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Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix
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Jodie Kidd and Matt Roberts will lead the new presenting line up for the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy TV broadcasts this year.
The TT is broadcast worldwide with 15 one hour preview, highlights and review shows screened on ITV4 in the UK and eleven available through international broadcasters including Discovery Channel in the USA and Fox Sports in Australia.
The pair will be supported by former leading TT competitors Cameron Donald and Steve Plater with Cameron providing race commentary alongside experienced motorsport commentator Dave Moore.
Previously Jodie Kidd has fronted Channel 5’s The Classic Car Show alongside Quentin Willson as well as hosting CNN Equestrian for CNN International and participated in Tour de Celeb which saw her tackle epic cycling event L’Etape du Tour in France. A petrol head at heart, Jodie has extensive racing experience in four wheel motorsport and raced some of Europe’s most prestigious circuits in the Maserati Trofeo Series.
Jodie Kidd said:
“I’m so excited to be presenting this year’s Isle of Man TT Races broadcast for ITV4. I’ve followed the remarkable TT Races for a number of years and the event is undoubtedly one of the iconic events in world motorsport. It’s going to be an incredible experience to see it first hand and it’s a real honour to be asked to present the programmes.”
Matt Roberts, who currently fronts Eurosport’s coverage of the World Superbike and British Superbike Championships, was also part of the Eurosport team covering this year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea. His motorcycle presenting experience also includes being the BBC’s anchor for their MotoGP coverage.
Matt Roberts said:
“There is a huge amount of respect for the TT riders in every race paddock I’ve ever been to. Anyone who understands and appreciates motorsport knows the skill, dedication, application and focus that is required to race around the Mountain Course and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to tell the story of this incredible event.”
Cameron Donald and Steve Plater need no introduction for TT fans with the pair having both stood on the top step of the podium on the Isle of Man – Donald memorably winning two races in 2008 while Steve Plater’s career included victory in the 2008 Supersport and 2009 Senior TT Races.
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In an unprecedented move, two of the Isle of Man TT’s greatest ever riders will join forces at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy with John McGuinness set to ride for Michael Dunlop’s MD Racing team in the two Monster Energy Supersport races. 
McGuinness, who will be making his return to the TT this year after missing the 2017 meeting due to injuries sustained at the North West 200, will ride a similar CBR600RR Honda to team owner and rival Dunlop in the four-lap races, which will be held on Monday 4th and Wednesday 6th June.
Dunlop and McGuinness both have an excellent track record in the class with the Northern Irishman winning last year’s four lap race when Yamaha-mounted while 23-time winner McGuinness was victorious in both 2005 and 2006 for Yamaha and Honda respectively. Riding for the latter exclusively since 2006, the Morecambe Missile added further Supersport podiums to his haul in 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2013.
Since 2010 McGuinness has lined up in the colours of Padgetts Racing and, more recently the Jackson Racing team, finishing in the top five on no less than eight occasions with his most recent outing in 2016 seeing him finish fifth. His fastest lap in the Supersport category, 127.210mph, came in 2013 when he made his last visit to the podium in the class which makes him the fifth fastest rider ever to have lapped the Mountain Course on a 600cc machine.
Dunlop still holds the lap record for the class having lapped at 128.667mph on his way to a double victory in 2013 when riding the CBR600RR. MD Racing will be making their return to Honda for the two Monster Energy Supersport Races for the first time since 2015.
Speaking about the tie up, John McGuinness commented:
“I’m excited to be riding Michael’s bike at this year’s TT. It’s started off as a bit of a joke conversation between us both and has developed into him going off and building me a bike. I’m a big fan of Michael’s both as a rider but also for what he has done in terms of running his own teams and winning races out the back of his van against the factory teams over the years. The Dunlop name means so much to TT fans and as a fan myself, I can’t wait to represent that name at this year’s event. We’ve won 38 TT’s between us so together we know what needs to be done and I am sure we will be right at the sharp end.”
Michael Dunlop added:
“I hadn’t ever really planned on building another bike, but when John started talking to me about it, I thought it was a great idea and I couldn’t really say no. It’s good for me, it’s good for my team and no matter who you are, the man has won 23 TT races so there is always going to be something that can be learnt by having him in working alongside you. People don’t see him as a 600cc rider, but he’s won races and had lots of podium finishes on a 600cc bike and I will give him a bike capable of winning on.”
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Welshman Rhys Hardisty has joined The People's Bike team for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. The Isle of Man based rider will be teammate to TT newcomer David Jackson.
Rhys has a number of years’ experience now on the roads and has a good record of finishes at the Manx Grand Prix. His highlights include an 11th place in the Senior MGP last year where he lapped at 118.343mph, following a 12th place in the Junior race earlier in the week. He also finished third in the Formula 2 Classic TT Race in 2015 lapping at a more than impressive 111mph on a 250cc Yamaha.
He also plans to step up to the big bike class at the TT this year on a BMW S1000 but has competed at other circuits already in the 1000 classes including the Southern 100 where he lapped at almost 105mph in 2017. He will run on a Reps Motorcycles R6 Yamaha in the two Monster Energy Supersport Races.
Rhys Hardisty commented:
"Racing at the TT has been a dream of mine since watching Joey Dunlop there as a young child. I'm really excited to finally be able to ride at the TT and am so grateful to The People's Bike team for giving me this opportunity. I'm really looking forward to working with them as I make the step up to the TT. "
Team Manager Janice Thompson said,
"We are very excited to welcome Rhys into the team. We have been following his career over the last couple of years and TT 2018 seemed like perfect time to step him up from the Manx GP. Rhys is a very talented rider and we believe he has the ability required for future success on the mountain course."
The People's Bike team, now in their tenth year, provide all sponsors with an official sponsors t-shirt, together with a goodie bag containing a team lanyard and stickers. All sponsors have the opportunity to add a photo of their choice to the livery on the bike's fairings which will then feature on the bikes during race week.
Check out the team's website thepeoplesbike.com and keep up to date with their news at this year's TT and also see how you can become part of this unique team.
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Carl Cox Motorsport continue their support of seven time World Sidecar Champion Tim Reeves and his passenger Mark Wilkes in his quest for glory at the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.
World renowned DJ Cox, who is a big fan of the TT, attended the event last year, supporting both Reeves and the unique solo talent of Michael Dunlop. For this season he is stepping up his support of the Reeves/Wilkes duo with the purchase of a new LCR sidecar outfit.
Tim took his last Isle of Man TT win back in 2013, so the determined Kentish racer is fired up to add to his collection of silver statues. Last season Tim and brother Tristan dominated the British F1 Sidecar Championship, with a 100% win record but things didn’t go their way around the Mountain Course. Sidecar Race 1 saw an intermittent fuel pump fault leaving them in fifth and in Race 2 an electrical sensor failed, resulting in a retirement, just as they were gaining on the leader.
Wilkes did, however, receive the Dave Wells Trophy, awarded to the best newcomer passenger, for his fifth place in Race 1 while a lap of 114.793mph was the fastest ever recorded by a passenger making his debut on the Mountain Course.
Carl invited Tim to race at the prestigious Philip Island Classic event just before Christmas and cemented a deal for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races. Entered as ‘Carl Cox Motorsport Powered by H&S Contractors’, the pairing from Kent are due to receive their outfit on Thursday this week and will immediately be going testing in France.
Tim Reeves explained:
“We’ve got to hand it to Carl, every year he steps up with a serious level of support and he’s such a great guy to have involved with the sport, for everyone within the Sidecar community. With so much short circuit success I feel it’s our time to notch up some TT victories; we’ve done the ‘knowledge’ there, so there’s no reason why we can’t with such a strong package and support. It would be great if we can do it for Mark as well. He really deserves some success on three wheels. We’re also thankful to have the continued support of Neil Pallet of H&S Contractors who is staying on board as well…. So let’s get this season started!”
Carl Cox commented:
“I love sidecars and have great respect for the Isle of Man so it’s awesome to combine the two, with support for Tim and Mark for this season at the TT. Tim decimated the field in the British Championship last year but I know he wants to stand on the top step at the Isle of Man TT again too. With any luck I can get out there again to cheer these guys on as they give it their best shot.”
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One of the Isle of Man’s leading sidecar drivers, Michael Jackson, will make his debut at the Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, this year, with the Manxman contesting the two Sidecar races.
Joined by passenger Harry Payne, Jackson, who won the 2017 ACU British Formula Two Sidecar Cup, will compete in the two three-lap races on a newly acquired DMR chassis built by 17-time TT winner and fellow Manxman Dave Molyneux. The outfit will use a 600cc GSXR Suzuki engine.
Having secured the Wirral 100 Championship in 2016, Jackson and his MJR team made a huge impression on the British F2 Sidecar Championship last year. With Callum Crowe in the chair, Jackson won the Cup competition by a comfortable 66 points having done the double at Donington Park, Anglesey and Cadwell Park with another victory, his seventh in total, being taken at the final round of the season.
In total, Jackson stood on the podium nine times during the 14-race campaign and only failed to finish once all season. And as well as winning the Cup, the former trials rider finished seventh overall in the main F2 British Championship where he was only beaten by Pete Founds, Steve Ramsden, Conrad Harrison, Lee Crawford, John Lowther and Sean Hegarty.
His reliability and consistency was key to his and Crowe’s overall success, which is sure to pay dividends on his first appearance on the 37.73-mile Mountain Course. Payne, meanwhile, has scored strong results at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough and was originally lined up to partner Molyneux at last year’s TT before he opted for multiple winner Dan Sayle instead.
With strong results behind them, Jackson and Payne are the latest high profile sidecar pairing to make their TT debuts with the duo certainly having the potential to secure top twenty finishes in both races.
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