10 years ago I started road racing motorbikes... it was during my first season on short circuits that I dared to dream of competing in 'pure road racing' at the Isle of Man TT. It is the oldest, toughest and most prestigious road race event an amateur like me could ever hope to compete in. It's a big deal in the motorcycle world.
The route to the TT for us amateurs is through the Manx Grand Prix/Classic TT. Raced over the same hallowed 37.7 mile course around the Isle but with a class structure better suited to a smaller budget - older and generally cheaper bikes. Over my 10 years racing, I have done the Manx Grand Prix 8 times... always with my eye on one day taking the step up to the TT. It's been a real struggle at times, but with some help and support, I eventually broke into the top-ten finshers last year with some brilliant results on old, noncompetitive bikes.
I had done enough to finally get my entry to the TT accepted! In with the big boys. Well funded teams and professional riders - the best real road racers in the world.
My bikes from the last few years were so old that they were no longer eligible for the TT. They certainly wouldn't be competitive. I have sold them and am building/preparing two newer machines for the 2015 campaign - a for the Lightweight class and a bike for the Supersport class.
It's costing an arm and a leg... I also lost my job and got made redundant a few weeks ago (no fault of my own). My cash-flow is just about to go in reverse faster than Obbball's Sherman. It certainly isn't helping - but I'm not letting a piffling thing like money get in the way of this. This is the opportunity I have given blood, sweat and tears for over these years. This is bigger.
The money I'm looking at raising will just go towards the event - not the bikes or the qualifying races I have to do beforehand. It's just what it costs to be there and run the bikes for a fortnight with what equipment and gear I have. It doesn't even include an emergency fund in case there is a problem with one of the machines - it is the minimum needed to get the job done.
What do you get in return for helping me do the TT?
1. Daily updates on the Speed Therapy blog and Facebook... but you get that anyway...
2. Check out the menu of 'Perks' to the right of this page
3. For all contributions that are not linked to perks, I will lend 50% to grass-roots entrepreneurs in Africa through Kiva.org (check them out - they rock!). So you'll be helping less privileged people add value to their communities, environment and humanity in general.
4. You'll have someone to cheer on at the TT!
If you'd like to contribute a larger amount, would like to give a more commercial sponsorship or would just like to give words of encouragement - drop me an email... but hurry, the funding closes and the TT kicks off on 30th May.
The Isle of Man TT is the Everest of mountaineering, the US Masters of golf, the Wimbledon of tennis. This is the BIG One... and I need your help to do it!
