Howard Jones
Supporter
Ya gotta see this.
- Thread starter Howard Jones
- Start date
I would rather die being alive than be alive and waiting to die. These guys are what we as men should truly aspire to emulate. "Eat pray love", substitute race for one of these occaisionally and maybe you have something.
Simon
I am like you, its scares the hell out of me, I used to race F1 sidecars on short circuits in the UK, which was great fun, no kerbs, flint walls, trees, houses etc to hit when we crashed. The IOM has no forgiveness if you make a mistake or have a mechanical faliure, thats what scared me and prevented me from racing there. When i was a lot younger than I am now, I wanted to race there, I had no fear then. I have seen a lot of people injured doing this sport, I was one of them, thats when I stopped. When you talk to the racers at the IOM, they do not fear the race, I think that if they did, then they would not be able to average 130mph every lap. I could race there, but my lap times would be so slow through fear. Your right about the racers killed over the years being a tragedy, but they are doing what they live for, If I die doing something that I live for, then I will die happy, I very nearly did, guess it wasn't my time..........
I need to visit the IOM before they ban the races, I'm sure the PC brigade will stick their nose in soon saying they are protecting the racers.............
Jas
JimmyMac
Lifetime Supporter
My first two trips to the TT were in 1978/79, to see Mike Hailwood's return to racing, after twelve previous wins there and many years of retirement from car and bike racing. Incredibly, in 1978 he won and in '79 lost by a fraction.
Since then I have returned occasionally, but those first two seasons were the best for me and the recollections of those days most probably got me passionate about GT40s.
He was an unbelievably brave and fated sportsman.
Mike Hailwood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Since then I have returned occasionally, but those first two seasons were the best for me and the recollections of those days most probably got me passionate about GT40s.
He was an unbelievably brave and fated sportsman.
Mike Hailwood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fran Hall RCR
GT40s Sponsor
Jimmy,
I was there in 78/79 also...I watched the races from the garden, through the white railings next to Ballaugh bridge
I met Mike when I was 12 years old...
We were at a local Ducati dealership that sponsored my Dad for his two wheeled exploits.
Being Manx, my Dad still had a soft Celtic lilt to his voice, although we had lived on the mainland a longtime, Mike recognised him as a Manx man immediately...which made my Dad very proud..
The TT is not tragic at all, what is tragic is not living life to its fullest..having just read one of my Xmas gifts...Joey Dunlops biography...this is more evident..
Having seen Joey race from the early days his single mindedness was obvious and admirable...
It really reminded me of many of the real road racers that my family used to be around in the racing world in the late 70's and early 80's and how many of them died doing what what most important to them...racing on open road circuits....
We will be taking my kids back to THE Island in 2011 in memory of my Dads passing this year...
I was there in 78/79 also...I watched the races from the garden, through the white railings next to Ballaugh bridge
I met Mike when I was 12 years old...
We were at a local Ducati dealership that sponsored my Dad for his two wheeled exploits.
Being Manx, my Dad still had a soft Celtic lilt to his voice, although we had lived on the mainland a longtime, Mike recognised him as a Manx man immediately...which made my Dad very proud..
The TT is not tragic at all, what is tragic is not living life to its fullest..having just read one of my Xmas gifts...Joey Dunlops biography...this is more evident..
Having seen Joey race from the early days his single mindedness was obvious and admirable...
It really reminded me of many of the real road racers that my family used to be around in the racing world in the late 70's and early 80's and how many of them died doing what what most important to them...racing on open road circuits....
We will be taking my kids back to THE Island in 2011 in memory of my Dads passing this year...
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Fran Hall RCR
GT40s Sponsor
or the CPU in your helmet...scarier still in many cases...
Howard,
HDTV channel airs the races every year, look for it on your cable system it is absolutely mind blowing. The most commited men to thier sport are (IMO) IOM racers, X-games type moto freestyle, and bull riders. Tough hard minds.
The TT is on the bucket list.....hope I get there before the PC crowd get ahold of it and suck the life out of us all.
HDTV channel airs the races every year, look for it on your cable system it is absolutely mind blowing. The most commited men to thier sport are (IMO) IOM racers, X-games type moto freestyle, and bull riders. Tough hard minds.
The TT is on the bucket list.....hope I get there before the PC crowd get ahold of it and suck the life out of us all.
Ron Earp
Admin
I need to do the same. I figure it is only a manner of time before the whiners take it away.
Howard Jones
Supporter
This is one of the things I dream about being able to do. I KNOW I can't but the dreaming is what one lives for.
Mike Pass
Supporter
The IOM TT is a fantastic event. Of the latest heroes John McGuiness's lap at over 130mph average is staggering. I have driven my GT40 over quite a few laps and 30 miles takes some memorizing. I got up to about 130mph over the mountain section where the TT guys are doing over 190!
I have many Manx friends and was there most years in the sixties. The stand out memories are:-
Hailwood v Agostini with Hailwood doing a lap at 118mph on the 500 Honda when the roads were really bumpy and seeing him rounding Bedstead corner in a series of violent lurches. Also Bill Ivy doing the first ever standing start lap at over 100mph on a 250cc. I met Mike Hailwood in the paddock as he came in after his win on the Honda 250cc six and then seeing the rear tyre with BIG chunks of the tread missing. The sound of the 250cc six at 16,000 rpm through six megaphone exhausts was pretty unearthly - you could hear it miles away and sounded like an organ being played in the distance. Also they used to have 50cc racers and Honda had a twin cylinder 50cc which had a power band of about 1,500 rpm and 14 gears. Amazing to hear it changing down and then up 8 gears in a corner. My last one is doing a lap of the course at 2 am in the morning with four of us in an 850cc Mini in 1966 and doing an average of 60mph and then wondering how all that heather got jammed in the front grille.
The Isle of Man is one of the few places left on earth without an official speed limit: long may it remain so.
For the GT40 community the three day Manx Classic usually runs in April and one of the days uses the Ramsey hairpin and Gooseneck section. There are lots of videos of this event on the GTD40 Club website. It is back on in 2011. The Manx motor club do an excellent deal on ferry and accomodation and a prizegiving dinner. Get over there and watch or enter and get a few laps in - you will never forget it.
I have many Manx friends and was there most years in the sixties. The stand out memories are:-
Hailwood v Agostini with Hailwood doing a lap at 118mph on the 500 Honda when the roads were really bumpy and seeing him rounding Bedstead corner in a series of violent lurches. Also Bill Ivy doing the first ever standing start lap at over 100mph on a 250cc. I met Mike Hailwood in the paddock as he came in after his win on the Honda 250cc six and then seeing the rear tyre with BIG chunks of the tread missing. The sound of the 250cc six at 16,000 rpm through six megaphone exhausts was pretty unearthly - you could hear it miles away and sounded like an organ being played in the distance. Also they used to have 50cc racers and Honda had a twin cylinder 50cc which had a power band of about 1,500 rpm and 14 gears. Amazing to hear it changing down and then up 8 gears in a corner. My last one is doing a lap of the course at 2 am in the morning with four of us in an 850cc Mini in 1966 and doing an average of 60mph and then wondering how all that heather got jammed in the front grille.
The Isle of Man is one of the few places left on earth without an official speed limit: long may it remain so.
For the GT40 community the three day Manx Classic usually runs in April and one of the days uses the Ramsey hairpin and Gooseneck section. There are lots of videos of this event on the GTD40 Club website. It is back on in 2011. The Manx motor club do an excellent deal on ferry and accomodation and a prizegiving dinner. Get over there and watch or enter and get a few laps in - you will never forget it.
Pat Buckley
GT40s Supporter
You are a fortunate man, Mike. Those are some incredible memories.
