Peter Hickman is a nine-time Isle of Man TT winner. Photo: Impact Images/Tim Keeton
«People think we're idiots who just blow our brains out and drive to the fullest,» says Peter Hickman, the world's fastest road racer on two wheels. «That's not how it works.»
For many, those who compete over the next eight days at the Isle of Man TT are maniacs: adrenaline junkies who throw caution to the wind as they race at terrifying speeds on public roads, all for the glory and adulation that awaits at the finish line. Prize money is meager, after all.
Hickman, a nine-time TT winner and a regular in the British Superbike Championship, has already broken a new course record of 202 mph in practice, and along with rivals Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop averaged 133 mph per lap. At these speeds, the 57.73 km track takes only 17 minutes on roads where the speed limit is usually 30 km/h.
Dean Harrison is also in the process of hitting the 136 mph milestone. Photo: RC Photos/Ryan Crawley. way on Saturday with the opening of the Supersport race, the first of eight unprecedented single races this week. Everyday life on the island will come to a standstill and tens of thousands of people will arrive by sea and air to watch the races.
«I know 136 mph is possible»
Hickman and Harrison are still in charge of what is arguably the most exciting race of all. In 2018, their titanic Senior TT, a blue ribbon event, was hailed as one of the greatest events of all time. The six lap duel ended with the pair being separated by no more than eight seconds in the one and a half hour race, with Hickman only eclipsing Harrison in the last two sectors, gaining two seconds and thereby capturing the all-lap time record of 135.452 mph.
“It was the end of the race, two weeks and everything, where Dean and I pushed each other a little more and a little more and a little more, and it was the end of the race, the last lap and there were only a couple of seconds between us,” says Hickman. «It was basically all the cards on the table.»
Hickman took his first and second TT wins this week, adding seven more in 2019 and 2022 on either side of the island's pandemic-induced hiatus. This two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 contributed to a drop in record speeds, with riders who returned last year not entirely familiar with the track and were hampered by inconsistent weather.
Development of the Isle of Man TT lap record
This year promises to be very different, judging by qualifications. Never before had three riders topped an average speed of 133 mph in the first race of the week, leading many to believe that Hickman's record was in immediate danger if fine weather continued. Rule changes for the Supersport and Superstock classes should lead to a drop in the respective records: slick tires are now used instead of the road-legal tread tires used previously.
Dunlop has already set an unofficial lap at the Supertwins. qualifying record, and Burchall brothers Tom and Ben in wheelchairs.
These speeds lead to one question: who will break the 136 mph barrier first?
«I don't know, I really don't know,» says Hickman. “Even in 2018, on my fastest lap, I drove six to ten backmarkers. There was oil at the bottom of the Barregrow so I was driving there a little slower than usual, it cost me at least five seconds anyway and that would have taken us to 136 mph so 136 mph is possible. So who knows. I hope this is not necessary!”
“We want to win at the slowest pace possible”
Looking at TT riders, it's easy to assume they're obsessed with pushing the limits of speed, but that's far from the case. . If you offered Hickman a race win without breaking his record, he would rip your arm off.
“Race wins come first,” says Hickman. “The results are good, it's the icing on the cake, but at the end of the day, we're here to win races and we want to win the race as slowly as possible.
“This whole game is more of a calculated risk than people think. You have to use your brain to limit the risk as much as possible and it just depends on where everyone else is and whether you are ready to go further when the time comes.
«The difference will be whether people are already on the edge or not. It's already good to go so fast, but is everything at the limit, and they can't move faster? Or is it because they still have something left in the tank?
“You just don't know, do you? Personally, I know that it's not that I necessarily run with a sandbag, but I strive to become faster every day, while not everyone is the same. Many people can reach their limit much faster and much earlier, and then struggle to get further.”
The Dunlop threat is greater than ever
Hickman's brilliance five years ago came 11 years after John McGuinness , a 24-time TT winner, broke the 130 mph barrier for the first time and improved his average lap speed by about 20 mph in 38 years, as Joey Dunlop completed the first lap at 115 mph as his era of dominance. began his journey to an unrivaled 26 TT wins.
Michael Dunlop, the last of the Dunlop dynasty still racing after father Robert and brother William, like Joey, lost road races, is within reach. With 21 wins to his credit and eight more on the line this week, few, if any, will be betting against him to close the gap on his uncle.
The Ballymoney native has proven to be a master of small bikes in recent years, dominating the Supertwins and Superport classes, but he wants big bike wins more than anything, and aboard Hawk Racing Honda he has sent out a statement of the week so far. Friday afternoon with an unofficial lap record of 135.531 mph — slightly faster than Hickman and Harrison, who clocked 134.910 mph and 134.216 mph respectively but are ineligible for the all-time record due to not were installed during the race.
Michael Dunlop, the last of the Dunlop dynasty, still chasing his father Robert and brother William. Photo: Pacemaker Press/Stephen Davison
Both Dunlop and Harrison were ahead of Hickman at the North West 200 meeting last month, when the FHO Racing BMW team withdrew from the event after being disqualified for using TT-cleared carbon wheels , but not in the Northwest.
“It was dry in the Northwest and it was a good week for everyone, although I didn't get a chance to race which wasn't ideal and it helped everyone pick up speed,” says Hickman.
< p>“ Not only Dean, but even Michael did a bit of British Superbike this year, so everyone is up to date. That's why you see, along with the weather, that times are already so fleeting.»
This means there should be a three-way battle on the cards to become the first TT man to hit 136 mph, but Hickman has a warning for his rivals.
«Now I'm faster than ever in the training week, which is not like me,» he says. “Touch the tree while everything is good, but the bike is very fast, it works very well. The superbike is really on top at the moment and managed to break the top speed record which is nice — it doesn't really mean anything but it's nice!
«I hit 202 mph on Wednesday in speed trap, so the bike is right in the song. At the moment, everything is going in the right direction.”
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