Utter Madness
This Monday marks the start of the craziest motorcycle race on the planet.
The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) is as exhilarating as it is ridiculously dangerous.
To set the scene, even if you are not a motorsport enthusiast, the race is a time trial over significant miles on treacherous county roads and lanes.
Sound familiar?
The Isle of Man TT is held over two weeks, with the first week set aside for practice and qualifying and the second week for racing.
It's utter madness on two wheels and participants regularly die.
From a local perspective, six Australian riders have perished along with a test rider and a spectator.
The last Australian death occurred in 2016 when 27-year-old Melbournian, Dwight Beare was thrown from a sidecar.
It's difficult to watch the families of the Isle of Man TT racers when they are interviewed.
Some can't endure the visual coverage and listen to race radio while others don't attend.
Children, young and some not so young, huddle around the trailer sites listening for information.
When a red flag is signaled from the control tower to mark suspension of the session and that the race must stop, panic ensues.
Two Australian riders will race in 2023.
The Isle of Man, a self-governing Crown possession, is found in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The island is about 48km by 16km with half of the landmass used for agriculture.
And much like Tasmania, the Isle of Man relies on tourism, particularly during two weeks in June, to stimulate the economy.
The Tourist Trophy motorcycle race was first held in 1907 and has continued ever since apart from breaks for the World Wars and the COVID pandemic, which saw the race cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
The current average speed record for a lap of the 60.72km course, set in 2018 on a BMW S 1000cc RR superbike, is a staggering 217.989km/h on public roads with relatively few protective barriers.
In fact, there are more barriers including bridges, stone fences, houses, buildings, trees, and farm gates that will kill you rather than barriers that save you from harm.
Tragically, since the inception of the Isle of Man TT, 260 riders along with 15 others (marshals, spectators, and riders during unofficial practice) have died as result of crashes.
The race resumed in 2022 and, tragically, five more lives were lost. A father and son died along with another competitor in the sidecar event and two others perished in the motorcycle race. That's 280 deaths in the event's 115-year history.
My interest in the race was sparked by my motorcycling enthusiast father and my Godfather both hailing from Northern Ireland where some of the race's most famous names were born.
Michael Dunlop from Ballymoney in County Antrim has won the race 21 times and his late father, Robert, won the race five times.
His late elder brother, William, raced at the Isle of Man.
His late uncle, Joey Dunlop MBE OBE, probably the most famous of all, won 26 times.
Robert, William, and Joey all died in motorcycle racing accidents.
Michael Dunlop will line up again in 2023.
And, curiously, for a sports fan who is conservative about risk, I will be watching the livestream on demand.
I am terrified of heights, I only participate in theme park rides to support the kids, I don't like the idea of getting hurt and the consequences as we age, and, although I am comfortable yet cautious on mountain and road bikes, I am totally inspired by this type of danger.
It's utter madness and there is a legitimate question about whether the Isle of Man TT should be banned.
By comparison, five people have lost their lives in the 29-year history of the Targa Tasmania, the Ultimate Tarmac Rally, albeit far better protected by the sophisticated design and safety features, which race and touring cars must provide.
The three deaths in the 2021 were met with shock, sadness, and a comprehensive review.
It was of little surprise that the first three recommendations from the Motorsport Australia Targa Tasmania 2021 Investigative Tribunal Report and Findings focused on speed reduction.
However, there remains a major difference: not all Targa Tasmania drivers in the competitive race do it for a living.
Targa Tasmania will return in October 2023 with 21 of the recommendations adopted by the franchise.
Two other recommendations have been implemented by Motorsport Australia.
A speed limit of 200km/h has been introduced and drivers can now inspect the course prior to racing.
Further, speed zones have also been added where a maximum speed of 80km/h must be maintained along with changes to sections of Tasmanian roads where dips and bumps and rolling rises once enabled fast cars to become airborne.
Life is full of risk, most of it quite manageable.
But the Isle of Man TT’s risk is unfathomable with the drive and reward for professional sports stars on supercharged chariots, a choice that must be incredibly difficult to make.
Racing, in all forms, is exhilarating.
Yet the question remains about how or if we should protect participants from themselves.