By The twentieth racer to take part in Road Racing News, recently launched Racing on the Irish Roads – Racers Recollections series is top 12 finisher from the inaugural Baja International Tourist Cup, top 25 finisher at this year’s Manx Grand Prix, Nevada based Stuart Clotworthy
His answers to the Irish road racing themed set of questions, are as follows:
Q1: What is your first Irish road racing memory?
“I remember my dad listening to the Irish races on the radio from a very early age, he was from Belfast and we lived on the Isle of Man, so I’ve been around road racing my whole life.
But my first memories of the Irish road racing were from around the age of 4. It wasn’t until a long time after that I would get to see any in person.”
Q2: Present favourite Irish road race?
“So far Tandragee simply because it flows so well but I’ll need to be getting to a few more circuits, before I can say for sure.”
Q3: Who is your most respected fellow Irish roads exponent?
“Without a doubt Eric Wilson, he has done so much for myself and other riders without asking anything in return.
He will do anything to help more people into the sport, including giving up his bikes to ride and after all the effort of helping us, he lines up on the grid with us too.”
Stuart continued:
“The people I really respect more than the racers are the people that give up their time and effort to put these events on.
The organisers, the scrutineers, timekeepers and marshals etc out there setting up the circuit in their own time, just so we can have some fun. The racing is the easy part.”
Q4: If you could alter one aspect, in particular, within the sport, what would it be and why?
“I would like to see a practice session or two before qualifying. I like to learn things and ease my way in, so the 5-lap practice/qualifying then straight into racing doesn’t work well for me.”
Q5: To date what has been your favourite Irish roads moment?
“First time on the start line at Cookstown will never be beaten, 5 years of hard work, injuries, trying to fund racing, with the end goal of real road racing.
It felt like a massive weight off my shoulders that had all finally been worth it and now I can just focus on the racing.”
Q6: Irish road racing summed up in one word, what would it be?
“Surreal. Once my helmets on I feel like I’m in a different world and I’m off with the fairies looking at daffodils as they fly by, just having some fun with my friends on motorcycles.”
Q7: Is there any Irish roads event, that you haven’t raced at yet that you would like to?
“All of them! Skerries and Armoy are top of the list at the minute though.”
Photo credit: Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
