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BBC News
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Isle of Man TT marshalling is like becoming part of 'big family'
Signing up to marshal for road racing events is like becoming part of a "big family", a director of the organisation tasked with manning the course has Sawyer, who joined the board of the Isle of Man TT Marshals 18 months ago, said she initially signed up several years before to "give a bit back" to the sport she loved.A minimum of 563 volunteers need to be stationed around the 37.7mile (61km) course before any practice or race session can go Sawyer said marshals, whether they were local or had travelled to the island from around the world, had a "shared purpose" of a love of motorsport. She said some of those who signed on had come from as far away as the United States, Australia and New Zealand to be part of the event."Everybody is a volunteer, everybody's giving up time, whether they're locals and they've taken time off work, or they've travelled from the UK, Ireland, or further afield, all with a variety of backgrounds," she said."You meet so many people, and we're all here because we love the TT, we love road racing on the Isle of Man and motorsport, and we're all here united by being a marshal." Ms Sawyer said one of the attractions for many people signing up was that fact that "nobody gets closer" to the action, as marshals had a "front row seat"."As a marshal you're so intrinsic to racing... fingers crossed nothing happens and we get a good smooth run, you get to see the bikes coming through," she said."Obviously it's not just about watching the bikes, you've got to keep your eyes and ears about you because it's all about keeping everybody safe."However, she said that while everyone involved was "aware that incidents can happen", it was important to "keep the perspective"."If you look at the total amount of man hours given as a marshal, as opposed to the total amount of man hours that would actually be taken up involved in those incidents, it's a tiny percentage."One aspect of the Isle of Man TT fortnight that nobody involved in the event has any influence over is the weather, which means contingency qualifying and race sessions are built into the event's those all need to have the minimum marshal number too, something the organisation also works to try to secure in advance."At the end of the day the weather will do what the weather wants to do. As long as we're as prepared as we can be then that's kind of all we can do," Ms Sawyer 2025 Isle of Man TT races run until 7 June. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Hit me with both barrels' - TT team boss on cancer treatment
Dwayne McCracken is making the most of his new lease of life as a road racing team owner at the 2025 Isle of Man TT, just two years after being given six months to live. The Northern Ireland man received the news that he had Stage 3 inoperable pancreatic cancer in June 2023, but after extensive treatment defied the doctors' diagnosis and is now running the Lionheart Moto Racing team. Belgian rider Julian Trummer has already ridden for the team at the Cookstown 100 and North West 200, before focusing on tackling the ultimate challenge of the TT Mountain Course. "I went through a tough time with chemo and radiotherapy but thankfully I have come out the other side," McCracken told BBC Sport NI. "I'm 18 or 20 months down the line and I feel really, really good. "That's part of the motivation for this. I want people to see that you can come through a bit of a tough time and come out the other side." The Bangor man said his family provided him with all the incentive he needed to recover. "I was told my prognosis wasn't very good but in terms of treatment I just said 'hit me with both barrels, I don't care, I'll take the pain, because I have a young family, I can't be going anywhere'. "The chemo regime that I was on was very strong and made me really sick but you have to have a focus and you have to have the end goal. "There were times where I wasn't feeling the best and I wondered if it was worth it but I just had to look at my family and I'd have taken anything." Dwayne's long-time passion for and involvement in motorcycle racing inspired him to set up his team and the name 'Lionheart' evolved from listening to a particular song on the radio on his visits to hospital for treatment. "Lionheart is a song by Joel Corry and Tom Grennan and every time I went for chemotherapy the song kept coming on the radio. "My wife said to me, 'that's you' and when you listen to it it's quite a powerful song, it's very inspirational. It just has a special meaning to me." Conversations with Trummer last summer led to them exploring the options of putting together a race team and also supporting the NIPANC charity which supports those affected by pancreatic cancer. "It gives me a focus and a purpose, it gives me something to do and it's a self medication because motorbikes are my passion. "I also had the overwhelming urge to give back to the charity, to the people that helped me and my family. "The charity aspect is very important to me because of the help I had with mindset and things through the whole journey." McCracken has received significant support from sponsors and is hoping for some positive results at the TT with Trummer on board. "Julian's a talented lad, he's a very nice lad, and we've put together a fantastic team of mechanics. "I feel the top 10 for us is a realistic goal, we have really good bikes, Kawasaki have helped us, so we're in a good spot." "I built the bikes myself from my house and it's a Northern Ireland team with a Northern Ireland sponsor so it's quite humbling the support I've had. I've had a lot of people coming on board wanting to help and support us, which is just fantastic." Dwayne will draw on the experience of many years working with some of the biggest names in the sport, including 23-time TT winner John McGuinness. "I've been really lucky to work with some of the best guys that there are. "John McGuinness's record at the TT goes before him but I was with him at the start whenever he got his first Superbike win, his first Senior win, on one of my bikes, so for me that was a real special moment and a real special time in my life." "I feel proud too to say I helped Paul Jordan on his journey and helped him get up there too."
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
'Hit me with both barrels' - TT team boss on cancer treatment
Dwayne McCracken is making the most of his new lease of life as a road racing team owner at the 2025 Isle of Man TT, just two years after being given six months to Northern Ireland man received the news that he had Stage 3 inoperable pancreatic cancer in June 2023, but after extensive treatment defied the doctors' diagnosis and is now running the Lionheart Moto Racing rider Julian Trummer has already ridden for the team at the Cookstown 100 and North West 200, before focusing on tackling the ultimate challenge of the TT Mountain Course. "I went through a tough time with chemo and radiotherapy but thankfully I have come out the other side," McCracken told BBC Sport NI."I'm 18 or 20 months down the line and I feel really, really good. "That's part of the motivation for this. I want people to see that you can come through a bit of a tough time and come out the other side."The Bangor man said his family provided him with all the incentive he needed to recover. "I was told my prognosis wasn't very good but in terms of treatment I just said 'hit me with both barrels, I don't care, I'll take the pain, because I have a young family, I can't be going anywhere'."The chemo regime that I was on was very strong and made me really sick but you have to have a focus and you have to have the end goal."There were times where I wasn't feeling the best and I wondered if it was worth it but I just had to look at my family and I'd have taken anything." 'It's a powerful song, very inspirational' Dwayne's long-time passion for and involvement in motorcycle racing inspired him to set up his team and the name 'Lionheart' evolved from listening to a particular song on the radio on his visits to hospital for treatment."Lionheart is a song by Joel Corry and Tom Grennan and every time I went for chemotherapy the song kept coming on the radio."My wife said to me, 'that's you' and when you listen to it it's quite a powerful song, it's very inspirational. It just has a special meaning to me."Conversations with Trummer last summer led to them exploring the options of putting together a race team and also supporting the NIPANC charity which supports those affected by pancreatic cancer."It gives me a focus and a purpose, it gives me something to do and it's a self medication because motorbikes are my passion."I also had the overwhelming urge to give back to the charity, to the people that helped me and my family."The charity aspect is very important to me because of the help I had with mindset and things through the whole journey." 'Lucky to have worked with some of the best guys' McCracken has received significant support from sponsors and is hoping for some positive results at the TT with Trummer on board."Julian's a talented lad, he's a very nice lad, and we've put together a fantastic team of mechanics. "I feel the top 10 for us is a realistic goal, we have really good bikes, Kawasaki have helped us, so we're in a good spot.""I built the bikes myself from my house and it's a Northern Ireland team with a Northern Ireland sponsor so it's quite humbling the support I've had. I've had a lot of people coming on board wanting to help and support us, which is just fantastic."Dwayne will draw on the experience of many years working with some of the biggest names in the sport, including 23-time TT winner John McGuinness."I've been really lucky to work with some of the best guys that there are."John McGuinness's record at the TT goes before him but I was with him at the start whenever he got his first Superbike win, his first Senior win, on one of my bikes, so for me that was a real special moment and a real special time in my life.""I feel proud too to say I helped Paul Jordan on his journey and helped him get up there too."
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Race Weekend: Ottawa 10K produces champions and a record time
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Gracelyn Larkin claimed Canadian road racing championships in the Ottawa 10K on Saturday evening. Philibert-Thiboutot, a 34-year-old from Quebec City, was clocked in 28 minutes six seconds, which would be a new Canadian record for a 10-kilometre road race. The previous record (28:09) was set last year in Ottawa by Kitchener's Ben Flanagan, who was unable to defend his title this time because of injury. Cam Levins of Black Creek, B.C., was also close to Flanagan's record with his second-place clocking of 28:14, just three seconds ahead of Toronto's Andrew Alexander. Larkin, from Rosseau, Ont., crossed the finish line first among women in the highlight event of Day 1 of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, her time of 32:43 leaving the 24-year-old athlete 18 seconds ahead of last year's winner, Malindi Elmore of Kelowna, B.C. Erin Mawhinney of Hamilton placed third among women in 33:09. Here are photos from Saturday's race.
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
North West 200 'a go-to event' for Isle of Man rider Cummins
Isle of Man road racer Conor Cummins says he is looking forward to his "brand new" start with the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing team at this year's North West 200 and Isle of Man TT. The Manxman has been competing at the North West since 2006 with best finishes of second in a Superbike race in 2010 and a Supersport event in 2014. He picked up fifth and sixth places at last year's meeting but his long-standing association with the Padgett's Racing outfit ended soon after as they parted ways during the Isle of Man TT. The 37-year-old will ride a BMW in the Superbike and Superstock classes and a Ducati Panigale V2 in the Supersport category. "I'm very optimistic, really excited about it," Cummins told BBC Sport NI. "John [Burrows] and the team have had a lot of experience on these bikes [the BMWs]. It's still new to me although I did have a run out in July [at Armoy] on another BMW. "I realised then definitely the next step on my career [was] to jump on a BMW and I'm grateful to John for giving me a shot at it." The Ducati represents a new challenge for Cummins. "The Ducati Supersport is something completely different for me. I've never ridden a Ducati before but obviously it's an iconic brand and the V2 is going to be some weapon on the track, no doubt. "The North West 200 is a go-to event for me. It was my first international road race back in 2006. I love coming back to it and coming back to Northern Ireland and racing at one of the most iconic events on the calendar." Cummins described his 2024 season as "far from ideal" but adds that he is "definitely raring to go" for the new campaign. "I go racing to win races, that's my goal, and the TT remains top of the priority list for me, that's why I do all this testing, all this racing, just to put me in a good position, I'm excited. Brand new team, new bike, new manufacturer. "I'm definitely going to come back and do Armoy. I did that last July and loved it."
