By Yesterday before the evening solo warm-up, I got chatting to Joey ‘Yorkshire’ Thompson, asking him how TT 2024 has been for him to date.
Back astride 1000cc machinery (Seventy-Four Racing by Genertech Yamaha) around the fabled, mythical Mountain Course, the 2023 Bob Smith Spring Cup winner admitted it’s been a mixed first week of competition.
“It’s been up and down to be honest, the weather’s not been ideal to say the least, we’ve got a big task running both big bikes, we haven’t got many men trying to do it all ourselves, running an R1 and an R6, so trying to split the laps between them is quite a task.
600 goes mint as always, great bike good bike, the R1 I think I’m on the back foot because of my size, only been five-foot six and ten stone, I’m struggling over 150 mph, can’t get my bike to turn, even in a straight line, just really struggling with it.
That’s why I retired from the Superbike race, I did the first two laps and was literally hanging on for dear life and I just thought better off pulling in, trying to get my bike sorted and really focus on the two three-lap Superstock races where it doesn’t require as much energy as the full six-laps.
But overnight we’ve made a massive, massive change to the bike, geometry and everything, against what other people suggest really but there’s only one way we are going to make it turn, so that’s what we’ve done, if it works great if it doesn’t, we are only in the same position as on Sunday.”
Targeting lapping in the 125-mph bracket, York’s Thompson who is Aberdare Park bound in July, potentially could be taking in September’s Steve Henshaw Gold Cup at Oliver’s Mount, stated:
“When I came here, I had a bit more of a big expectation of the big bike but after been here, I just want to get into the 125’s maybe a bit more, we’ve done 124.5 but that was just one lap in practice on a nice afternoon.
I think if I can get my bike to turn over a race distance and I can get another flyer in or even better tag onto back of someone and get towed around, I think we can do 125 or maybe a smidge more.
But as I say when I first came here, I had a lot more expectation of myself, running well in BSB is always a good sign but as you know you’ve been around there, been coming to the TT for a while it’s a completely different place, a bike can work amazing at the Northwest, BSB anywhere and you get here and it’s different.
But I think we are going in the right direction and again I’m just going to use these Superstock races more testing, more practice, we’ll do our best to get a good result in the senior and finish the full six-laps.”
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
