Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. Tsingtao WK Racing Confirm Dan Cooper for 2014 TT Campaign

   Posted on 9:14am Friday 7th Mar 2014

   Tsingtao WK Racing has confirmed the signing on Gloucester's Dan Cooper for the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   Dan is joining the team after a successful period with Centurion Racing who decided not to race this year. Dan has a long-standing relationship with the Hampshire Motorcycles based team having ridden for them in 2011 in the British Supersport Championship.

   Dan will be competing in all classes at the TT Races including the bikesocial.co.uk Lightweight TT Race for the first time on board the WK650i, which had its debut with the team in 2013 with Dave Johnson. Dan will be onboard MSS performance built Kawasaki machinery for the other classes, which the team will also be using for their BSB campaign.

   Dan's TT career has included a highest placed 10th in last year's Monster Energy Supersport Race 1, his highest place at the TT since his debut in 2010, but he also achieved a podium place in the inaugural Classic TT in 2013 in the Okells Brewery 350cc Race.

   Dave Tyson, Team manager, Tsingtao WK Racing said: "We are really please to have completed Dan's signing. It's been on the cards since Motorcycle Live in November and to finally sit down and agree a deal has been great. I am sure all the bikes will be competitive this year and we are looking to form a relationship with Dan similar to the one he had at Centurion and work with him over the next few years. I think consistency of team and rider at road events has proven to be key over the years and I am sure it won't be long before Dan is on the podium at the TT."

   Dan Cooper commented: "I am now able to relax a bit after getting the deal all sorted, and want to thank Dave and his team for the opportunity to ride in 2014. Their bikes will be competitive and we will also look to do as many Supersport rounds as I can to ensure that I'm ready for the roads."

   He continued: "This is a real opportunity for me to move forward knowing that after a great relationship with Centurion I am in that family orientated team again with guys I know. Taking my mechanic Alan will also help the team as well as myself has he has so much experience. I can't wait to get testing and meet the rest of the BSB squad."

2. Peter Hickman confirmed for Isle of Man TT Races debut in 2014

   Posted on 9:35am Thursday 6th Mar 2014

   Leading British Superbike Championship rider Peter Hickman has confirmed he will make his TT Mountain Course debut at the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   The 26-year old will campaign a BMW S1000RR in the Dainese Superbike, Royal London 360º Superstock and PokerStars Senior TT Races for the Ice Valley by Motorsave team, owned and run by fellow competitor Paul Shoesmith.

   Hickman started racing in 2000 and after cutting his teeth in the British Minimoto and Superteen Championships, has been an ever-present in the British Championship paddock since 2004 when he won the National Superstock Cup for Hawk Kawasaki despite missing the first race because he was too young to ride a 1000cc machine.

   A move to the main British Superstock Championship followed, and he finished ninth overall in 2005 with a podium at the final round before making the step up to the British Superbike Championship in 2006 when he rejoined Stuart Hicken’s Hawk Kawasaki squad.

   After two seasons in the country’s premier series, Hickman was back in British Superstocks in 2008 where, riding for Ultimate Racing, he took a total of three podiums to claim an excellent third overall behind Steve Brogan and Jon Kirkham. That resulted in a move back to BSB where he sealed second in the 2009 Privateer’s Cup with a staggering 20 podiums from 26 races.

   Hickman has remained in BSB ever since, enjoying his best year to date in 2011 with ninth overall, an excellent effort on the Quay Garage/Tyco Honda in a season that saw him narrowly miss out on a place in the 'Showdown'. A podium – second – was claimed at Thruxton along with no less than 16 top ten finishes whilst a number of front row positions were also taken in qualifying.

   In 2012 he started out with MSS Bathams Kawasaki but, after taking a brilliant ninth in the second World Superbike race at Donington Park for Crescent Suzuki, he moved to Buildbase BMW for the second half of the season. Last year saw him part of the Lloyd's British GBMoto Honda set-up where more top ten finishes were achieved on his way to a strong eleventh overall.

   Born in Burton upon Trent but now living in Louth, Hickman has visited the TT in recent years, studying the course in preparation for his debut. That homework has continued in recent weeks with more visits to the Island and his addition to the entry list adds even more depth and quality to an already excellent line-up.

   Road racing is very much in the Hickman genes with father Dave having won the 1977 Lightweight Manx Grand Prix and been a British Championship regular in the late 1970s. He has since become a highly respected mechanic and engineer in the BSB paddock and was also a key member of the Norton Rotary set-up, remaining with the team in its various guises from 1988-1994.

   Commenting on his TT debut, Peter Hickman said: "The TT has been on my radar for a while now when the opportunity came up with Paul Shoesmith I jumped at it. I've already met up with the rider liaison officers Milky Quayle and Johnny Barton on the Isle of Man and their advice has been invaluable and I'll be using the next few months to make sure that I get as much preparation in as possible before I make my debut."

3. Dan Kruger confirmed with Penz13. com BMW Racing Team for the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races

   Posted on 8:31am Wednesday 5th Mar 2014

   Canadian based International Superbike racer Dan Kruger has signed to race for the Penz13. com BMW Racing Team for the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. He'll also race for the team at the NorthWest 200.

   Team principal Rico Penzkofer has been busy so far this season and recently made headlines when he announced that Simon Andrews would be racing for his team as well. The German based team has years of experience in road racing scene and with their direct support from BMW Motorrad, expectations are high for the 2014 campaign.

   “Like most racers around the world, it has always been a dream of mine to not only race the TT but also be aligned with such a world class team on factory prepped machinery. I can’t wait for our first test in Europe next month! If all of this wasn’t enough, I'm really fortunate to have Simon Andrews as a teammate,” said Kruger.

   Kruger’s race season will also include the Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance race in Japan this July with a Japanese team and the Superbike Championship in China, which kicks off March 21-23 in Zhuhai, China. “I really need to thank Rico Penzkofer and the entire Penz13 .com BMW Racing Team for making this opportunity happen, allowing me this chance of a lifetime,” he said.

   “I am really looking forward to this season in particular having a Canadian racing for us at the TT and also giving Simon Andrews a chance to show the world that he is back from serious injury and he means business”, said team principal Rico Penzkofer.

   “Dan has really dominated over in China these past few years and is ready to take on a new challenge. He shows the maturity needed to safely take on the TT. I am really looking forward to working with him and I am pretty confident he will adapt to the BMW very quickly,” he added.

   Kruger will travel to the Isle of Man shortly, meeting with officials for a mandatory two-day newcomer induction which will include several instruction laps with TT rider liaison officer Milky Quayle.

   The team would like to thank BMW Motorrad, Pirelli, Motul, Frank’s Autowelt, ZF, SK Support, GB Racing and Nature Power.

4. Classic TT organisers appeal for Joey Dunlop Bikes to appear in one off display

   Posted on 11:19am Monday 3rd Mar 2014

   The Isle of Man Government, Department of Economic Development has launched an appeal for people to come forward with bikes formerly ridden by Joey Dunlop to appear on the Isle of Man at this year's Classic TT Festival.

   The theme running through this year’s Classic TT is titled 'Joey Dunlop - Road Racing Legend' and the Department’s Motorsport Team is sourcing relevant bikes that the legendary Northern Ireland raced during his career to go on display in what is hoped will be the largest collection of his race bikes ever in one place.

   Joey's glittering racing career featured a record 26 outright TT victories over his twenty-four years of racing at the TT, from 1976 to 2000. He also competed at World Championship level, took a podium in World Superbike and achieved numerous race wins and podiums in Ireland including 24 Ulster Grand Prix victories and thirteen North West 200 titles.

   The Classic TT is one of the event's that makes up The Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling, a fortnight of competitive racing which runs from 16th to 31st August 2014, which also includes the Manx Grand Prix Races, The Classic and Two Day Trials and the Vintage Motor Cycle Club's Festival of Jurby.

   Trevor Hussey, Head of Motorsport, Department of Economic Development, Isle of Man Government commented: “We have several initiatives planned for this year’s Classic TT to tie into our Joey Dunlop theme and one of the most significant will be the creation of a one off display in the paddock of bikes that Joey raced throughout his career.”

   “We have been working with the Dunlop family and have already been able to source a number of iconic machines, but we want to create something special that has never been seen before and we are calling for anyone who is lucky enough to now own one of Joey’s race bikes to make contact with us to see if their machines can be included.”

   Anyone wishing to contact the Department of Economic Motorsport Team can do so at 00 (44) 1624 686815 or via e-mail at [email protected]

5. HUTCHINSON AND BROOKES CONFIRMED FOR 2014 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES CAMPAIGN WITH MILWAUKEE YAMAHA SUPERBIKE TEAM

   Posted on 9:40am Friday 28th Feb 2014

   Milwaukee Yamaha Superbike Team riders Ian Hutchinson and Josh Brookes will compete in the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   The Yamaha duo have both entered the Dainese Superbike TT, two Monster Energy Supersport TT Races and the PokerStars Senior TT.

   'Bingley Bullet' Ian Hutchinson's TT career has included his historic five race wins in a week in 2010, and eight wins in total, while Australian Brookes made a stunning TT Races debut in 2013, recording the fastest ever lap by a newcomer of 127.726mph. He capped his impressive debut with a top ten finish in the Dainese Superbike Race although he was denied the chance to improve later in the week when he was forced to retire from the PokerStars Senior TT.

   Hutchinson's recent TT career has been beset by injury since his 2010 accident at Silverstone. After missing the 2011 TT Races he defied medical expectation by competing in the 2012 meeting, which included top ten finishes in both Supersport Races and the Dainese Superbike Race, before again missing out in 2013 through injury. He will also compete in the 2014 BSB Championship, representing the FFX Yamaha team. He has already shown his potential with a stunning comeback victory at the 2013 Macau Grand Prix.

   Both Hutchinson and Brookes will campaign R6 Yamaha Supersport machines alongside the Yamaha R1s that they will race in the Superbike and Senior TT Races.

   Former World Supersport race winner Brookes is looking forward to a full race schedule at the 2014 TT as he explained: “The fans in the UK probably only associate me with the Superbike class as that’s where they are used to seeing me race, but I’ve a lot of history in the Supersport class. I’ve won a couple of Australian titles and two races in World Supersport, and although I’ve never ridden the R6 before, the team has a decent testing schedule planned before the TT and North West 200.”

   He's also delighted to be returning to the Isle of Man, commenting: "I was pretty frustrated when it looked like I wouldn't be able to go back to the Isle of Man this year. As soon as last year's race was over I was already working out how to improve on the Mountain Course. I'm delighted that the team will be there and the hard work really starts now preparing to improve on last year's lap times. Last week I was happy to find out that I'd be riding a specially built R6 Milwaukee Yamaha at the North West 200, but the TT is the big one for me in terms of road racing."

   Ian Hutchinson clearly feels that he is ready to compete again for race wins on the Mountain Course and said: "This is the first year since my accident in 2010 that I really feel 100% fit and ready to compete on the Mountain Course again. If I'm honest I wasn't right in 2012 and although it was a really difficult decision not to compete last year I had to get properly sorted. The Yamaha's will be really well set up and I'm confident that I can get in among the front runners again at the TT. Pole, fastest race lap and the win at Macau signalled to the world that I was back."

   Paul Phillips, TT and Motorsport Manager, Isle of Man Government, commented: "The confirmation that the Milwaukee Yamaha Superbike Team will compete at the TT in 2014 means that we've got one of the highest quality line ups in living memory with more potential race winners, and most of the leading manufacturers competitively represented on the grid."

   He continued: "I'm particularly pleased that both of these riders will be appearing in 2014. Ian has shown incredible courage in battling back from his injury to take his place in the starting line up while it will be great to have Josh, one of the leading contenders for the BSB championship this year, racing on the Isle of Man again."