By Thought provoking, intriguing competition is pending next month, with a host of roads scene giants, allied to Manx GP winners, rising talents, improving event exponents all tackling the Carole Nash Sportbike races.
Whilst titled a new category, the three-lap encounters will still include conventional, ultra expensive Super Twins tackle.
With this in-mind, class lap-record holder, Mountain Course supremo Michael Dunlop MBE, starts again the one to beat.
As during previous class successes in 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 and last year, he sticks with S1-R Paton metal.
Joining the history-making Ballymoney rider in racing Paton’s are four times TT Privateers Champion Jamie Coward (Milenco by Padgetts), Rob Hodson (SMT Racing), Michael Browne (Melbray Racing-Laycock Racing).
Newcomer Franco Bourne, Team ILR with Frog Vehicle Developments team-mate, Masayuki Yamanaka plus Classics racing specialist Andy Hornby and Andrea Majola.
No less than twenty-three riders have Aprilia’s World Sportbike Championship winning RS660 model at their disposal, including one of the unquestioned favourites for honours, Jackson Racing Powered by Prosper2’s Paul Jordan.
Close earlier this month, to the existing NW200 Twins lap-record, the Magherafelt rider is ready for the next steps in his TT career.
One rider, already firmly established amongst the TT winners club is Mountain Course racing goliath, recent Northwest 200 winner Peter Hickman.
Hickman, riding again under the Swan Racing/PHR Performance umbrella, will be pending all factors slotting together sweetly, a prime race winning challenger.
Michael Evans (Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Engineering) deputising for Adam McLean, Joe Yeardsley (Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Engineering), Barry Furber (DC Motorcycles Newtown) all potential podium finishers join Hickman in being R7 Yamaha vaulted.
Competitors not highlighted yet, who feature within the fifty-six-racer starting list, include:
Moto12 CF Moto Team’s Shaun Anderson and Jamie Cringle, Michal ‘Indi’ Dokoupil, Joey Thompson, AJ Venter, both, of the TH Racing fold.
KTS Macadam Triumph Factory Racing’s Dominic Herbertson, PHR Performance team regular Pierre-Yves Bian, Michael Sweeney, Francesco Curinga (Delmo Racing Team – Yamaha), Sam West, former IRRC Superbike Champion David ‘Datziii’ Datzer.
Julian Trummer, Marcus Simpson, Stefano Bonetti (Ducoli Corse – Aprilia), Chris ‘Rabbit’ Moore, Jack Fowler, Kevin Keyes (OCR Racing – Yamaha), Cowton Racing’s Toby Shann, James Chawke (RL Racing – Aprilia).
Manx GP winners last year Preston’s Lewis Arrowsmith, Caomhan Canny (Scott Racing – Aprilia), fellow MGP to TT graduates, Ryan Garside (It’s Legit Racing – Triumph), Dan Ingham (Castings Technology – Aprilia), Michael Gahan, Anthony Stephens.
Chasing 100 TT starts, Mark Parrett (Reckle55 Racing – Aprilia), debutant Rocket Racing’s Rhys Stephenson, Tom Weeden, Brian McCormack (Global Robots – Aprilia), Jonathan Perry (Obsession Engineering – Aprilia) and the only American entrant through all solo classes, Pete Murray.
All the factors are slotting into place, for three-lap Sportbike race bursts to pulsate, thrill, most-of all enthral those watching trackside around the unique Mountain Course.
Photo credit: Mark Corlett, Nick Wheeler, Derek Wilson
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
