Since the Isle of Man TT’s debut in 1907, more than 250 riders and several spectators have perished on this track, making it one of the world’s most hazardous motor racing competitions. However, motorcycle racers continue to be drawn to the challenge each year.
Manx native Richard “Milky” Quayle, who hails from the Isle of Man, has experienced both the peaks and valleys of this event. He won the TT in 2002, and the following year, he was severely injured in a collision.
“It’s the best thing in the world that anyone can do,” Quayle stated. “Why would I want to stop it just because it caused me pain?”
How dangerous is the Isle of Man TT?
The TT, short for Tourist Trophy and Time Trial, is an annual event held on the Isle of Man, which is situated in the Irish Sea in between England and Ireland. Life on the island runs at a leisurely pace, so much so that even sleep is effortless, from the emerald fields and bound sheep-lined coastline stretches to the remnants of medieval castles. Beginning in the end of May, all these changes come to life for a short period of time.
Just 30 minutes prior to the start of the race, racers increase their pace on the public roads that were previously open to general traffic. The majority of the island’s landscape is undeveloped, and during the race, cyclists make more than 200 turns within inches of stone walls, homes, houses, and hedges.
One of the top motorcycle racers in the world, British rider Peter Hickman, said, “You’re racing through a village verbally.” “It feels like you shouldn’t be doing it, but we’re allowed.”
A little more than 100 motorcycle racers compete over the course of the TT’s two weeks. The amount of bends and the motorcycle’s power make this race quite difficult. Riders lean into corners, alter the power, and apply the brakes repeatedly. Riders can go up to 200 mph while completing laps.
The “Sidecar” race is the next event. Three-wheeled vehicles race around the course as the driver and passenger must throw their weight on the curves while remaining just inches off the ground.
note “Milky” Quayle is aware of the dangers because he initially competed in the race in 1997 and won it five years later. Year after year, he observed the race’s tempo picking up. In 2003, a minor error almost cost him his life. He slammed against the wall after approaching it too closely.
“When it goes wrong, you know, it, it can hurt you,” he stated.
Why is a race that is so harmful tolerated?
The inhabitants of the Isle of Man have always liked to do things their way, according to Dr. Kathryn McCulloch, an expert on the island’s history who lectures about it at the University. It can be difficult to fathom a lonely island that is home to an implausible and impossible species.
She went on to say that throughout the course of centuries, confrontations between the English, Irish, and Vikings led to the creation of the Isle of Man’s distinct culture. For a while, this island was the seat of Norse kingship, and it was governed by Tynwald, the oldest continuously operating parliament in the world.
Even though the British monarch is the head of state and has the power to veto laws, Tynwald still makes laws today. In reality, that authority is hardly ever exercised, and the Isle of Man jealously maintains its independence.
This separate realm’s freedom doesn’t imply seclusion. According to Matthew Richardson, curator of the Manx National Heritage Museum, the island has long struggled to draw visitors and tourists, much like the 40,000 fans who travel to the Isle of Man TT each year.
Richardson remarked that in the early 20th century, the UK mandated road closures for racing, but the Isle of Man allowed it, and that’s when the business and drivers began to migrate there for racing. Motorcycle drivers followed in 1907.
He added that Lieutenant Governor Sir Julian Armitage’s cousin was the chairman of the Royal Automobile Club at the time. “At that time, the economy of the Isle of Man was heavily dependent on tourists,” Richardson said. “And the idea was that having a racing event would bring even more tourists, and it proved to be absolutely correct.”
What’s the Isle of Man TT like today?
Today, the Isle of Man TT is a two-week-long celebration of motorcycle racing. Enthusiasts from over the world flock to the island to observe and ride on the public roads that are used to build the racecourse.
The race remains exhilarating and hazardous. In the previous two years alone, seven motorcyclists have lost their lives.
Paul Phillips, the man responsible for the TT’s organization for the past 15 years, claimed that organizers have taken precautions to decrease the dangers wherever they can.
“The only way of making this event safe is to not do it, you know? If we’re going to race sports motorcycles through cities and villages on public roads, that inherent hazard is going to be there,” he remarked.
To make it safer, riders are sent out at the start line at 10-second intervals to make space between them. Perhaps the most major adjustment has been to rigidly limit the number of racers to little over 30 sidecar teams and 100 solo riders.
There’s also a specific regimen for would-be first-time riders — and “Milky” Quayle is a big part of it. He takes novices around the course in a car. Then, during practice week, he leads them on an actual lap to assess how they do and whether they can stay up.
Rennie Scaysbrook, a full-time motorcycle journalist and part-time racer, rode beside Quayle during his initiation lap in 2022.
“And I actually screamed in my helmet,” he claimed. “I went, ‘This is f—ing crazy.”
Scaysbrook returned this year for another year of racing.
The racers aren’t there for the prize money. The winner of this year’s premier class TT event won just over $30,000, an amount that’s small compared to other professional sports.
The motorcyclists are there for the excitement. Champion Peter Hickman believes racing the TT makes him feel alive — despite, or perhaps because of, the possibility of death.
“I think you can only really appreciate life if you’re putting yourself into places that risk it,” he remarked.
The only way to make this event safe, they claimed, was to not hold it. The inherent risk exists if we race on public roads in cities and rural places.
Riders are released on the start line at 10-second intervals to provide space between them and make it safer. The restriction on competitors to just 30 sidecar teams and 100 solo riders may be the most significant change.
First-time riders must adhere to a strict routine, and “Milky” Quayle is an essential part of it. He drives newbies around the course to check it, and then, during practice week, he puts them through a true gut (a difficult curve) to test their prowess and endurance.
During her initial gut check in 2022, motorcycle journalist Reni Skid Brook, who also races, came in second to Quayle.
“And I genuinely screamed in my helmet,” she continued. “I thought, ‘This guy’s insane.’”
Skid Brook came back to compete in another year.
The prizes aren’t what attracts racers. In comparison to other professional sports, the victor of this year’s top-tier TT event earned little over $30,000, a far smaller sum.
The exhilaration is why riders are there. Despite or perhaps precisely because of the inherent risk, champion Peter Hickman claims that competing in the TT makes him feel alive. “I think you can only enjoy life if you put yourself in places that put you in danger,” he stated.
