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Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix
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- Leading UK stand up comedian to perform in heart of the TT Races Paddock on Tuesday 5th June
Ross Noble, one of the UK’s most popular stand-up comedians, will be performing an early preview of his new El Hablador show at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy on Tuesday 5th June. The show, which Ross will be touring in the UK between September and December includes an appearance at the London Paladium, is Ross’s 16th touring show
His stand up routine features large segments of improvisation as well as what has been described as a ‘randomist’ style that sees the irrepressible Geordie bounce around heckles and conversations with the audience, impromptu and surreal observations as well as a stream of subconscious thought. His new show has been described as ‘a wild ride through his imagination’.
Ross, who was voted one of the top 10 greatest stand ups of all time by Channel 4 viewers has made numerous appearances on mainstream television including shows such as Have I got News for You and QI and regularly tours major UK stadium venues. He was recently nominated for the prestigious Lawrence Olivier Award for his performance in Mel Brookes’s Monster Hit musical ‘Young Frankenstein’ in London’s West End.
His TT appearance will be in the Official Hospitality Unit in the heart of the TT Paddock. The venue is undoubtedly more intimate than many of the popular stand up comedians’ appearances to date with tickets limited to five hundred for the show.
The comedian is well known as a bike fan and has made previous visits to the Island to spectate at the TT. He also recently had a three part motorcycle TV series ‘Ross Noble: Off Road’ which was screened on Dave in December 2017.
Speaking about his TT appearance Ross said:
“What a stroke of luck! A show during this year’s TT for TT fans right at the heart of the event. There’s work and there’s play and sometimes the lines get a little blurred. I can’t imagine anywhere in the world I’d rather be in June than the Isle of Man and I’m really looking forward to putting on a show and maybe finding a place on the hedge to watch some racing from as well.”
On what to expect from his new show, Ross Noble said:
“Expect the unexpected. Unless you’ve seen me before. Then you know what to expect. But I might not do that. But then again, I might. I expect it will be one of those two options.”
Tickets for Ross Noble’s performance on the Isle of Man go on sale at 0900hrs on Monday 14th May via iomtt.com or by calling 00 44 (0) 1624 640011. Tickets are priced at £35.00
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Steve Mercer will line up in the colours of Jackson Racing for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, having secured a late deal with the Preston-based team.
The Kent rider had been testing with the official Honda Racing team and was ready to deputise for Ian Hutchinson, but with the Bingley rider having declared his fitness last week, Mercer will now ride a Honda Fireblade SP2 for Jackson Racing in the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock and PokerStars SeniorTT Races.
The move sees him reunited with the team he’s enjoyed great success with having ridden for them in 2011, 2012 and 2016, the latter seeing him have his best ever year around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course when also riding Honda machinery.
Mercer equalled his best ever result with eighth in the opening Monster Energy Supersport Race and backed this up with tenth in the RL360 Superstock Race, 11th in the second Monster Energy Supersport encounter and 12th in the RST Superbike Race.
In addition, the now 36-year-old posted personal best laps on all of the machines including a lap of 129.323mph in the Superbike class, which makes him the 22nd fastest rider of all time, and 124.392mph on the Honda CBR600RR.
Since making his debut in 2009, Mercer has racked up no less than 16 top twenty finishes, which includes nine in the top twelve, and has won 11 silver and 10 bronze replicas in that nine year period.
As well as Mercer, Jackson Racing will field Manxman Dan Kneen and Craig Neve on Honda CBR600RR’s in the two Monster Energy Supersport races at the TT with Lincolnshire’s Neve also riding a BMW S1000RR in the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT races.
Steve Mercer:
“It’s certainly been a busy few weeks and I’m delighted to be back with the Jackson Racing team as I’ve really enjoyed riding for them in the past. My best results, whether on the roads, short circuits or in World Endurance have always been on Hondas and with all the work that’s gone on recently, I will be on one of the best SP2’s available. I was incredibly grateful to get the call from Honda Racing to fill in for Hutchy at the tests at Castle Combe and Cadwell Park and it really helped get my confidence back.”
“I was happy to be on stand-by and would have been ready to race if Ian wasn’t ready but, equally, having done a lot of work on the bike and got my hunger back for the TT, I didn’t want to be on the sidelines so I’m very thankful to all concerned for putting the deal together. Alan and Andy (Jackson) are like family to me and Alan’s always been on hand with advice over the years and they always put out great bikes. Like I say, my confidence is back and I’m itching to get going.”
Alan Jackson, Team Manager:
“Unfortunately, we parted company with Daley Mathison a few weeks ago but we were keen to maintain a strong presence in the 1000cc races at the Isle of Man and we’re delighted to welcome Steve back to the team. We’ve worked really well together in the past and enjoyed some great results, particularly in 2016 when he finished in the top twelve in four races at the TT and recorded a whole host of personal best laps.”
“We both know how each other work and he’s been getting plenty of mileage in testing Hutchy’s Honda’s as well as at the Le Mans 24-Hour World Endurance round so he’ll be ready and raring to go come the last week of May. Jackson Racing and all of the team’s sponsors have worked hard to put the deal together and with Steve joining Dan and Craig, we feel that we’ve got a really strong line-up with all three riders capable of making a major impression at TT2018.”
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TEAM MUGEN has confirmed that they will be returning to the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy in 2018 with a three man team.
New Zealand’s Bruce Anstey, the 2016 and 2017 SES TT Zero Race winner, will again be with the team and looking to complete a hat-trick of victories. He will be joined by legendary 23-time TT Race winner John McGuinness, who returns to the team after recovering from the injuries that caused him to miss the 2017 TT event. McGuinness will also be looking for a third TT Zero victory having won the race in 2014 and 2015.
Lee Johnston completes the line-up. Northern Ireland racer Johnston, a former podium finisher in the TT Zero class, comes into the team looking for his first TT victory and will surely be a force to be reckoned with.
The team recently unveiled their new 2018 “Shinden NANA” machine, which will take part in the ninth running of the SES TT Zero Race, at the 45th Tokyo Motor Cycle Show.
For this year the new machine features revised aerodynamics with new front and side cowls designed to improve cooling efficiency and high-speed performance. Further developments have also been introduced to maximize the potential of the battery capacity.
Already with four successive victories under their belts, TEAM MUGEN will be looking to make it five in a row, and are also looking to establish a new lap record for the one lap race around the iconic 37 ¾ mile TT Mountain Course.
John McGuinness, riding MUGEN Shinden san, set the current lap record for the TT Zero class in 2015 at 119.279mph, and in 2018 all three TEAM MUGEN riders will be targeting a new lap record in excess of 120mph.
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Over 1,400 TT fans have already cast their vote in a poll to discover the greatest TT rider of all time.
The search takes in riders from almost every era of the Isle of Man TT’s 110-plus year history from pre war hero Stanley Woods to current stars such as Michael Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson.
The results of the public vote will be announced on a special programme made by new TT TV host broadcasters Greenlight Television, to be aired on ITV4 at 9.00pm on Monday, 28th May.
Fans wanting to take part in the poll can do so by visiting iomtt.com/vote, reviewing the videos of the top twenty suggestions and submitting their choice, or nominating another name if they feel they have been overlooked.
The question of ‘greatest’ TT rider of all time is a sticky one that has been debated for almost as long as the races have been run.
Some names on the list will be very familiar to fans of the TT: such as John McGuinness, Ian Lougher, Bruce Anstey, David Jefferies, David Molyneux and the previously mentioned Hutchinson and Dunlop – all of whose achievements speak for themselves.
Other names from the TT’s past need little introduction to today’s audience, especially Joey Dunlop whose 26 wins makes him the most successful TT rider ever.
Carl Fogarty and close rival Steve Hislop are well remembered for the record-breaking clashes the pair engendered in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s culminating in arguably the greatest race in TT history, the 1992 Senior TT Race, which saw Hislop win by just four seconds despite Fogarty setting a new absolute lap record on the final lap.
Again, Mike Hailwood and great rival Giacomo Agostini are names that no TT spectator can fail to recognise. Two supreme talents that lit up the Mountain Course in the 1960s and provided equally spectacular entertainment to Foggy and Hizzy’s later antics. Hailwood’s comeback in 1978 sealed his reputation with another generation of TT lovers and will make him a strong contender.
Dubliner Stanley Woods took an early lead in the ‘greatest ever’ battle by becoming the first man to win 10 TT races, a figure not eclipsed until Mike Hailwood’s ascendency in the 1960s.
Before Mike ‘the Bike’ hit the roads, two formidable competitors stake strong claims to last fame at the TT in the early years of it being the most prestigious race on the World Championship calendar: Geoff Duke’s sublime style and innovative approach contrasted strongly with pugnacious Glaswegian Bob McIntyre. Duke had more success and renown but McIntyre took the coveted 100mph lap record.
Uniquely, John Surtees followed up his incredible success at the TT and in motorcycle world championships by becoming the only man to date to also win a Formula One World Championship.
Phil Read’s long career saw him racing against Mike Hailwood in the 1960s and still being on the scene when Hailwood made his famous return in 1978 – indeed Phil was Mike’s closest challenger in that 1978 Formula 1 TT Race.
When Agostini’s career took him in a different direction, Charlie Williams was just on the rise. Through the 1970s he notched up a formidable tally of 8 wins, when just finishing the race on fragile two-strokes was an achievement in itself.
Although David Molyneux will be the most familiar sidecar name on the list it is hard to forget just what a competitor Rob Fisher was: from 14 finishes he took ten wins and three second places.
With the option to vote for other riders not mentioned on the top twenty list, voters have the chance to add names such as Harold Daniell, Jim Moodie, Bill Ivy, Adrian Archibald, Jimmy Guthrie, Jimmy Simpson, Freddie Frith or anyone else they feel deserves the accolade.
The poll, at iomtt.com/vote, is open until 01:00am on April 1st.
The results will be declared on ITV4 from 9.00pm on Monday, 28th May.
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Tyco BMW have today confirmed a new partnership with fifteen-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy and the other International Road Races.
The 28 year old Northern Ireland rider will campaign the TAS Racing-prepared Tyco BMW S1000RR in the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior Races at the Isle of Man TT and further International road racing events including the North West 200 and Ulster GP.
With multiple race wins and lap records under his belt since his TT debut in 2007, Michael's skill and determination is without doubt and he remains the first and only rider to lap the 37.73mile Mountain Course in less than 17 minutes. His passion for road racing is mirrored by that of father and son pairing - Hector and Philip Neill - team owner and manager of TAS Racing. The Northern Ireland-based team have to date secured 27 International North West 200 victories and 18 race wins at the iconic Isle of Man TT.
The team's official full road race schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“It has taken some time for this to come together and I’m very happy to confirm Michael Dunlop and TAS Racing/Tyco BMW will finally work together in 2018. Michael and I have discussed options to work together on various occasions and I honestly believe this is a partnership that simply had to happen at some point. My father and I, together with all the guys at TAS Racing, are excited and looking forward to the challenge. We would not be in this position without the support of our partners Tyco and BMW Motorrad and both are extremely happy to reach agreement with Michael for the 2018 season”
Michael Dunlop:
“Tyco BMW and I have spoken many times but nothing ever came of it, but this year everything fell into place. I think it’s a good time for us both to work together and I think both of us can bring something to the table. I’m looking forward to seeing the outcome”
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