By Five decades a TT Races competitor, few individuals understand what it takes to tackle the fabled, mythical Mountain Course like Mick Chatterton.
Formerly TT Riders Association President, he continues to actively help, promote, raise money for the alliance first formed in the early 1950’s.
As Mick stated to me earlier this month, TT RA membership which costs forty pounds for life helps members who have fallen on hard times. Mick is part of the five-strong TT RA committee that also features TT winners Charlie Williams, Nick Jefferies and long-term Honda UK Road racing Team Manager, Neil Tuxworth.
Over the years, the six times top ten TT finisher has witnessed endless changes to the Manx GP festival and his opinion now on how the event is, is detailed below:
“Well, they’ve been struggling with the Manx for some years, now in these days the government have-to give some assistance to help these races run and if people don’t come over to watch it, obviously they are going to be short of money.
So, what they decided to do was start this they called it the Classic Manx, then it was the Classic TT, now it’s back to the Classic Manx and to get these TT stars to come over and make it more of an attraction.”
“But what happened then was people did come over to see that then the Manx GP races, which were a week after were taking place in front of nobody.
But with this latest idea of running all the races over three days or four days, I think it’s fairly, successful, but I personally would like to see it back to two weeks’, but I don’t think it will get back to that.”
When asked about what it’s meant to him, being a TT rider for almost forty years, he said:
“It’s like a drug, once you get a taste for it, that’s all I ever wanted to do really, eventually ride on the TT circuit, did it for 38 years at the TT, three Manx Grand Prix’s before that.
I never lost the enthusiasm for it, absolutely, marvellous and the thought of not riding at the TT, couldn’t accept it.”
Mick went onto reflect on one time his TT entry, wasn’t successful.
“Once got my entry not backed for some reason or another, could not accept it.
So immediately jumped in my van, went down to the ACU office in London, pestered them for a day or two, until they relented! and gave me rides in the TT, I just couldn’t accept the facts that I wasn’t going to be here doing it.”
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
