tipping point in terms of awareness and interest and is now firmly established in the eyes of classic and vintage motorcycle fans around the world as the premier event in its genre after just five years. We will continue to build on this interest to grow the event’s contribution to the Island’s economy through increased visitors and spend as well as maximising the significant commercial opportunities and growing the media profile of the event.”
The Festival of Motorcycling also includes the Manx Grand Prix which concludes this week with the Senior MGP on Friday after three exciting race days including some stand out performances from newcomers to the TT Mountain Course in Monday’s Newcomers race and Wednesday’s Junior and Lightweight MGP Races.
Rob Callister, Isle of Man Government Political Member with Responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport commented:
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone that has supported the Festival of Motorcycling including all of the volunteers, the dedicated marshals and medics and officials of the Manx Motor Cycle Club, the organisers of the event who have helped us to established a really vibrant two week festival.”
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