There is nothing
to compare it with. It's the most exhilarating place
in the world. It's like being able to fly. Just like growing wings. If it's in your blood, you...
You can't get it out. You just want more. You put the earplugs in, the helmet goes on. Everything goes quiet. You know what's ahead of you, and everything else around you
is forgotten and it's time you get on with the job. My mind goes completely blank. And my mind just goes into madness. Well, /suppose
it all revolved around Mr Acum,
me primary school teacher; really. And he didn't half put manners in us,
that man. You know, in my day, like, and all that. But I think, you know,
fuck it, what a boy. Just, you know, if we was naughty,
he used to give us the slipper: We knew we was getting it,
cos he used to warm it up on a radiator before he give us it. If we was naughty again, which was
mostly me, I was naughty all the time, we used to have to pick stones up
so the lawn mower wouldn't run over them. He used to have his own putting green
out the back of school and our main job was keeping the
putting green right and mowing grass. And then, yeah,
I thought natural progression, I wanted to go and race them. I've still got my first engine
I ever had. Suffolk Punch lawn mower engine,
I think it's down there. Yeah, I just used to play with that.
It was all I wanted to do. I wasn't bothered about...
You know, I had a few mates. But I wasn't bothered about,
you know, girls. I'm still
not bothered about girls, really. I'm not gay or owt_ But I'm just, you know, I'd rather play
with lorries and tractors and engines. Still, I haven't really grown up.
No, I haven't grown up. - You got the key?
- Yeah. Are we all right, then? Right hand down, boss. Road racers? A bit mad... That's tight. You bastard. What would you say... A tile short of a roof? One short of a six pack? A few slates adrift?
We'd use that one a lot. Lights are on but no one's home. I can imagine,
from the outside looking in, anyone that's racing the TT looks like
the lights are on but no one's home. You're not a proper road racer
until you've won a TT I obviously aren't a proper road racer,
because I haven't won one. But I'm trying. I don't give in. Barry Sheene wasn't a big fan, was he? He thought it was too dangerous, did he. There you go, lager-shandy drinking
southern poofters, there you go. That says it all, doesn't it? Yeah. That's it, we're away now. All right, boss. We're getting there. I was only watching that
the other night, the Dam Busters. Yeah, it's mega, that. Wallis Barnes. You know the idea
that got him into that was, um... No. Not Napoleon... Who was your boy, that used it in
the battleships? Beginning with an "N"? Not Napoleon... Different things
make different people happy, don't they? Some lads love going to the pub,
I don't like being in the pub. Some lads love shagging,
I don't like shagging I don't mind it, but I'm not into it. I'd rather just go and ride
me motorbikes or me pushbikes. It's whatever you're into, isn't it? If we was all the same everybody
would be at the TT wouldn't they? But different things
make different people tick. And that makes me tick, and that's
why I'm gonna keep on going. I just want to keep going
until I've won one. Or won Eve, that's my plan, win five in
a week, that's not been done before. 171 go and do that, then that's it.
171 go and End the next job to do I've got another big goal, this... He's a massive... Well, not massive,
he's not massive, is he? He's not massive. People use that word, don't they. I'll tell you what people word...
People use all the time. Unbelievable. Can't use that word, can you?
"Unbelievable." When a man...
Like I've said this before, when a man eats his own head, I will
then hold my hands up and say, "Right, that was unbelievable." Cos I can't believe
a man can eat his own head. But, like we say, never say never. Unbelievable,
absolutely unbelievable. Evel Knievel was
the big stuntman at the time and I had a stars and stripes suit,
and a stars and stripes helmet and I thought I was Evel Knievel,
you know. My dad used to build me a ramp
and I used to jump 14 toy buses, where Evel Knievel tried
to jump the 14 real buses. I wrote to Jim 'll Fix it,
for me to do a jump with him and he never even replied back,
the miserable old goat. It's always been in me.
I don't know any different. I'm not really interested
in anything else, you know, football, cricket or anything. It's just been bikes
all the way through my life. He's still a little boy
at heart. He's crackers, really. When I met him,
he 'd just finished motocross and he was wanting
to get into racing bikes. And he always said, "/'m going to do
an Isle of Man TT race one day. " And he said, "I just want to win a TT
/'ll get it under my belt and that's it. "I '11, you know, never do it again- " And he won his first 250 race, and we're like, "Oh, that's it,
he's going to finish now. " I thought, "Thank God for that. " But it just makes that bug
grow even bigger; I think. Even then,
when I was 10 years old, I just used to watch it,
and it'd just blow me away. I used to think,
"That's gonna be me one day. "I'm gonna win one of these- " if I had been sat there then,
and someone would have said, you know, I'll have 15 wins, I probably
would have laughed at them and felI off the wall,
but here I am with 15 wins. But I still get that,
you know jitters now. You know, TT's coming. TT's coming.
Building up. Building up. I get apprehensive, nervous.
Months before the TT you know. And when I think about it, it makes
me skip a heartbeat, really. I have to have the house immaculate,
and the garage has to be immaculate. Everything's got to have its place. I'll mow the lawn, make sure
that's all right. Clean the cars. So, just in case anything does happen,
then everything's ready. I definitely think about it.
It's got to cross your mind. It has to cross your mind,
cos it's there, all the time. It's a reality that
you might not come back. John McGuinness 17.43, 127, under the lap
record from a standing start! For two
incredible weeks each summer; generations of men and women
have made the pilgrimage to the lsle of Man to pit
themselves against the track, which has achieved international status and become synonymous
with speed and glory At a time when the maximum
permitted speed on English roads was just 20 miles per hour
and racing strictly prohibited, a band of enthusiasts
intent on testing their bikes and themselves to the limits
of speed and endurance gathered on the Isle of Man, and in 1907 the Tourist Trophy was born. You see? Look at the suspension. You see? And then we'll put it the other way. Watch that. Keep watching. It'll do something. See? Look at that. Hey? Me and Guy have got
the typical father-son relationship. - Guy knows best, and I knows best.
- Yeah. I'll put a brew on. See, a Steadicam That's what it is. Must have shockers in it or something. You what? Say, when you was
holding that thing you can jar but that takes all the jar
out of the camera, doesn't it? Are they dear?
I bet it's dear that, innit. Go on, how much is that arm there then? Fourteen hundred? Fuck off. Fourteen grand? Fourteen grand. Fucking hell. Fuck, have you seen that?
Fourteen grand. Me first TT was '74, riding a Gus Kuhn Norton
Commando production bike. I thought,
I'm gonna be a TT superstar here. So I set off from... How old was you? I was... How old was I? 1974. Forty seven. What's that, then? - I don't know. '74... '47. By heck.
- Anyway... Come into Glen Helen,
up Craig Willie's hill, cranked it in... Down, down, down,
no further to go, bang. Straight over the bank. The bike finished up in three bits. And I broke my back. And I was back at the TT again
the following year. My worst crash ever? Probably North West, 2008. Come off the Black Hill, lost the front,
on the apex of the corner; not very fast, maybe 120 miles an hour Hit the kerb with my arse
at 120 mile an hour I walked away. Walked away no bother. The bike was nothing,
we could hardly salvage anything. Everything was written off on it.
Everything. I got away from that, but it scarred me. It didn't scar me for life, it just.... Proper. I just thought another one
of those moments I thought, ooh. But that's a buzz that, you know get it wrong, you're
an inch out here and that's it. Yeah, it was a lot like that. I'm not like
a sadomasochist or anything, I'm not purposefully going out there
trying to kill myself No, definitely not. The opposite,
really, I want to succeed, you know? But that's the buzz you get
out of trying to do that. You do end up in that position where it looks like it's going
to be game over at any moment. But, those positions, money cannot
buy the buzz you get out of it. That thing that you get, that you
think, "That's it, game over," you don't go into a panic, you just,
"This is it, game over." I've been in about four of them
since I've been racing, and I've been racing 10 years now. And all of those moments, I think three
of those moments were at the TT. I come to the gym
a couple of times a week, and get out on my mountain bike
a couple of times a week. I enjoy my training
and it keeps me focused on the job. I don't like anything to
sort of let my riding slip. If a bit of training's what it takes,
then that's what I do. I've always been a bike fanatic but my parents have
always been against it and by the time I got to 15, I think
I wore my parents down that much. They were a bit concerned
about me getting a road bike so they got me a trials bike
and the minute I was 17, I took my test and got a road bike,
so it backfired a bit on my parents. But, you know, I met a group of lads
that blagged a caravan for free, it was an absolute wreck. Dragged it all over the country,
it was falling apart and we got to race meetings, had a few
beers at a barbecue, raced all day. It was just great
to experience that side of it. Natural ability pulls you
through to a certain level, but if I'm in a race and it
comes down to a tight battle, and I lose the race basically
through fitness or something, you know, I 'd be devastated with myself so I get very obsessed
about what I'm doing. There's only one outcome for me. To win the race. Every one of the 37 and
three-quarter miles of public roads that makes up the course has
created a champion or hero. Over 200 corners must be
negotiated up to six times to complete the world's toughest
road race in the fastest time. There are five races over a week
culminating with the Senior TT With speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and the opportunity
for disaster around every corner; its dangers are set in stone. To date, 231 riders have lost
their lives on the TT course. To win just one TT
is an outstanding achievement. The legendary Joey Dunlop
has an unmatched 26 wins, John McGuinness holds
the outright lap record and Phil McCallan is the only rider
to have won four out of the #five races run each year No one has ever won five out of five. So, can I ask Fred Dibnah___
Sorry, I meant Guy Martin. - So the laundry didn't come back?
- No... I get told off
for not saying the right thing, or doing this, or doing that
and not wearing the right clothes and what have you. And it just sort of gets
on top of you sometimes. Well, not gets on top of you,
but it takes the fun out of it all. Whereas Wilson, for me, he's doing it
for the same reasons I'm doing it. You know, doing it to enjoy it.
Doing it to win. I see it as David and Goliath. And that I think that's
what motivates me in many ways. That Guy come back
to a small team and can win. Could you call it
a deal, Wilson? There weren't a lot of
paper signing going on. Just a firm handshake I think, Wilson. I suppose I should say
to have a gentleman's agreement, we need two gentlemen. Well, I wouldn't say I was a gentleman. Guy's all right. Yeah, but we won't go
as far as gentleman. You know when I was wanking, didn't you? Oh, yeah, I used to regularly wake up
and see Guy pulling one out. I had to go back
to bed for a few minutes while he finished himself off. Yeah, cos he used
to sleep above the cab. I slept above you, didn't I? You could tell.
I didn't really know that until I broke my ankle right bad,
you remember that? Your toes go, do you know? When you're wanking. Yeah. So you'd see Guy's toes twitching... And you knew I was on it. In the morning, his toes'd be going,
and I'd give him five more minutes. - Crack a load off.
- Yeah. Get a load off. In the build-up to the TT every other race meeting is
a chance to perfect the bikes, impress new sponsors and develop the speeds needed
to compete on the Isle of Man. You having a brew? We're not here
for any lap times or fuck all, really. We're not bothered
whether We're last or first. We're just here to suss the bike out. You need to be a good
mechanic to work with me, and I'm a bit awkward
to get on with, I suppose, because I'm very particular
about how I want stuff doing. Most motorbike riders just get on it
and turn the throttle, but I like to know
what makes that bike tick. I like the whole idea behind
the old internal combustion engine, and the way stuffs made. You need to have a bit
of mechanical sympathy, don't you. You can't go charging in there
like a bull in a china shop. It's all gonna end in tears, isn't it.
You end up breaking gear boxes and blowing engines up
and all that sort of caper Still no quick shifting, we don't
know anyone that's got one. No. Mechanical failures
are what all riders dread. Sometimes they're over-revved,
and sometimes something breaks. om My God. You know, if a part breaks,
then it's just bad for everybody in the TT particularly, because,
well, you only get one hit and then you got to wait 12 months
to have another go. I don't have heroes
until Chris Mayhew. Yeah, he's the boy. Mad, in a way. Lovely bloke, into his dogs.
He nearly got his dog to talk. Nearly. Likes his grandfather clocks. Makes his own wine, he's got a grapevine
growing out of his garden. Through a window, that he's chiselled
out in his conservatory, that grows into his conservatory. You know, gets his own grapes.
Makes his own wine. That's a boy that, innit.
Not many folk do that. I got an entry
info the TT in '73. And I crashed in both races. So, I saw more of Noble's Hospital
than the track really. What I do, basically,
is take a road engine and turn it into a race engine. My biggest boast, I think,
was in the hundredth year of the TT Every single winning engine
or lap record machine came out of this workshop. You know Guy I think, has got
the best bikes he ever could. I shall obviously do my best and Guy obviously will put
the finishing touches to it. If he's happy, he'll be there. I have every confidence
that if things work in our favour we 're going to come away with a result. One thing I'm concerned about is
we mustn't start thinking it's our turn. Cos it never is your turn. But I think the ingredients are right if they're mixed properly. Northern Ireland's
North West 200 race meeting also takes place on public roads and is the very last chance to get
the bikes ready for the TT Heads down
for the lights above the track and when they go out
this race will be underway. And Michael Dunlop's
been mugged, hasn't he! Onboard
with Michael Dunlop, then, just looking what was
going on in front of him. There you see him,
coming down over the hill. 165 miles an hour! That's a man 's corner; that! Michael Dunlop and his brother
William are the next generation of a road racing dynasty
that began with their Uncle Joey and father Robert Dunlop. They were
the biggest road racers I think, that the world has ever had. So the inspiration I got
from them was just so much. Growing up with two people,
you never seen them as heroes or superstars, you just
see them as two normal people. Joey blew out the competition
when in 2000, aged 49 he won a third hat trick of TT races. He was killed three weeks later
in a little-known race in Estonia. Over 50, 000 mourners
attended his funeral. His brother Robert
was almost killed in 1998 when his rear wheel collapsed in an accident at the TT but raced for 10 more years
until his death in 2008 during the final practise lap
at the North West 200. He knew the circuit,
he knew it well, and a mechanical failure happened and it happens to the best of riders. It was a sad loss to the sport,
a sad loss to us, you know. But for some reason, I just thought
that Saturday I wanted to ride the 250. Tears of joy
and look at Michael Dunlop. Two days after
witnessing his father's death, Michael went on to win the race
and reduce the onlookers to tears. What must be
going through his mind right now because that was more than a race. You're only a young man,
you know, all you have for life is a bit of craic,
you know what I mean? And you don't think you're gonna
have to bring on a lot of stuff so I got turned from a boy into a man
in a very short space of time. And I hope they're up there now,
and they're being looked after. Conor Cummins! Conor Cummins,
the Isle of Man rider; he's fast, really very fast. And he's down! Cummins is down! I took the lead from Ryan, just as I
was coming out of the come; the back end sort of stepped out on me and high-sided me
over the top of the bike. And I was really, really lucky
to come away unhurt there. I just had to pick myself up,
dusted myself down, and straight out on the bike
in the next race. If you fall off a horse,
you get straight back on it. Guy has taken a tumble, too. I'm all right, I mean,
bloody hell, it's not bad, is it? That's been, damn, l've just done...
I done that. And me finger, can you see me finger? Didn't keep me eye on the ball,
you know, so much going on. And, yeah, my fault. Hit the kerb on the inside and took
the front, ended up in the grass. Bike was OK, we had to put a new...
What did we have to do? What did we have to do? Engine cover. Water hose. I didn't wreck it. Michael Dunlop,
that's Ryan Farquhar number 77... Someone's blown up. That's Guy Martin.
Guy Martin, the engine has gone. In the second race,
Guy over-revs the bike and blows up his engine. He's completely
out of the race. This was
not a good meeting here, as far as results are concerned. We had a couple of things
that didn't go according to plan. Aye, "a couple"? A bit more
than a couple, but yeah. It has been a learning curve. You may think
we 're a bit old to be learning, but we're still learning. The upside, Guy will go
to the TT with that bike and two brand new engines, brand new. Speed's not bad, need to work
on speed a little bit, but it's not bad. Stability's good, handling's good,
tyres are good, there 's a few issues,
but we're happy now. I'm going, and my ferry's
booked. I'm going in the camper because otherwise you're sat at home. You know you're sat at home,
twiddling your thumbs. You know, waiting for a phone call. So you might as well
be there, among it all. - You lock the door?
- Yeah. For over 100 years,
the Isle of Man has attracted riders and race fans to watch their heroes
race the mountain course. The modest prize money means
that this close knit band of brothers ride purely for the love of the sport and the glory of winning. If you're born on the Isle of Man you're sort of brought up
with motorbikes and races. You've got the island
going from black and white, quiet, rural country roads. All of a sudden they've got teams
of bikers going down them. it’s just lovely to see
the island come alive. Stories, nothing but stories. Spinning away
to the height of their glory. It's a festival.
it's a coming together of everyone who appreciates motorcycling The stories that are told,
as you sit at the hedge, or the marshals
in groups around the island, are all lived and relived every year. And we never get tired of swapping them. Let's just say there's a large
segment of the motorcycling population in America that knows
well about the TT, as I do, and probably have put it on their,
what we call a bucket list, things to do before you kick the bucket. To go to the TT and that's why I'm here.
I had the opportunity to come. It's something I've always wanted to do. My father and I talked
about coming here together for years and never did. He's passed away, so it's on me to come and enjoy the experience and share it with him
however I can later on perhaps. Well, I've worn these leathers
for 27 years now, and at least 27 years more
I will bring the leathers to the TT. My name is Karen Anderson,
and I've come all the way from Australia to watch Cameron Donald race the TT. We've sat above here,
in a room on the balcony, and we've watched the guys
coming around that corner, and there was a lamppost there. And the lamppost was padded, and
they would come round, dipping, and then they'd do that in and out,
to get round the lamppost And that to me was heart
in my mouth, heart in my mouth, heart in my mouth, brilliant. Yeah, I know what can happen. But with her on the back,
you won't get too quick, else you get beat up. It's a very hairy place. Very fast. To watch the bravest men in the world. And if it doesn't excite you,
you're not alive. And that's a fact. Within hours of arriving,
Guy is unhappy with the bike 's suspension. In particular the swinging arm because of its importance
for a fast wheel change. Wilson. Can we put
the other swinging arm in and get Simon to change the wheel? It's shit. And it's gonna go wrong. If the bike was given to me
in the first place, Wilson, then we wouldn't be
going through this problem. And I did say this in the first place. Guy has upset
the authorities, too, because of his plans to work
on the bikes away from the paddock. I was expecting
there to be tension, because that's why I stayed out the way. I've got the airbed that goes
in the back of my van, and I've just been staying in my van. When it comes to how
I want bikes preparing, if they aren't right, that's it,
I'/I just pack in and go home. I won't stick my neck out if things
aren't exactly how I want, and I'm so meticulous with things. We're gonna meet in the middle,
we're gonna have to meet in the middle, aren't we?
I can't have it all my way, can I? Because Wilson's bought the bikes, and put a lot of money into the bikes. But I'm the one
risking me neck out there, and that's why my head
needs to be right. And Wilson's always said to me
from the off that my head needs to be right,
and then to get my head right it needs to be my way, which is doing
bikes with no interruptions. Yeah, I think we're gonna have to meet
in the middle, me and Wilson. The bikes will have to be
back here at a certain time, and then I have to do certain bits of nodding and smiling
and agreeing with people. There's a contract.
The team gets X number of pounds, so they expect Guy to be professional. And Guy sometimes makes statements
that they don't like. People like him. Maybe because
there's a bit of a rebel about him and so on. So, we have to... We just
have to make do with what we have. If I dictated to Guy it wouldn't work. He's just a mechanic, who is a brilliant ride;
a brilliant motorcyclist The bikes are ready to race, but he has to have
his touch to the bikes. He knows I have given him
everything he has asked for. So, it has to work this time. And the bike will be checked
and checked again for anything. And then you're in the lap of the gods. What's after the corner
makes a massive difference. If you get this corner right
and make a proper job of it, then you can make 10 seconds up,
because you don't brake or let go of the throttle
for the next three miles. But it's a man's come;
get it wrong and you're.... Ballascary_ Ballagarey. Did you see the sign there? But, yeah, get it wrong
and it's gonna hurt. But you don't think
about things like that, do you? If you wanna fast lap out, you've got to throw your balls to the wall,
as it's said. After a bright start today,
it will turn cloudy later this morning, then, although staying mostly dry
this afternoon, there could be
patchy light drizzle possible... All right, boss? Good man. I think Guy Martin's
real rivals this year will be manyfold. Cameron Donald has always been a threat. He's a bit highly-strung.
But he's fast. Really fast. Conor Cummins
is gonna be a big threat. Conor Cummins,
Local Manxman. He's Ht. He's young. Ryan Farquhar
has gone ahead of Joey Dunlop in national wins in Ireland
and he's phenomenal. The Dunlops
are coming strong, Michael 'S really aggressive,
and got that will to win- Defniitely wouldn't want to
get in a ring with him, anyway. Keith Amor again, he's like
a dog on a lead, you know? He's just chomping at that bit
to go fast and win. You never know
what Bruce you're gonna get. If Bruce wakes up in the morning
and decides he wants to beat us all, he 'll probably go beat us all. You never
bet against John McGuinness he's the man at the minute. He's the man
with the results on the board. He's the man that when you go quickly,
he usually raises the bar and goes a bit quicker again. Nobody knows
how fast John can go. Nobody has actually
taken John to that next level. You never
underestimate anyone. Someone could come out from the woodwork that you just didn't really expect
and shock you. I don't know much
about Hutchinson, to be truthful. He's one of the quiet men in the sport. Just does the job, I think. He reminds me a bit
of myself you know, 10 years ago. He's absorbing everything, understanding what it takes
to win at a big race now. Guy, you know I think every man
and his dog in the world wants flipping Guy Martin to win. There 's no question he's gonna win one,
he's definitely got the talent, but there 's some ingredient missing
at the moment, and it just seems to find him. It's gonna be the best man
that's gonna win on the day. At the end of the day. And nobody wants to win it
more than I do. As speeds increase,
so do the dangers and it was this that lost the TT
its world championship status. But winning at the TT
requires more than just speed. It relies on mechanical perfection, supreme mental and physical endurance, a huge dose of good fortune
and a very fast pit stop. A tank of fuel and a set of tyres
will only last two of the four or six laps required. Pit stops count
toward the overall lap time and can make or break a rider's chances. - Thirty-three.
- Bloody hell! Well done, lad. But if we have one mistake,
it goes to 40. The swinging arm
that's in the bike now isn't safe to do a fast pit stop. It just happens the bike I had
last year was sold to a bloke on the Isle of Man, and I've begged
and pleaded with him to see if we can borrow
the swinging arm back out of his bike, to put back in my new bike
for this year So he said,
"Pop up and nick it this afternoon." And then we'll go up tomorrow morning
and put it back in the bike. I could do with your help. Guy's father has decided
not to come to the race this year It's a bit of a hard pill
to take, really, me dad not coming. You know, he's a good man
to have involved because he's got
so much experience round here, he's rode the TT for 15 years and
he knows exactly how things need to be. That'd give me confidence,
if he was involved. And now he's not here.
it's not fucked the job, but it's made it a lot harder And it took my eye off the ball
a little bit, but what do I do? Can't sit and cry about it, can you? Martin Finnegan, really good friend
of mine in racing, in racing. I was at his wedding. Ln, I think it would have
been November time of 2007. Yeah, in 2007.
And then his funeral was in April time of 2008. You know... Teammate of mine,
Darran Lindsay, was killed in 2005. Friend of mine, used to do his engines, Richard Britten, he was killed 2006.
You could go on. I just think, you know... When you're time's up... I think you've got to be
in this line of work, you know? And that's why
I sort of don't believe in having any commitments of any sort. Because if I did have responsibilities
as wife, kids, mortgage and all that sort of caper,
I couldn't do this job, as in racing the TT,
I couldn't give it me all. And I wanna give it me all. Yeah. Before I can start
thinking about winning races, we've got a lot of practice
to get through. You know, we've five nights
of practice to get through. That's not going to be easy. There's
a lot of work to do on the bikes. And that's where me dad
was gonna come in. It's not just gonna go straight on the
bike, a lot of things will need making, to get that swinging
arm to suit the new bike. But, if it was easy, every man and his
dog would be at it, wouldn't they? I I'll chill out later on. I find a different place
every night to kip in me van. Just get me airbed blown up
in the back of me van. Bit of a wank, then go to sleep.
You know? Proper! Proper. You know, people get all...
It's not a crime, is it, to have a wank, you know. Fuck it. You never get complacent
with the TT There's always something you can learn, and, you know, if you get that way
and overconfident, it'll bite you. I just went up and had
a little moment on my own, looking down the road
because the road was shut. There wasn't a sound apart from
the birds just tweeting away. And that's just something real special
about the track itself you know, I was just looking down
thinking next week, in the race, I'm gonna be going down there
at 200 mile an hour plus. That emotion you feel
when you roll up onto that start line, when you're getting waved off
10 seconds apart, it's just... It's just unbelievable. It's like nothing else
I've ever experienced. It's not about
beating the next guy. It's about who beats the track. This TT is the most powerful
race you'll ever do in your life. I love it, and it's legal. People often ask,
”Why do you road race?" Because circuit racing is fast, you
can get a buzz, but it's not the same. Circuit racing
is rock climbing with a rope. It's dangerous.
But there is some room for error You slip, you fall, you've got a rope. Road racing is like free climbing. You know you're climbing up that same
mountain, you're on a course, but there's no room for error If you make a mistake it's,
it's going to be, you know... Well, it could be
serious injury or worse. You're doing maybe 170,
180 mile an hour; going through fast bends
with trees, hedges, brick walls. It's the greatest thing. And you realise the dangers before you put
your leg over the bike. I mean, at the top
of Bray Hill before I go out, you know, you have lots
of strange thoughts in your mind and you're nervous and you're worried,
but as soon as you set off; and you get the tap off
the start marshal to go down Bray Hill, that's gone. Then once you're actually
out here the noise, the wind, the physical strain on your body, there's nothing like it. It's just,
you put yourself through hell and you frighten yourself so many times,
but that is the draw. Out there
you can't fake it, you know. There 's nothing you can do
that isn't putting you in the moment. This is it. You know... Especially if you ride two wheels.
This is about as difficult as it gets. You know,
people talk about extreme sports. There's nothing more extreme
than road racing. One split second. I mean, somebody like Joey Dunlop,
31 years of career, 26 TT wins. All those other race wins, all those World Championships... One split second. - Oh, dearie me.
- Oh, down he goes. J* Can 't you feel the fears
I'm feeling today? Oh, that throws... J* There's no running away J* There'll be no one to save
With the world in a grave J* Take a look around you, boy
It's bound to scare you, boy J' There is no room
for error on the TT course. Of all road-racing circuits, it is
the toughest and most unforgiving. With an average five deaths
for every mile, only a lucky few have crashed
and escaped unharmed. Milky Quayle is one of the lucky ones. Your life revolves around the TT because its such
an immense, passionate thing whether you 're on the track or off
the track. It is a life and death thing. I know it sounds crazy and stuff
I mean, I've... I haven't raced around here
now for eight or nine years and I still now
struggle with life because I can't do it, you know,
I can't get me buzz. It's like you've done the ultimate and once you can't have that ultimate, then you're a bit like
a drug addict, sort of thing. You just can't, you can't
get it out of your system. You love it. When I'm sat beside the track, you just want to do it and you think,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah and then... So, obviously if you keep yourself busy and whether it's blooming sweeping
the floors or emptying the bins or taking other riders round,
or meeting dignitaries and taking press round,
it keeps my mind off it, really. Milky looks after the newcomers and shows them around the course. It can take three years
of competing to learn it and at least that long
to build up the confidence needed to be able to push themselves
to the limits. It's all about confidence. You need to be confident
where the corners go and how fast
you can go round that corner to build up your speed,
so I'm still experimenting on how fast I can go, a little bit more,
a little bit more, little bit more. How to build up
and get used to the corners and the bumps and the rises
and the tipping points and the grids and everything, and
hopefully I’LL keep going a bit fasten Get over, get over! In by the hedge,
transfer back over the bike again. Into here, and guess what, there's another one here. That takes you three years to get right. After only two years
of competing, Jenny Tinmouth is the fastest
woman ever around the course. You definitely feel
like you shouldn't be doing it. It's quite bizarre. You feel... You do feel cheeky, and a bit naughty. To be blasting around the roads, but again,
I think that's half the fun... Like when you set off down Bray Hill,
it's just massive big grin. It's like... As I'm coming up here,
all I'm thinking about is the next corner that's coming up,
which is called Ballagarey. It's affectionately known
as Ballascary because it is. It's so, so scary. It's so fast. It's the most important, but also the most dangerous
corner on the circuit. The big problem with Ballagarey is
it's unsighted on your entry point so as I'm coming up to here
now I'm still hard on the gas, still on the gas, still on the gas, at the 30 mile an hour sign here now, this is where I come off the gas.
I come down one gear effectively, I get my head out of the bubble, and my head's getting
ripped off my shoulders, but at that point also I'm trying
to look for my peel in point but I still can't see it. I know it goes to the right
but where do I turn in? As soon as I see the kerb on the inside, I lay the bike on its side and drive it. OK, and just fire through,
right by the kerb- So, so fast. Averaging 131. 57 miles per hour; John McGuinness is still
the fastest man around the course. A hundred years ago, the first race
was won at just 38 miles per hour. Throughout its history
even riders with no hope of winning have come to break personal bests and challenge
the island's famous course. Riders are always chasing
faster and faster lap times. ...in first place.
This is Nick Crowe. He's still second. I just think it's got
a certain addiction about it. Once you get here,
you couldn't let it go then. You're looking for the ultimate
lap times all the time. I always set out to beat myself
more than anybody else. Every year, I just thought I'd do it
faster and faster and faster, which I was actually doing unfortunately until to
the time of me accident, which was really no fault of me own,
just one of those freak things. In 2009, while leading the race a hare ran onto the track,
causing Nick to crash his sidecar at 160 miles per houri I think it just came up and
damaged the front part of the fairing. And then it came and hit me
in the face and that was it then, obviously the bike turned
immediately right then, that was it, straight into the trees. Yeah, we were lucky
to get away with that one. If we have
an injury or a fatality, I tend to sort of want to stop because, yeah, i do, feel
like a drug dealer sometimes because I'm preparing
these engines for these people to go and hurt theirselves with and even though it's, you know,
touch wood, not my fault, you know, people who deal in drugs are worse
than the people who take them. And last year;
we had such a terrible time. I did say that i wouldn't carry on
with the sidecars. And then the way Nick bounced back
was just... I couldn’t 't say no to him at all, so we've got three engines all ready
for him, and we're doing two more. His spirit is unbelievable. Nick himself won't be riding. Instead, his own race team will attempt to break the sidecar lap record, which has stood unbroken
since his accident. Do you have to find Guy? Yeah. He's... He's got a little problem
with his license. Have you got a problem
with your license, Gary? Yeah, I've just had
to have it re-scanned. Typically, Guy is
nowhere to be found and he won't be eligible to practise
without his race license. Until he returns, the bike can't
go through scrutineering. We don't know where he is, as usual. He'll be here in a bit, hopefully. We've just had
a message from race control. Would Guy Martin please report
to the race office immediately, please. Guy Martin... Where do you start? He is a maverick. He's an eccentric. He's always
got something good to say, although a lot of the time
it comes out not broadcastable. He's a bit old school. He's a bit what we grew up with,
what we used to be. Guy is
a fabulous personality. I don't think Guy really knows
exactly what he wants to do. He's got a lot of
different loves in his life. I'd like to see
him win around here, but if he's not careful,
he'// run out of time. Guy is
a colourful character But he's an attention seeker; isn't he? He loves a bit of attention, he's had
green shorts on for two years. I mean, they must be stinking
and growing legs by now, but that's what racing is all about. We need characters in there, you know.
Guy is what he is. I mean, he talks pure rubbish,
but he's funny. Guy says it as it is, and I think that's
why he's so popular with people. He's not worried about
upsetting the hierarchy. Guy Martin is Guy Martin and nobody would want him any other way. I mean he is a true grit, he's
a John Wayne of motorcycle racing. At last, Guy returns after blowing up a friend's classic bike
in the south of the Island. - There you are, it's sorted now.
- That's all it is. Spot on! Ta very much. Cheers, boss. The roads
will be closing in half an hour and tonight's practice will start
at 7:30 prompt. Guy's race license approved, the team can finally make it through
scrutineering with the bikes. Right, cheers. And the time is now 7:25, the roads will be closing
and tonight's practice will begin in five minutes' time. Five minutes, ladies and gentlemen,
five minutes. Number eight, Guy Martin,
and number 19, James Hillier leave the line,
both on superbikes as well. J* I like the little things you do J* I like the way your body moves J* I like the way you make me go J* Oh, so crazy J* The mechanics said last year
coming into the first pit stop and me eyes were on stalks, you couldn't see
the whites of me eyes all the time. You come to the TT and your body's
unfamiliar with it to start with. Stuff's just going past
so fast. From a standing start lap, 125 mile
an hour; you know, first lap. And it’s like, "I must be mad. " It is spectacular and when
you've just, you know plodding along on your road bike thinking
you are a legend riding fast. It's like a totally different thing when you see
the race bikes come through. You might have driven
to the pits that morning so your top speed for the day so far
is maybe 40 miles an hour You let the clutch out
and within a couple of miles you're pushing 200 miles
an hour between you know, stone walls and hedges. So it takes a bit
to get your head up to speed. Then you settle down
and start relaxing and getting more
and more comfortable with the circuit. You start going faster; start going smoothly,
start breathing properly. You do go into, like,
this weird sort of state of mind where everything start slowing down. You start moving,
your eyeline starts lifting so much and your brain starts working
so much ahead of yourself You're thinking, like,
maybe four or five corners ahead. It's all about momentum, and keeping your rhythm up and not getting into any stupid battles
with people. You've got to be really using your head. I'm a real hard rider
to ride with, if you want to race off me you're going to have to be
willing to wrap around a post. You know what I mean? And that's
the way I race motorbikes. And that's the way I push,
and I'll push any man to the bitter end. If they wanna play ball,
they can play with me, you know. When you listen to the bikes coming
in sixth gear... And they never close the throttle,
this is also for me, I mean... You know, I've ridden bikes
for many years... Wow! Wow! Really wow. Even after all these years
to talk to somebody about the Isle of Man TT course, the hair stands up on the back
of your neck and you remember, and I'll never ever forget
my first flying lap of the TT going over St Ninian's crossroads
down Bray Hill. And I thought I'd come off
the end of the world, really. I thought I 'd ridden
off the end of a cliff You just feel you can fly really, and most of the times you do. J* Everybody wants to know J* We are nearly there J* Do you get to see the love J* Can you understand my thoughts J* Seeing as no one else here can J* When you see the light J* Does your pain just disappear J* Will I ever feel your love J* Once again, my dear J* Your love is Ending a better way J* Everybody wants you to know J* Your love is Ending a better way J* Somebody, everybody wants to... J* Where's Guy, Johnny? - Where's Guy?
- Just walking up to you. Guy's bike has been impounded
because on his return, he has illegally
ridden it through the town. So I've got to go up
and get a bollocking? For what? For riding through the holding area,
or riding through the town? Riding through the town, Chief See, you're supposed to read that bit
before you go out. But I didn't see you
because you was late for the grid. That's telling you
not to do what you did. - Don't do it again.
- Really, really Mr Craig, this is where you come in.
Team boss and all that. - I'm gonna blame you, Wilson.
- Yeah, blame me. I'm blaming you, yeah. Oh, fucking mega! Where's Rob? - It would be perfect.
- No problem. More badges? Yeah, every year. Guy will get his bike back
once he apologises. Who do I go see for a bollocking? Can I take me bike? Can I take me bike? - You want some chips?
- I wouldn't mind, mate. I know you're on a diet. - Help yourself.
- Thanks very much. Go on, get in there. You're a good lad, you. Thanks, lads. You're all right, Mr Craig. All right, boss, job done. That's fucking mustard, though, boys. Has that got
the same sprocket carrier in? Yes. J* If there's one thing that I like J* It's riding around on a motorbike J* I'm a speed king J* When I once begin J* I once won first prize two and six J* I know all the dirt track dirty tricks J' I'm a marvel
when I'm out to win J* In a 50-mile race
I am the best J' I ride five miles
and skid the rest J* So come along and see me
riding in the TT races J* Down the hill I go
at break-neck speed J* See me coming down the street J* With the winning post
on the pillion seat J* Oh! Come along and see me
Riding in the TT race J* Absolutely, two weeks of my life. It's just something that... That, to me, is like the World Cup. It's just 50 years of my life
is 100 weeks, it's just unbelievable. The atmosphere. The friends I've made,
from all around the world, you see every year
You lose some, gain some. It's just something special. One second! People say to me,
oh, you've got children, you know, you shouldn't be allowing him to do it. But, you took racing away from Dan and it would just be
the end of Dan's world, and I can't do that to him, you know. He's my husband, I love him, so I have to support him. You're up on the Grandstand, sitting together you know,
the rest of the families and the rest of the wives.
You know, we 're all nervous, but you kind of have to, sort of have a little joke and a laugh. And it's amazing the strength
that comes from within, really with all of... Everybody together,
you know, you sort of club together and get yourselves through it really. The road racers great defence
is always the same thing, every single one of them,
it's the same thing, "But it will never happen to me- " But somewhere in there
they know very well that it can happen to them. And between those two places there 's a lot of ways
of dealing with it. I've worn the same
crash helmet for the last 11 years. And I always wear
a certain pair of socks throughout the whole fortnight and I always drop a penny
down my leathers, as well, before the start of every race, yeah. It makes no difference whatsoever, but I'll wear pink knickers
if it's gonna make me win. Where's your pass? I ain't got either one of that. You need a pass. I ain't got om. You can't go past without a pass. - No?
- No, that's the rules. It's the pit area, you see. In the pit area, you can't. That's what you need. I'll stick it back over the fence
for you. Cheers, mate. Cheers, mate. There's no question that the
Isle of Man TT represents kind of the last bastion
of the freedom of choice and to come to a place like this and to have something
so truly, you know, potentially dangerous be welcomed, really, is refreshing. It's charming. It's all of the things
that should be allowed to go on other places.
I mean, we're human beings. Life isn't a dress rehearsal. You only get one lap,
why not make it a good one? This is where I start
the mountain climb. So, this one I have to slow down for;
back down to second gear. I get into that wall, into there, as I come through here,
the bump just there, bang. So we run now up through
this little right hand kink here, Still flat, Still flat, on the power, on the power on the power,
on the power, on the power, underneath the wall,
off the power, down one gear, back on the power, now to drive,
on the drive, drive, drive, drive, back down to second gear. Back on the power now,
pull the bike straight, get up, get up, get the driving on, up towards
these little /eft-hand kinks here. get into that one, into there, out towards the tree on the right hand
side of the road, right to here, OK? As we run up to that
to go on to Guthrie's, OK? Guthrie's is the third most important
corner on the circuit. Got three left hand bends here, OK. It's very steep. This is the one,
get the first one right, get into that one, into there, out to the white line,
back into number two, out to number three, just there. See the corner on the brakes hard,
down three gears, one, two, three. Back into there,
back on the power; drive it through. Right out to the white line,
back over towards the external white line, back in then,
just underneath this one just here, feathering the throttle, there we go.
Lovely. Nice wheelie. Bang. Over the next seven days, there
will be many scrapes and near misses, seven cracked vertebrae,
four broken ribs, five life-threatening incidents,
two bruised lungs and unfortunately, much worse. Where's Camee? He's in there? What's the plan? - What?
- Tea. Tea. Yeah, get his tea. And get an early start in the morning. - That the plan, Wilson?
- Sorry? What's the plan? These boys
are asking what the plan is. The plan is you're riding the bike. Ah, well, there you go.
That's it sorted. Job done. Well, obviously a fair bit
of mist up here, Douglas, at the moment around the area
here. It is clear up on the top... Starting off
with the TT Superbike race. Six laps of the course, 226. 38 miles. A reminder; this is a time trial,
they go at 10 second intervals, so they're racing the clock
just as much as each other Most important, of course,
they race themselves. They race tradition, they race
the history of the mountain course. We're one minute away
from the start of racing at this year's TT The laws of averages
tell me he's going to win. I would like him to win the first race because I believe that will settle him. If he wins the first race,
he 'll win three or four. I really believe in him. And it is a Suzuki that
sets us going, there goes Bruce Anstey. With mist still rolling
along Glencrutcheny Road, but we are racing. And there is the number
one machine of Bruce Anstey. And he's very compact
there through Union Mills. And there is John McGuinness, the fastest man in the history
of the mountain course. And here 's Hutch y with two wins
last year; but not on a superbike- Next off is number eight,
28 years of age, here comes Guy now. He's fast down Bray Hill. Good turn speed. And here we go. We're on. Two together John McGuinness leads on the road
ahead of Bruce Anstey. Number six,
Cameron Donald, is closing the gap between him and Keith Amor They've got a battle on there, the advantage being held
by Cameron Donald but here is Guy Martin now
and he's quick! John McGuinness
has had an amazing start to this race but Conor Cummins,
the local lad, is right behind him only eight-hundredths of a second down
in second place. Back here in the Grandstand,
I can tell you from my screen that Conor Cummins has taken the lead
at Ballaugh on corrected time a three second
lead over John McGuinness. But John clearly has problems because at the Sulby speed trap he's gone through
at only 136.4 miles an hour So, clearly problems with
John McGuinness and the big Honda. But up to Ramsey and Roy Moore. Well, they said it was
going to be close and it is, cos Guy Martin's here...
Oh, my goodness! Guy Martin was nearly taken out there by Michael Dunlop, and it was close. Conor Cummins, number 10, leads by six seconds
before lan Hutchinson. It's then in third place Guy Martin, just one second down on Hutchinson. John McGuinness
is a retirement on Sulby Straight. What a disappointment, the king of the mountain
is out on the first lap but on with the show. Number four who is leading on the road. I can tell you that number 10
has increased his lead to 14 seconds over number four; lan Hutchinson. We could see a Manxman
on the top of the podium for the first time for several years. Cummins has got that fantastic
lead now 21 seconds. If he can just hang it together
there will certainly be some Guinness drunk in the Swan in Ramsey tonight. And lan Hutchinson 's
lap time, 130.496, So here's Conor now,
let's have a look at this. Oh, it's 131.511 by Conor Cummins. And, wow, what a performance
by the man from Ramsey. Well, the light came on at Cronk-ny-Mona to signal the arrival
of number six, Cameron Donald, but he's failed to appear Now we reckon that Cameron may have
made a mistake on that lap, possibly an overshoot at Signpost That seems one logical explanation
for that. We've just got
another machine coming in now, and that'd be Guy Martin is in now, Guy's just coming in to
the top of the pit lane now and it's Conor's that's on the way
as he's just being told there. Bring it home, Conor; bring it home. He knows he's got
a 21.1 lead at Glen Helen. On this lap, 23. 3. Well, there 's the klaxon going,
Hutchy leaves now. And Cameron, he'll be kicking himself
for that mistake, he's now dropped to 13th.
Oh, Conor stalls! Conor stalls! Is he gonna get it going here now,
it just won? #re up- Quite a bit of time. Come on, come on, come on, come on, oh, no, no, no. It's fired, it's fired! Oh, Conor; a big shake of the head
from the big man from Ramsey there. Guy Martin goes as well, and Guy's fast
into the speed limiter there, and nails it. Charlie Lambert. So, a 21 second lead, and all of a sudden
it was down to four seconds. Seventeen seconds disappeared
during the course of that problem, of getting the big ZX-10 fired up again. So, ifs all to play for
then in the final two laps and there's some work
to be done by Cameron to eat into Conor's lead. So, Conor Cummins, lan Hutchinson, Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop,
those are the top four The order is the same, but the gap
has most certainly changed. First of the late-numbered runners now
in pit lane. And here 'S number 26, Paul Dobbs, racing with the kiwi on his helmet and there's Jenny, away now. And we've just had
news that Conor's missing. Conor Cummins
missing here at Glen Helen. Waved yellows out here as
a new machine comes into view now. No, it's not Conor; either. That's number eight, Guy Martin. Conor missing at Glen Helen. I can tell you
what's happened to Conor He's a retirement,
mechanical failure at Laurel Bank. A retirement at Laurel Bank.
A mechanical failure. Huge disappointment there for Conor So it's lan Hutchinson,
number four who's leading on the road. There 's number eight, Guy Martin
into second place for now. And there 's one,
two, three into view now. Those three are going to have
a real old scrap over the mountain and that's going to be
well worth looking at. It's not only Conor
that has bad news. We've just heard that the
new timing system here in the pits has claimed
its first-high profile victim with Guy Martin picking up
a 30-second time penalty. That's moved him down from
what would have been second place down to fourth place. So, off the podium for Guy and lan Hutchinson, the
30-year-old from Bingley in Yorkshire is the leader of the Superbike TT with Michael Dunlop now in second place. I know it's Hutchy winning, but keep
an eye on number six, Cameron Donald, despite that excursion at Signpost finishing the race very strongly indeed and that final place on the podium
is not nailed just yet. You can see the chequered Hag
is now being prepared. Here comes
the wheelie of Ian Hutchinson, and lan Hutchinson wins
on the Padgett's Honda. The final result sheet,
Hutchy one, Dunlop two, Donald three, and Guy Martin
finishing in fourth place. And it was a time penalty
that cost Guy so dearly. So, when I was in pit lane,
I heard him announce that Guy had gone through
the speed lane too fast and there was a time penalty
against him, now that's all I've heard. We just lost second place. When Guy was told he just
jumped off the bike, got into his van. He didn't even take his helmet off But I'm sure he'll
come back again, you know. It's a big disappointment to Guy. You know, he'd just done
224 miles at those speeds and then told we are
penalizing you for nothing. Such a tiny thing. Point one over 60. There shouldn't be a 30-second penalty. Five, possibly. That's harsh. They're measuring
the average speed over a distance. Now who's to say that their distance
that they're measuring over is accurate to within a millimetre? We have books full of regulations,
by the way. And unfortunately,
I perhaps also ought to say, that in the matter of time-keeping the timekeeper, his word is law and he records what are then considered
to be matters of fact from which there is
no protest or appeals. OK. Yeah, well, that's it.
Monday's a new day, innit, and you know, Guy's got another two races on Monday so you know as long as Guy turns up
this evening, open-minded, and puts today's race behind him, you know, he's got another
superbike race as well on Friday. And, you know,
we'll just move on from it. Welcome to Monday's
action on the mountain course. Two races, 600cc machines
are off first at 10:45. Guy Martin
has blitzed them from the start. At Ballaugh, Guy Martin
is still leading the race by just over a second from Ian Hutchinson,
with Dan Kneen in third place. Guy Martin is here at
Ramsey hairpin, lap one, and he still leads
and he looks determined today. News from the top
of the mountain, from the Bungalow, is that Ian Hutchinson has
halved the gap on Guy Martin. And here's lan Hutchinson who leads
at the end of the first lap. Guy Martin obviously
likes that stretch of course between the Grandstand and here
because he's consistently quicker. But Hutchy seems to get it
on him on him everywhere else. It's trouser-bulging excitement
here. Guy Martin
is leading the race. Now lan Hutchinson
has gone back into the lead. It's Guy Martin
back into the lead. There's Hutchy now, leading on the road. Oh, as quick as that. Charlie, what's the difference
as Guy comes in? 3.3 seconds so Hutchy
has been going away a little bit. Guy Martin's being told
there, "You can do this," and I'm sure there 's thousands
out there who would like him to do this. Get out the fucking way. Did Guy have problems there
on the way? We heard a lot of shouting. Guy goes through with
Keith Amor hot on his tail. Michael Dunlop
slots into third. But, here's lan Hutchinson
who's extended the lead. There 's now over four seconds,
but stand by your beds because the news from Ballaugh is that
Guy Martin has halved the gap. lan Hutchinson is coming
towards the end of the race but Guy Martin has now got it down
to less than three seconds at the Cronk and Guy Martin
is having the lap of his life! But is it going to be enough to give him
his first victory here at the TT And Hutchy crosses the line
right now, but where is Guy? He started 40 seconds after Hutchy. We've started the stopwatch, and we're going to be
counting it all the way down from those 40 seconds. 37... 38... It's 39...
It is victory for Ian Hutchinson. By 3.03 seconds.
Guy Martin is in second place. Michael Dunlop is in third place,
with a final lap of 126. 587. The one, two, three is Hutchinson,
Martin and Michael Dunlop. And it's down to Chris Kinley. I don't know
where Guy got to, actually. I can tell you he went
straight up the return and that is as much as
we know at the moment. So Guy did not come
into the winners' enclosure. He went straight up the return, we’ll have to find out
what's going on there. Charles, did you see him? The people who made the rules,
it's nothing to do with us. Paul's trying to do his job,
you know what I mean, it's not Paul, Paul doesn't make the rules. Now this is me being picky. Guy, we're all
really proud of you, so just please... For Wilson. Please. Please. Please. Get yourself together, Guy. - Wouldn't you be peeved?
- Yeah, Guy, I'd be upset but I wouldn't take it out on the people who are supposed to be me mates. Point one-one-two... Whoa, whoa, whoa! Guy! Guy!
Brakes, front brakes! Front brakes! Gonna hold his bum in a minute. Now then, boss, where'd you go? 60.112. That's you boys being picky.
This is me being picky. I'll do what I want at my speed. So this is Saturday's race
you're on about, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah... I'll let you get down the bottom there
we'll have a longer chat later on. OK, Guy? Thank you very much,
Guy's off there now. So that was a bit of
a Guy Martin protest we saw there, you going straight in? If I walked
at 112 of a kilometre an hour do you know how far I'd go? Point .112 of a kilometre,
how far's that, the length of this here. Get a grip, man, get a grip.
30 seconds... There 's the applause. And richly deserved, as well,
it's been a terrific morning's racing, and these guys will remember
this for one reason or another for a very long time. But Guy Martin is not hanging around
at the top of the podium, he's already making his way down. He's taking his bottle
of bubbly with him, though. Tell me a bit how you feel. They're being awkward with me,
I'll be awkward with them. They just do things... They want you,
"You can't do this, you can't do that." You know, "Press this, press that."
Fuck off. They've been awkward with me,
I'll be fucking awkward with them. That simple. No problem. No problem. Don't worry,
that's only the tip of the iceberg. You wait till I win a fucker. I didn't even think about it really,
I just agree with them. You're better off. Owt I say was just
sour grapes, anything at all that I say. I could've said owt. So I had to do an interview
yesterday morning... I just said,
"l was happy to finish fourth. "Happy. It's where I wanted to be." Obviously not,
I wanted to win it, didn't I? But they're not helping you with
dickheads like that, are they? Oh, well. Worse things happen at sea,
we're still here aren't we? I thought it went rather well. Obviously not well enough,
cos Hutchy beat me. Yeah, I know what needs to be done. But there's another three
races left yet, isn't there? It'll come. There is the race leader
Ryan Farquhar really looking dialled in. Something must have gone wrong
at the start for Guy he was well outside the top 10. It's Hutchy's victory by 1.3 seconds. Hutchy, Ryan and Conor; in that order it's hat trick Hutchy
winning three TT's in a week. And there are still two solo TT's to go. I just gave it
absolutely everything I could. And, It's just unbelievable, man,
unbelievable. J* I hear the ocean beat upon the shore
outside my room J' Calling me out from sleep
to listen to her graceful tune J* She makes me feel alive
Her power more than words can say J* Send shivers through my person
Clears my head to face the day J' I pray J' The tides will rise
and fall again J* Hello? All right, driver. Who are you? What do you know? No. Yeah, just sat watching
some onboards playing, getting a plan of attack sorted. Jeffries's from 2002 and then bits of Hutchy. I'm going through
the tight sections too hot, and then I'm losing the run
onto the long straights. J' I see the sun rise up
into a cloudless sky of blue J* Coaxing the shadows back J* To let the sun 's light
shine on through J* - You want it?
- OK, thank you. - Can you sign here?
- All right love, how's it going? - Going great.
- Good lass. Hope you get the race. I know. Let's hope so, eh? I've just seen Paul Dobbs, let’s maybe go
and have a word with Dobbs. - Good morning, Paul.
- How you doing? What about today's conditions?
I bet you were sat when you woke up this morning and
you must have thought, "Oh, no. " No, teammates
with Oatsey this year and he assures me
that it's gonna come right, so... All right, Paul, I’ll let you
get it together and get warm, he looks freezing. You're looking as if
you're not ready for a race, either Nowhere near.
I mean, yeah, it's not safe is it? No, so you can't go racing in that.
I ain't racing. There you go, love. Guy! Guy! Guy, she fancies you! ...as Guy Martin goes
through in fourth place. There goes Hutchy,
looking very strong. Keith Amor on the pace
is in third. Michael Dunlop
is here and he still leads. But only by 1.82 seconds. The difference is only 1.82 seconds. No, I think Hutchy
has done it... He has, because
Michael Dunlop crosses the line, but it is lan Hutchinson
who has won the race. And not just that. He has made the most amazing
piece of history here today. The first man in history
to win the first four TT races. And only the second man, after Phillip McCallen,
to win four in a week. Lan Hutchinson,
the new king of the mountain. No question about that. James McBride away now. Next away will be
New Zealand's #nest Paul Dobbs, and right behind him
is Welshman Paul Owen. Great to see the man
from Llangollen here once again. Well,
we were on the start line, and then you shake hands with your mate and always wish him all the best. I set off behind my mate, Paul Dobbs. Because you're 10 seconds apart, you can count them
when they just disappear You start counting. You can hear them coming
down from the campsite down in the dip and then back up. You can hear
them speed coming up there. And you can tell the men from the boys because they gear down,
they drop a cog down and then they ease off
slightly, then they open it up and rip it around the corner. But I have to say, the top boys,
they just don't bother. They just keep it going flat. He just came round the corner so well, clipped it, the bike went
the height of the bus stop. It just went straight up, the height of the bus stop
that's down there. Like a battleground. I was just closing on him and then we were
just coming up to Ballagarey and I just seen him
go off into the corner and then the yellow flags came out
so I knew that there'd been an incident. Either he'd blown
the engine or crashed so, I could like hear the other riders
coming so I just grabbed a flag and just ran into the track
to slow the other riders down. The medics tried
everything they could for him. But he'd have been cheesed off
if he'd have been in a car and got squashed by a tractor
or summat like that, like. Like, we're here, we race.
We know the dangers. It's not tiddlywinks or whatever That's why everybody gets on
if you can help each other. But sadly, he lost his life
to the sport that he loves. Just one of them, like. I had one of those moments,
you know, that happen at some point once or twice during every TT fortnight, when I just stand and look around
and everything you see, the bikes, the overalls, you know you hear
that siren, pit-entry siren. Everything going on
and I just thought, I love this. And I actually thought,
a stupid moment of clarity, God, I'd miss this if I couldn't have it
cos something happens to Dobbsy. An hour later... Anyone could lose
their partner tomorrow. People step out under a bus.
People are lost every day. You talk about that, and you joke
about it all the time, you know. I might not be here next week,
is what people say. But when it is part
of your consciousness, even a subconscious part, it really does make you love life. It makes you appreciate who you've got and what's special about them and just how lucky you are. The reason we make
that choice to go racing is just the whole, you know, ”We're here for a good time." What can, you know, how can we
get the most fun out of life? And, we want the kids
to share that as well. They come along, they love it,
they're part of it. Because we had that time with him,
it's made us who we are. It's made them who they are. You know, they're incredible. Um, they're strong. They're fun. And we have fun.
You know, we have so much fun. It doesn't stop. And we're going to keep on having fun,
you know. Ride the bikes, play the music,
dance in the kitchen. We still love the TT
still love the island, you can't change that. You can't love the death.
You can't love the loss. But you can't love
the excitement and the thrill without knowing that that's part of it. It wouldn't be so exciting
if it didn't have the risk. That's why they want to do it. Meanwhile,
the Auto Cycle Union has confirmed a second rider was killed
in yesterday's Supersport 2 race. 48-year-old Austrian Martin Loicht died
in a crash at Quarry Bends... This is Friday, Senior day. This is the day
we've all been waiting for it's the final,
and it's the race of the year, as far as we're concerned. The big prize. People Call it
the power and the glory. It just means so much. So we will be putting a big effort
into this, a huge effort. Everyone's ready. And Guy is up for it. He's just arrived.
That's him. On the dirty old bicycle, the pushbike. Who's going to take
this year's Senior title? Will it be an unbelievable
five for lan Hutchinson? Can John McGuinness
make it onto the podium? I've had a second, had a fourth
yesterday, I had a fifth. And so I've not had the best of weeks,
really. A few little issues in the way of just bike setup. But it's all food for thought, and I've got to try and take
it through into today's race and go play the part, see what I can do. I'm going to go out
there and try my hardest. But then sometimes
I've been watching onboards, I've been watching
this and watching that. And am I trying too hard? And I think I look in a couple
of places, and I am. And that's what's holding me back, so... Yeah, I'll pull me finger out. That penalty, I didn't
feel really hard done by. Worse things happen at sea.
I just came and sat in here with me helmet and me boots
and me gloves and me leathers and all that shit on,
and just sat here and... At the time, if someone
would have come in here, if Mr Speed-gun Man
or whatever had come in here I'd have thrashed fuck out of him. But, really, Mr Speed-gun Man,
I'd have thrashed fuck out of him. I'm not a fighting man, but there's
a time and a place for everything. And something like that's going on. Point... Whatever, don't
even get me started on it. I've won four so far,
and it'd be great to get the fifth. You know, it'd be the fairytale story. But, obviously, everyone's been
gunning out to get me all week. And I think in some respects,
the pressure's kind of off them with it just being one person
that's done it all week. What more can they do? It's not as if you know, there's
been four different winners and they haven't won one, it's just... I think maybe the pressure
is off them a little bit, but... On the other side of it,
it's the last race this year. You know, if they really are determined
to win a TT this year, this is the last chance. I haven 't seen one of
those Conor Cummins posters around yet, but there 'll be a big groundswell
of support for the local boy.-. If you go out there
with your head filed, if I listen to Rage Against The Machine
before I go out, you're going out
with the wrong frame of mind. So I'm gonna go out there
listening to... I think I might have a bit of
Otis Redding on before I go out. Yeah, smoke me 10 Bensons. Do you want 10 Bensons? That'll do you, will it? Yeah, I'm only taking up smoking...
I'm taking up smoking after July. But there's been a few moments
in this past couple of weeks where I've just thought... But I've not smoked, so I think
a bit of Otis Redding on the start line, pretend to smoke a fag, and take it as it comes. Well the parade lap
is coming to its conclusion here. We 're going to have
the senior TT race going in just under an hour's time at half past 12, and we will, of course,
give you all the build up and the interviews
as the riders get out there. Can history be made by lan Hutchinson? He's proved himself to be
an absolute maestro around the mountain course. And there is the number one machine
of Bruce Anstey. The lap record still standing
at 131.578 miles an hour. That was set by John McGuinness
last year Less than 10 seconds to go. Well, I can tell the members of
the Guy Martin fan club over there on the far side of Glencrutchery Road that their man is
still one of the favourites, along with the big local hope,
number 10, Conor Cummins. The last few seconds tick away. We watch the Hag, which drops,
and we are now racing. Bruce Anstey.
Mountain Maestro John McGuinness. Now number three lan Lochear
That's Hutchy on the number four Keith Amor goes. And Cameron Donald. So Michael is away on the Honda. Guy Martin on the Wilson Craig Honda. Guy's off and racing. But I can tell you that
when we look to the scoreboard to see that Guy Martin,
number eight, leads. But only by .4 or .5 of a second
from number 10, Conor Cummins. There is only .06 of a second then between him and
number four lan Hutchinson, with John McGuinness
just .74 of a second down on him. So one and a half seconds
cover the top four here. And a tight line in
from number eight, Guy Martin. A hundred and thirty one mile
an hour lap for Guy. 131.108, that's Guy Martin 's fastest lap
ever around the mountain course. And he's absolutely on song today. It's all about those guys
on the eight and 10 plates, Guy Martin and Conor Cummins,
but it's so close right behind them, Hutchy and John McGuinness
are right there in the mix. And Conor has gone into the lead. Conor has snatched
the lead from Guy Martin but there's 0.58 seconds in it. It's down to fractions of seconds, because at the Bungalow,
Guy Martin has narrowed the gap on Conor Cummins to just one-tenth
of a second. That's all there is. It's still desperately,
desperately tight. IFS Guy right
in front of me here now, red torpedo on the back of his leathers. Just watch that speed! Go on... And Guy Martin,
let me just give you his details. 130. 642, and he was the race leader
at Cronk-ny-Mona, but we're still waiting for Conor
Conor's here now. 130.278. A brand new tyre in
for Guy as he fires up and he is away. Right now we saw a great pit stop
by the Wilson Craig team and it's the McAdoo boys
who are on it now. Tighten her up, Mark, and Mark just says go, go, go, go. She #res and the big man is away now. Here he is.
Here's Guy Martin now! But there was
an awful long gap there in between Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop
and Keith Amor appearing here, and the road goes quiet here
for a moment or two. But we 're still waiting
on machine number eight. And here's Conor at number 10, so we don't appear
to have a Guy Martin here. Guy Martin is missing. Red flag.
Attention, attention. Red flag. Well, back here at
the grandstand, we're not sure if we've got a red-flag situation.
The race has been stopped because a fire engine
has to go onto the track. It's clearly something very serious
at Ballagarey. It's only the second Senior race
in 100 years to be red-flagged. Incident at Ballagarey. Guy Martin hasn't reached Glen Helen. Red flag, boys. Red flag. We believe it's Guy Martin. He's crashed
and the bike has set fire to a field, and that's one of the only times
they'll put red flags out. it's gut-wrenching
for everyone. The team are pacing up and down, you can see the team boss' head down,
not knowing what's going on. I mean, nobody knows
any better than anybody. First we knew about it was
when Guy didn't arrive at Glen Helen. You'd like to think
that it's a mechanical failure rather than a crash. But then we heard the hedge
was on fire at Glen Vine... Only riders and officials
are allowed in the parc ferme area. Everybody else out, please. Thank you. You could see the fire
in the distance about a mile away. There was smoke and one of the hay bales
was on fire and they slowed us way down
and I thought, "OK, "well, there 's a hay bale on Ere, " and, "There's the bike
in somebody's yard. " And I'm like, "OK
we're past the incident." A quarter-mile later there was Guy. And I was like, "Oh, shit." There was an incident.
Guy was missing so it had to be him. He crashed at something
like 170 miles an hour, cos he was off at that speed and, of course, you worry. You know, you don't jump from a bike at 170 miles an hour and get up again. So, yes, we are worried. Paul Dobbs crashed there last night,
and, you know, he didn't make it. So, fingers crossed for Guy. It's hit and miss there, you know. There's no run-out, as there isn't
anywhere on the circuit here. Guy seems to have made a little bit
of a rider error sort of thing and he's gone into the wall. It's not looking good. I came up on the circuit, you know, it just looks like
a bomb's exploded when owt goes on here. The wall and all the bales were on fire, you Know, and Guy's
laid there in the track, his bike's split in pieces, like it's... It's horrendous, yeah, we... Everyone's fingers are crossed
at the minute, to see how Guy is. So quarter past two, for
a 3:00 start to a four-lap Senior race. it's just how it is,
sort of thing. We all enter it. There's no gun
to our heads to enter We all love it, and at the end
of the day, if it goes wrong and the worst does happen,
then he died a happy man, like. You know, the show's going on.
We've got four laps coming here. We're a 3:00 start. No. it'll be no slower. Now let's give you
the track conditions. Roads. Lack of adhesion at Ballagarey Dry around the rest of the course. Visibility good. Four lap race. Got me fingers crossed
for Conor today. He 'll be out there giving
it the berries, as usual. I'm right behind you,
Conan if you're listening. Four laps, 150.92 miles. John McGuinness, the race leader
in the race before it was abandoned is away on number two.
This is lan Hutchinson. And now number 10, Conor Cummins, looking so good for
the first couple of laps. He's got to keep it together
for the full race today. And here comes the first
of those machines, it is McGuinness. Here's Hutchy now, 0.61, that's all there is
between the two of them. I'm sad to report Michael
is in retirement at Joey's. And Cameron is off the bike. Here's Conor now. Head down. So the big news here
at Glen Helen. Lap two. McGuinness appears to be out. And there's 3.24 seconds that lan Hutchinson leads
number 10, Conor Cummins. Back here at the Grandstand,
we have got a situation at the Bungalow where lan Hutchinson
retains the lead of the race. We 're waiting for Conor
to appear at the Bungalow before we can update that. News of Conor Cummins,
he came off at the Veranda and he's receiving attention. So, Conor off at the Veranda. Ian Hutchinson crosses the line
and rides into the history books. Forget the famous five,
this is the fabulous, fantastic five by the Bingley Bullet lan Hutchinson, 30 years of age.
He has rewritten the history books of one of the greatest
motorsport events in the world. Again it was
the sound and the blurt But the blur stopped. He was coming around the corner
A good race line, really good race line
in all fairness to him, and he was flying round. The bike comes down,
he kicks the bike away and the bike literally
turns into a fireball on impact. It's like the start of a IV programme,
an all-action IV programme where the screen is filled with flames, and this silhouette comes towards us at about waist height, and it's Guy. And I'm thinking,
"Oh, here we go, I got a job here." First thing that springs to mind. So I reached down, grabbed
my orange box, the med box. I turned around there
and Guy's flying past me followed by a bike which is on fire
and it just screams past me and then the bike goes over to one side
and it's still in flames and there's black smoke everywhere. And flames, they make a
hell of a mess, don't they? And Guy's in the middle. I tell him, "I'm not
gonna cut your leathers, ”cos I need to check you over
first of all. ” And he says, "No, don't cut my leathers,
don't cut my leathers. " Now I understand that
because I'm a biker, like, and that's the last thing I'd want is
somebody to cut my leathers. But he was good. He was good. Definitely somebody's up there
watching him. No doubt about it. Lucky guy. I thought,
"Right, job was looking good." Job was looking good,
131 and a half from a standing start. Uh, slowing to come into the pits,
I think 1306, battling for the lead. Went out from the pits,
got about five mile out, at Glen Vine. Took the front. Thought I got it.
Thought I got it! Got it! Got it! See, I've had a few moments like this. You're just riding into
the grip that you've got. And I was riding up to that point of I knew where there was decent grip, and you couldn't really push
past that point. Cos I just left the pits with
another full tank of petrol, and I decided in my head
the grip that I could ride up to and, um... Obviously not. I think the full tank of petrol
probably made a bit of difference. Uh, lost the front. Far fronner. You know, one of the faster corners
of the track. Probably 160-70 mile an hour. And took the front, I thought "I've got it, I've got it,
I've got it, I've got it. "No... No, I ain't got it." So I had to jump ship. And I think I ended up with a few... I've got a few bits of
singed eyebrows and eyelashes, and singed me fringe and what have you. But it's... I ended up
in the wall I think. I can't remember much.
I was knocked out. But I'm still here. And I'm not bad, really. It could have
been a lot worse, couldn't it? Could have been a lot worse. Yeah, I think it is nothing. It's only, you know, a bit of bark
off my knees and what have you, you know, when you're sliding at
160-70 mile an hour that's a lot of heat, isn't it? I've got a lot of
friction burns from sliding. A few broken ribs, a punctured lung. Uh, four chipped vertebrae
and two cracked vertebrae. Apart from that, I'm like a new one. So, yeah, just sat here and... Yeah. I think... I think here, I'm sat here moving my legs
and I think, "Ah, I'm invincible." Then I try and get off
and I think, "Oh, fucking hell." I'm not as good as I think. Cos they say like owt with the spine,
you can't rush it, can you? Now, it's a stable fracture
as it is at the moment, but push any harder,
you know, and it can... Like Conor's just up the corridor there,
not looking clever. His back's a bit worse than mine,
and they're having to send him away to get his shoulder
and his elbow screwed together. But it's part of the game, boy. We all know the risks.
No one's making us do owt. All part of the game. Put me in that position again
and I'll do exactly the same. Exactly the same again. I’LL be back. He's just making me work for it,
isn't he? Sorted. I think I've had a podium
every year since 1997. So, it seems weird, you know,
coming up on the access road and, you know, not getting
a cheer and a clap and getting waved past the rostrum
and I was leading the first race and it all went wrong and then
in the senior, the blue ribbon race, I got up to a sort of eleven second lead
and then Guy had the crash. You know, the red Hags come out
and you've got to come back and tune yourself back in, and get dialled in and ready
for the restart and the restart looking like
it was going good and then we had a kill switch failure. Two pence wire snaps off
and the solder breaks and just puts you
out of contention completely. You know, that's
the TT for you, I suppose. I've had a lot of luck in the past,
I've won a lot of races round here. And when luck's not on your side,
it's not happening for you. For sure Guy Martin's had
a worse day than I had, and for sure Conor Cummins has had
a lot worse day than I have. I'm still in one piece. I'm gonna
head for the ferry and get home and get my thoughts together
and see what's going to be available for next year, or,
if nothing floats me boat, I might hang me leathers up.
You never know. Me and the kids, together;
have had our down times and I haven't tried to
hide anything from them. You know, we've done
our crying together And then, "OK, what are we
gonna do now?" Get over it, move on. I think the point of life
is to enjoy it. Have as good a time as we can while
we're here and what we've got given. You can't change what you get given but you can decide
whether or not to enjoy it. I've been to look at
where the crash was, there's still bits of green paint from
either the bike or me leathers still on the cat's eye
on the side of the road. I can actually see
where it's all gone wrong. I've disappeared over the side. And the way I look at it that's where
the injuries started to happen and it sort of..
It does get to you a little bit. The main one was me back. I broke that in five places and I've got a big scar on my back as a result of getting tumbled clown
the hill and hitting a few things, I broke my arm in four places. Some slight nerve damage to it
but that's coming back nicely. My knee was dislocated, a few scrapes, I had a fractured pelvis
and a fractured shoulder blade and a bruised lung, as well. Um, there was a bit
to take in really, you know. To get my head around it
was a big challenge, you know, mentally. There's no chance I'm giving up. I'm 24 year old and I perfectly accept
I've been really really lucky but me love for bike racing
is still there and I've got goals I want to achieve. So the first opportunity I ever get
I 'll be straight on it. That's my plan, you know. Come up to the Verandah at the
next TT or whenever I get back, and just attack it like normal. Yeah, it was a big one but
we'll just get on with life. The world ain't gonna stop for me. Tremendous start,
round the outside. We think Ian Hutchinson, the five times in a week
winner of the TT may be the lad who's down there. Unfortunately, yeah, I got into
the second to last race of the year on a short circuit, not a road race,
and ended up with this injury. I mean, it's a shame how it happened.
To be ridden off by somebody else. You know, when it happened and they were
talking about amputating my leg, there was only one reason
I didn’t want to amputate and that's so I can race
a motorbike, you know. Apart from that,
nothing else really matters, so, you know, my argument
was to get my foot back on. And not only get it on, I said, "I don't want a foot
just on the end of my leg. "I want a foot that's 1 00% working
so I can get on with my job." Couldn't have been a better time
for it to happen, obviously, seven months until
the start of the season, so... I've just got to get on with it
and get back to fitness for the start of next year.
