SOME OF THE ENTRIES FOR 2004PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR FIRST 20 AWAY IN EACH RACE Accepted entries over eight classes total 572 compared with 465 last year, although in 2003 the Senior numbers were not included as entries were placed by invitation after practice week speeds had been analysed. The figures actually reveal a net increase of 21. This year the Production 1000 has 89 accepted entries, compared with 79 last year, the 600cc Junior 86 (83), the Senior 85, the 600cc Production 84 (77), sidecars 79 (73) Formula One 75 (78), Lightweight 400 52 (47) and the 125cc ultra lightweight 22 (28). Lap record holders from four of the classes Dave Molyneux (sidecars), Chris Palmer (125cc), Ryan Farquhar (600cc Junior) and Ian Lougher (600cc Production) are competing. 14 countries are represented with the highest number of "foreign" entries coming from France. The Manx and Irish list is as usual impressive in quantity and these specialists in road racing generally represent the leaderboard.   our friends from Argentina, make the effort yet again. The TT welcomes Fabienne Migout, who has proved herself in 2003.  Eight times World Champion and eight times TT winner Phil Read M.B.E. kindly sent me the following information for my TTFAN files:- FABIENNE MIGOUT, 29 years, is the first French girl to compete in the Isle of Man TT races. Divorced by her English husband three years ago because she would not stop racing after the birth of children, Matthew, 7 and Lola, 5. Reason...racing is her 'breath of life'. She holds a Karate black belt and has been a top international equestrian cross-country rider. She started racing in 1995 on a Kawasaki 250 KR1S in the National 250 Production Series, called Promosport. Winner of 1996 Ladies Championship and her best result against 147 guys was 26th in the final race at the Castelet track. In 2001 she came back to racing with a Ducati 900 SS in the French Ducati Cup for which her best result was 21st against 68 male riders. In 2002 Ducati Cup again, she finished 11th and last year she raced in the Ducati 600 Series and was 6th and 7th in the final races, finishing 11th in the National series. At the same time Fabienne, known as the 'Flying Piglet', was racing in the French Endurance Championship on a Yamaha R6, finishing 25th overall against 100 men riders and was 3rd in her class. Her machine for the TT 600 Production and Junior races is a Kawasaki ZX600RR on which she has recently been circuit testing in France with 8 x TT winner, Phil Read MBE, who will be helping her throughout the TT period and to whom she has promised to accept his marriage proposal if made on Ballaugh Bridge. Her bikes suspension has been set-up by Maxton Engineering and her Power Commander re-mapped by ace German tuner, Bernd Dietrich, DZT Tuning centre giving her 12bhp more. During February 2004 Fabienne rode her 600 Kawasaki to the Isle of Man from France to begin learning the circuit with the help of French TT rider, Stephan Coutelle and to pay homage to the past TT heros. She is very excited about racing in her first TT, but has great respect for the course and will attempt to learn to 'ride fast slowly'.  The outright TT lap record stands to the late David Jefferies (1000 Suzuki) at 127.29mph from the 2002 Senior, but TAS team mate Adrian Archibald came very close on the second lap of last year’s Senior. The Ulsterman did 126.82mph which was precisely four seconds slower. The sidecar record is held by to Dave Molyneux (Honda) at 112.76mph set in 1999. This year the latter again looks for the first three-wheeler sub-20 minute TT lap. His passenger will be young Daniel Sayle from Sulby, Isle of Man.  SHAUNS FIRST YEAR New Zealanders Harris and Anstey have good TT rides lined up again. Harris will ride for Des Collins’ Wilson and Collins team while Anstey joins Archibald in Hector Neill’s TAS set-up. Collins’ 750cc Kawasaki carried Mark Parrett to a 120mph TT lap last year then took victory in the Senior Manx Grand Prix ridden by Paul Duckett. Others who are in line for first-time TT wins this year include fastest Isle of Man resident Jason Griffiths and 2003 Irish Motorcyclist of the Year Ryan Farquhar. Jason now works full-time for Yamaha UK while Junior TT lap record holder Ryan stays with Winston McAdoo’s line-up. Fifty years ago, one of the most controversial Senior TTs took place. Ray Amm (Norton) and Geoff Duke (Gilera) were battling in the rain when the organisers decided to stop the race after four of its scheduled seven laps. It was alleged (but never proven) that the Norton team had been tipped off that the race was to be curtailed and signalled Amm not to make a refuelling stop. Duke pitted at the end of lap three and for the second year in succession sacrificed his chances of defeating the Southern Rhodesian. In the 1953 Senior he had crashed at the Quarter Bridge while battling with Ray Amm. Also in 1954 saw the introduction of the Clypse Course, which catered for the 125cc Ultra Lightweight and re-introduced Sidecar races. Austrian Rupert Hollaus (NSU) won the solo event, while Britain’s Eric Oliver and Les Nutt (Norton) beat the mighty BMWs to win the sidecar.  Other 'firsts' at the 1954 TT were wins for New Zealander Rod Coleman who took a three-valve AJS to victory in the five-lap Junior 350 after favourite Ray Amm retired early, German Werner Haas’s win in the mass-start three lap Lightweight 250 on the Renn-Max NSU twin, and the first appearance by a female competitor,  Switzerland’s Inge-Stoll Laforge, Stefano Bonetti comes to this years TT with a good pedigree. The 27-year-old mechanic from Castro was Italian 125cc champion in 2001, Italian 250cc champion in 2002 and runner-up in the Italian 600cc championship last year. He has entered 600cc GSXR Suzukis in the Junior and 600cc Production events. 'More and more fun' is how 2002 World Endurance Champion Bruno Bonhuil views his return to the Isle of Man. The 44-year-old professional rider from Rheims has a 600cc Honda for the Junior TT, and probably will easily qualify for the Senior, having previously lapped in 19 minutes 47 seconds. Preserving her chance of again riding in the Manx Grand Prix, Northamptonshire Golden Girl Maria Costello has entered the TT Production races on 600cc GSXR Suzukis. Maria’s best lap is 113.52mph during last year’s MGP aboard a 600cc Honda. The 26-year-old is doing the TT and the Manx alongside a full British short circuit campaign.  Adrian Archibald is the man they will all be chasing this year. The 26-year-old Ballymoney joiner was freely acknowledged as having been the very soul of composure by keeping focussed on the task of winning, after team-mate David Jefferies lost his life two days before the Formula One event. He went on to win the race and doubled it up with victory in the Senior, along with fourth place in the 600 Production. Quickly up from the Manx Grand Prix ranks comes Alex Donaldson from Limavady, Northern Ireland. The 34-year-old mechanic was third in last year’s 750 Newcomers MGP behind Ian Hutchinson and Jonathon Ralph, then finished sixth and best newcomerin the main 750 Senior event headed only by Paul Duckett, Ian Pattinson, Liam Quinn, Dean Silvester and Craig Atkinson. Alex’s best lap is 115.81mph and he has entered 400 and 1000 Kawasakis and a 1000 GSXR Suzuki. Jonathon Ralph will ride a 750 Suzuki for the Chris Dowd Team as well as the rebuilt Crescent Suzuki crashed last year by Milky Quayle. Slovenia’s Mirko Kalsek makes a welcome return and has entered Suzukis and may come with a Kawasaki too. The 47-yearold mechanic impressed many fans with his stylish riding and has lapped at over 117mph. Evergreen Steve Linsdell say he would love to win the 400cc Lightweight class before he retires. The 48-year-old motorcycle shop owner has campaigned long and hard with a variety of bikes over the years, including the Flitwick Yamaha with centrehub steering. He has a second and five third places in the TT to endorse his claim for a further tilt at the 400. Alan Langton from Willaston in the Isle of Man knows what TT sidecar racing is like from drivers’ and passengers’ perspective. He passengered Irishman Lowry Burton to second place in 1985 and was sixth with lap record holder Dave Molyneux in 1988. Switching to the driver’s controls has not yet yielded quite as much success, but Ray Sansbury’s DSC Honda will be pressed to greater glory this year, the object being a top 25 finish. A new flag signal will be used this year. To distinguish types of lack of road adhesion, a white flag with diagonal red cross will signify wet roads. Other lack of adhesion factors, such as oil, will be notified by the usual red-and-yellow vertical striped flag. ON TO ENTRY PAGE BACK TO FIRST PAGE |