Mona’s sacred Isle – there’s racing and then there’s the Isle of Man TT, undisputed home of pure road racing.
For Kawasaki riders at the 2014 TT it was a case of concentration, celebration and commiseration in equal measure.
Join us for a unique insight inside the minds of the men that take on the mighty TT course.
James Hillier: “I’m really pleased with how this year’s TT has ended and whilst the first half of race week was frustrating, the second half couldn’t have gone much better. Obviously, second place in the Lightweight was one place down on last year but after all the trouble we had with the bike during practice, I’d have quite happily taken second if someone had offered me it this morning! As soon as I left the line, I rode as hard as I could but Dean really deserved the win today. After Ivan (Lintin) retired on the opening lap, I encountered a lot of wildlife but apart from that, and a little bit of clutch slip, the race went really well.” “I had no big dramas during the Senior but John (McGuinness) was going a lot quicker than in previous races and it took me a while to catch him although, at the same time, I was surprised that Michael (Dunlop) and Guy (Martin) took longer than I thought to catch me. It was great riding around with them and although Bruce did me again on the last lap, I’ll take the result. We’ve finished every race again this week, which is huge testament to all the boys and the hard work they’ve put in so a huge thanks to everyone involved.”Dean Harrison equalled his best ever result in second, repeating the runner-up spot in last year’s Lightweight race, with Anstey comfortable in third for the entire race.Dean Harrison – “I was all set to go to the pub after taking the race win but we had the Senior to get through and I couldn’t have wished for a better start with my first ever 130mph lap. We were looking really good in fifth and everything was going great but, sadly, a mechanical problem brought my race to an early end. It’s a shame race week ended with a DNF but I’m delighted with how the races have gone and the team have been absolutely mint so a big thanks to all the boys for doing such a mega job.”Dean Harrison: “Ivan had been fastest all week in the Lightweight and I expected him to be pushing hard so my plan was to go as fast as I could right from the off. My first board said ‘P1, +0’ but I just kept plugging away and the gap kept getting bigger and bigger. I felt really comfortable with the pace I was running and had no issues, no slides or anything and the bike was absolutely faultless. To win my first TT is something special and with Dad having won one of the Sidecar races early in the week, the job’s a dream.”After a two-hour delay, the field were finally set off on the Mountain Course at 2.15pm with warnings about damp patches at Ballaspur, the 13th Milestone, Ramsey Hairpin to the Waterworks, and the Nook through to Governor’s Bridge.Molyneux/Farrance found themselves almost 18 seconds behind at Ramsey on the second lap but then Holden started to experience problems and they eventually slipped back to third with Sure Sidecar Race 1 winners Conrad Harrison/Mike Aylott taking second, the result seeing them claim the overall RAC TT Championship.
