Latest news with #IsleOfManTT
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
'Brain fog' after NW200 crash was worrying
Motorcycle road racer Jamie Coward says he believes he "got away lightly" after crashing at last month's North West 200 but explained that persistent "brain fog" was a concern in the weeks following the 34-year-old came off his Kawasaki machine at Quarry Hill during the opening Supertwins race over the Triangle circuit and was taken to hospital in Coleraine for treatment on his returned home to England a few days later but missed the subsequent Isle of Man TT."At first in hospital they thought I had a bleed on the brain but they had to send it off to a specialist to find out if it was or not," Coward told BBC Sport NI."It turned out it was just badly bruised. I was severely concussed and for about four or five weeks I've not really felt like myself and it wasn't really until a week ago that a lightbulb came on and I'm back to myself again."At one point it got quite worrying with it being such a long time with that brain fog."Coward revealed that he also sustained "a hole in the leg" in the accident on the Saturday of race week."I'm not sure what punctured my leg, but either a footpeg or a handlebar or a lever went about four or five inches into my leg and left quite a big deep wound."I had to leave that open, let it heal from the inside out, but the worst thing was the bang on the head."I'm back to normal, back working and looking forward to getting back on a bike." 'I blacked out when I hit the floor' The Yorkshireman had been competing at the North West for the first time since 2022 and his stable of machinery also included a factory-backed Triumph for the Supersport class and BMW bikes for the 1000cc has achieved podium finishes at both the North West and the TT in the past and had posted sixth places in the opening Superbike and Supersport races on the Thursday evening of this year's event, before crashing two days later."I felt really good and on that first race day at the North West. I had some really strong results after being away for two years."I can remember exactly what happened [in the crash]. I tried to go past somebody into the last corner. He went defensive, as you do on the last lap of the race, and as I grabbed the brake I lost the front end. When I hit the floor I blacked out and I can't remember anything else until I woke up in the hospital."In previous incidents and crashes there, people ended their careers."Coward's racing itinerary in the coming weeks will include a return to the Armoy road races on 25-26 was named man-of-the-meeting at the event in 2024."I'm hoping that the confidence is still there when I get back on the bike and I'll be trying my best to get back to where I was," added the KTS Steadplan Racing rider."I absolutely love the Armoy road races. It's very reminiscent of the Southern 100 races where I started my road racing career."The committee, the people who run it, are really friendly and I love the circuit and the spectators come out in force."Last year Coward won both Supertwins races, setting a new lap record for the class at 100.536mph in the process, and also achieved two third positions and a fourth in other races at the meeting in County Antrim."You cross the finish line and people are waving their programmes at you. There's no other feeling like it."If I can find that confidence I had before the crash then we should be there or thereabouts and fighting for podiums and wins again."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Isle of Man TT schedule unlikely to change despite disruption
A review of the 2025 Isle of Man TT is underway but changes to the schedule are unlikely in 2026 despite weather disruption leading to the Senior race being cancelled, the enterprise minister has qualifying and racing at the meeting were severely disrupted by rain and fog, with most races run on a reduced number of laps. Gusty conditions on the final day of the event also saw the blue riband showpiece of the event, the Senior TT, Johnston said while TT 2025 had been "challenging", the fortnight had seen "some amazing racing" despite "the best efforts of weather to cause chaos". Tens of thousands of visitors travelled to the island for the event between 26 May until 7 June, which saw racing take place on 37.7-miles (61km) of closed public Glover MHK asked whether the schedule, introduced in 2023, would be tweaked to give "more certainty" to the running of the Senior race, which was the last in the schedule, next explained that debriefs "at all levels" with "all key stakeholders" were taking place, with the results expected in the coming weeks. But he said any changes would require discussions to "assess whether that was necessary". 'Opportunity missed' Meanwhile, the chief minister said ways of creating a "more prominent visual welcome" to Isle of Man from senior politicians for TT visitors would be considered ahead of next year's Cannan was challenged over there being no visible message from Manx politicians among the safety reminders, event updates and public health guidance issued during the said the lack of a "safe travels" campaign was a "PR opportunity missed" by central conceded it was a "valid point" and but said any future government messaging needed to remain "meaningful" to TT said the current schedule had been implemented following consultation with race organisers, competitors, teams, and medics. Cannan told members there had been a "coordinated" effort across government to "deliver clear practical information" during the said figures such as former TT winner Milky Quayle had been chosen for their "strong connection to the audience", which recognised the important role the right people could can play in promoting the island said there was "absolutely a role to play" for politicians in promoting the island and welcoming that would "need to be put in context with what is meaningful to our visitors", he added. 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.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Isle of Man TT crash 'wasn't my fault'
Peter Hickman has revealed that his high-speed crash at the Isle of Man TT, in which he suffered multiple fractures, was caused by a component 14-time TT winner crashed at the Kerrowmoar section of the Mountain Course while taking part in a qualifying session for the event, held on closed public roads, on the evening of Friday, 30 38-year-old was flown to Noble's Hospital on the island by Airmed helicopter after the incident, where he was treated for his injuries, before being who holds the absolute lap record for the 37.73-mile circuit, sustained chest, back, shoulder and facial injuries in the crash."I've broken my left collarbone, my left scapula and my shoulder blade down the back is in three pieces. I broke three ribs and four vertebrae in my back so not ideal," explained Hickman in a video posted on his Facebook page."Unfortunately, it was a component failure [which caused the crash] so it wasn't actually my fault."It was some bracketry that holds the exhaust in place. It didn't come loose, it broke in theory, and pushed the exhaust into the rear wheel and popped the rear tyre. That was why I crashed."Hickman was riding his Superstock BMW machine for the 8TEN Racing team he recently formed with fellow racer Davey Todd when he crashed."I'm pretty battered and bruised all over the place but I just want to say a massive thanks to the medics and the marshals that looked after me at the time. They did a fantastic job."I don't remember much about it because I was knocked out."I don't remember the lap leading up to it and the first time I properly woke up, I woke up in hospital, so that was a bit of a new experience for me in my 25-year career. I've never been knocked out before."Hickman has been a regular competitor at the TT since making his debut at the races in 2014."I've been going to the Isle of Man TT for 10 years and this is the first major problem that I've had," he said.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Racing bike rider cheats death by staying in saddle after slamming into giant seagull at 150mph
A DAREDEVIL TT rider cheated death after slamming into a jumbo-sized seagull at 150mph - and somehow stayed in the saddle. Mark Parrett, 55, was tearing through the famous Isle of Man course when the feathered missile hit him head on. 2 The 3kg bird busted his lower arm, snapping one bone in two, and dislocating his wrist. Mark, a TT veteran with 98 starts under his belt, miraculously managed to stay in control of his powerful BMW superbike. The speedster, from Midhurst, West Sussex, was airlifted to hospital after the smash earlier this month. He told The Sun: 'It's a bit of a miracle I stayed upright. 'It was a huge seagull - they're all massive on the Isle of Man - and it just shot up out of nowhere. 'I was doing 140 or 150mph so there was no way of avoiding it. I had to just grin and bear it. 'It felt like being hit by a cannonball. If it had hit me in the chest or the helmet, I'd be history. 'I was lucky that I didn't come off the bike.' Pictures posted on social media show his racing leathers drenched in bird guts. Mark, a self-employed electrician by day who now faces surgery to plate and pin the break, later joked: 'Parrett one. Seagull nil. Football rolls inches from Isle of Man TT legend riding at 130mph in frightening near miss 'It does go to show Parrett's are birds of prey after all.' He added: 'I've had enough laps around that place to know the worst thing you can do is panic. 'It's the nature of the circuit - you can hit all sorts of things.' Mark is aiming to return to the Isle of Man next year for his 100th start. He added: 'I'm getting too old to be doing this, but it's like an addiction. I will be back there next year, whatever happens.' A post on the Facebook page of Mark Parrott Racing read: 'A local seagull lay in wait for 'The Parrett' on the approach to the 33rd milestone and hit Mark on the left arm. 'He soon realised that it was rather serious when he tried to pull in the clutch and his left hand wasn't working.'
BBC News
7 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Dunlop and Booth receive MBEs in King's Birthday Honours
Michael Dunlop and Neil Booth have spoken of their immense pride after being awarded MBEs in the King's Birthday 36, is regarded as a road racing great as the record holder for the most number of wins and podiums at the Isle of Man TT, making it 33 victories just last Ballymoney man comes from a family synonymous with motorcycling and tragedy, with his father Robert, brother William and uncle Joey all tragically passing away while pursuing the sport they has remained committed to racing as, in addition to his exploits on the Isle of Man, he has enjoyed success at the North West 200, claiming his first victory just days after his father's death in 2008 when topping the podium in the 250cc most recent outing at the North West saw him secure a hat-trick of wins to bring his tally to eight overall and further cement his legacy in the now follows in the footsteps of his uncle Joey, who was also made an MBE in 1986 before being presented with an OBE 10 years later."This is a wonderful honour for me and for my family," he said."I am proud to represent Northern Ireland sport, and motorcycling in this country."Our team has had another brilliant year, with a hat trick at the NW200, and smashing into the record books again at the Isle of Man TT."To be the not just the most successful rider in the history of the TT, but also to have the record number of podiums and to have won on the biggest number of manufacturers is extremely special."I am humbled to be awarded this honour from the Palace." 'This award is for the entire sport' - Booth County Antrim bowler Booth has spoken of his "delight", having been awarded an highly-decorated 57-year-old enjoyed a remarkable career on the green and has since brought that expertise into his role as coach of the Irish men's team which opens its 2025 Mainstream International Programme with a test match away to Bowls Jersey over the will go there with an added spring in his step after news of his recognition was made public on Friday and he admits he was a little shocked when first contacted."I saw the letter outside the door with 'Cabinet Office' on the front and started to think I was going to be extradited, but I was delighted when I opened it up," he said."I can't imagine what the whole occasion will be like, but I'm really looking forward to it. We'll make a weekend out of it but I imagine I'll be pretty nervous."Booth recently collected the High Performance Coaching Award at the Sport NI Sportmaker ceremony at Titanic Belfast and this will sit alongside a host of medals and honours collected down through the Portglenone man is a three-time medallist at the World Championships which includes gold in the fours back in 2004 when the Championships were held in is also in possession of four Commonwealth Games medals, including gold from the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur and bronze in Manchester 2002 - both in the fours - while taking silver medals in the triples in the Melbourne Games of 2006 and again in Glasgow a coach, he helped guide Northern Ireland's men to the men's fours title at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, with Gary Kelly taking silver in the men's 2020, he completed a charity challenge when playing bowls in 52 clubs throughout Ireland to raise awareness of mental health issues, which underlined his commitment to help awarding of an MBE is the crowning glory and Booth reflected on a superb career, but insists he will accept the award on behalf of the entire sport."I've probably played at that high level from he late 80s, early 90s, all the way through to 2014," he added."Since then, the coaching role has gone really well and the men's team is second in the world at the minute, which is exceptional. I'm just delighted as this says a lot about the sport in general. It's come on leaps and bounds over here, so this is an award for the entire sport, as much as it is for myself."
