Isle of Man TT circuit Scarry!

[chris 964]

Some folks may know of this public road race, other not so. Briefly its on a tiny island in the Irish Sea, no open speed limit. At the moment the TT is on where bikers race the clock and a few kill themselves in the process.

Journo from the US magazine Road and Track rides shot gun with Mark Higgins(rally driver) in a standard Subaru Impreza on the circuit and scoops up a tank slapper at 150mph

YouTube - ‪POV Rally Champion Mark Higgins Near Crash at 150 mph @ 2011 Isle of Man TT‬‏

In car, man that journo is cool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfdgQSkiYIQ&feature=relmfu

[schumicat]

that was an insane amount of opposite lock. I think the passenger was so cool because, while he surely felt the car sliding, he probably didn't realize how much correction was required to keep the car from having a massive crash. One of the cable channels (can't remember which one) shows a lot of TT coverage; those guys are nuts.

[911lvr]

im going next year.. I cant wait

[CCM911]

HD Theatre shows the Isle of Man. I just upgraded to Hi Def, so I am ready for the race.

I too, will get there before I die. Easily, the greatest racing event in the world.

[loach]

Amazing clip. As soon as the car decompressed and got flighty, I puckered up so hard I put a permanent crease on the fabric on my seat. Now that right there is the difference between someone who is merely handy behind the wheel and someone genuinely skilled. The pros always make most of the rest of us look relatively useless.

[jimrs2000]

I know Mark quite well, he is always understated about incidents like this so for him to get excited it must have been a BIG moment.

Incredibly talented driver is Mark, he won an event I organised in the UK by a huge margin, from former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist!!

[gregwils]

Originally Posted by loach

I puckered up so hard I put a permanent crease on the fabric on my seat.

Too funny!

[dlockhart]

There are several Americans giving it a go this year
Here is a thread following them and the inside action at the TT
Official 2011 Isle of Man TT thread - 13x Forums

[5String43]

Wimps. the real men do the course on open-class sportbikes. HD Theater, I think it is, broadcasts the races. Really amazing stuff. Killed a lot of people up there on the IoM. The Mountain Circuit lap is 31, 32 miles, something like that - the guys in the Senior TT, as it's called, now are lapping at something like a 135 mph average.

During race week, this whole island gets weird. Just before the race, there's a Sunday when the course is open to anyone with a motorcycle. When that happens, it's even less safe than it is on race day. That day is called Mad Sunday. For some reason, the German enthusiasts who come over to watch the race have a terrible reputation for crashing and for causing crashes. Hence the saying, "Beware the Hun on Mad Sun."

You guys remember a journalist called Steven L. Thompson, who worked for CandD and later for Cycle World? Steve, an old pal, raced there back in the mid-'80s on a GSXR, turning a 100-mph-plus lap - what's called a ton-up lap of the Mountain Course. A daunting feat then, a daunting feat now.

[sm70911]

They made a 3D move about it. Nuts

[jwetering]

Gathering up a tank slapper in a Scoob - too funny.

Gotta be honest - I didn't know that the TT was also run on 4 wheels.

I watched the video a second time and the in the little window in the bottom you can see that the steering inputs required were extreme. Looks like cold tires to me.

This is known as code brown over this side of the pond isn't it?

[theclaw]

That reply "Yeah we're great" translates into "Can't talk now, my pants are loaded".

Love the TT. Now that it's broadcast in HD makes it just that more awesome.

[slow&rusty]

Wow...I had goose bumps bracing when I saw that clip...that is way too much speed for that course...that Impreza is brutally powerful. Congrats on awesome composure and beautiful car control...in awe.
Yasin

[Laneco]

Oh good heavens, my neither regions would have clenched hard enough to delaminate the paint off the floor pan...

People can talk all the stuff they want, but rally drivers are insanely skilled.

angela

[yel911]

[QUOTE][HD Theatre shows the Isle of Man./QUOTE]

It's awesome!!! Insane..... Side car action is crazy too!!!

People can talk all the stuff they want, but rally drivers are insanely skilled.

I agree....