253 drivers have died on the track since the Isle of Man TT debuted in 1907. The crest was only a few hundred meters from the finish line as...
253 drivers have died on the track since the Isle of Man TT debuted in 1907. The crest was only a few hundred meters from the finish line as an omen haunted the racers.
In 2011, the world was in awe of the catastrophic accident of MotoGP racer Marco Simoncelli. Everyone feels that MotoGP is too dangerous, just a little mistake to make the racer pay the price of his life. But, somewhere on an island, there is a race that is more dangerous than MotoGP. It's the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.
Isle of Man is an island in Ireland, located between England and Ireland. On the island there are many narrow roads and many bends should attract the followers of racing to try. The first edition of the Tourist Trophy was held in 1907, with a length of 24 km.
In 1911, the track was extended up to nearly 61 km around the Snaefell Mountain area and this is also a race track used today. Every year, public roads on the island will be blocked for two weeks to make the Isle of Man TT race.
By 2017, the total number of death races in the Isle of Man has risen to 149 since the start of the tournament. Including amateur racers, the total death to more than 253 people.
Despite many improvements to improve safety, since 2000, 26 racers have died. With the danger of the race, Isle of Man TT was named the "death race".
Isle of Man TT is a unique race in the world. This is the most prestigious, most criticized, and also the most attractive, because it is really scary. Thanks to this dangerous race, the whole world knows about the presence of a tiny island - where people dare to stand up to the challenge of death.
Each year there are two weeks, the small island between the Irish Sea and a population of only 88,000 people became the most attractive race car race on the planet. The organizers turn 37.73 miles (61 kilometers) of streets into spectacular racetracks with more than 40,000 spectators from around the world. Audiences can also bring their own motorbike to attend events dedicated to them.
In 4 days of racing, the speed of the racers often exceeds 320 km / h. Every year there are accidents and almost no one does not die.
In the most dangerous race in the world, drivers face the most terrible challenges: extreme speed and narrow track with 264 sharp bends. Both sides of the track are fenced by stone walls and poles.
Riders in world championships such as MotoGP or WSBK have never challenged themselves in the Isle of Man because only one small mistake also lost their lives or career.
"If Roger Federer makes a mistake, Roger loses a point, but if I make a mistake, I lose my life," said Richard Quayle, one of the Isle of Man's winners.
In the Isle of Man TT, every place is an experience, from the main stage to the finish line.
Paul Phillips - often referred to as "TT's boss". Paul resigned from the financial industry in 2006, accepting a reduced income to assume the position of development director of Isle of Man TT. His goal is to restore the glory of the race - a pretty difficult task at that time.
Paul and his team recruit new talents, renegotiate contracts with media partners and set new safety standards on the track.
He offers a very successful promotional strategy: instead of selling the images of a race, he gives viewers an image of high-tech driving, along with pictures of the Risks and fierce Isle of Man racing TT.
"In the past, people thought there was nothing to see about Isle of Man TT, drivers were just a bunch of bloody and stupid riders. Now, the Isle of Man TT is the most dangerous race in the world and these guys are warriors. "
Ballagarey's appearances are pretty soon, as soon as the racers start, so they do not have the best concentration. The racers often rush to the curve with very high speed and out of the crab is a straight line up to 3.4 km long. Saving a second in Ballagarey would be advantageous for the driver at the straight line later.
At this turn, the car can reach speeds of about 290 km / h and things get worse. In 2010, Guy Martin lost control of the CBR1000RR in this corner and crashed into the rock wall along the road, causing the car to explode.
The challenge is that Ballagarey is a corner, and the racer can not see the other side. If a racer hits the crab at a slow speed or uses brakes, he loses precious seconds.
Milky Quayle, who recruited from the track, became the third winner of the Isle of Man TT in 2002. He retired a year later by being involved in a catastrophic accident.
Growing up in England, Ben Birchall dreamed of becoming a motorcyclist since childhood. But Ben has no money and no relationship to help him become a real racer. The only way he became a side-car side racer.
The main driver always needs an extra driver. Secondary drivers need protective gear, recklessness and a crazy head. The sub-racer is in the trunk and has only one handle to cling to. Their task is to counterbalance the car when cornering, pushing the body in the opposite direction to help the car stick to the road.
It is important that these people have a good feeling to coordinate with the main rider. Ben Birchall spent 10 years as an extra racer to save enough money to become the main rider. He then hired his younger brother as a side racer.
They became the strongest pair then, the 2009 world side car champion and won 5 more awards later. Recently, the two have set a record in the Isle of Man TT when completing a round of racing with an average speed of 188 km / h.
The incident occurred when the rescue helicopter took off to rescue a racer who had crashed, the helicopter's engine causing a horse to panic. The horse jumps over the fence and runs out in the middle of the race, just in time for Gene. Gene stabbed at the horse at full speed and both died on the spot. Gene's car flew into nearby cars and exploded.
In 2014, Bob Price dies after his car hits the ground and loses control. Bob's car flies so high and far, rushes into Raven's nightclub by the road. Presently, a wooden board of remembrance was placed on the rock wall of this nightclub with the words "Yen! Bob!"
At dizzy speed, nearly all vehicles passing Ballaugh Bridge are in the air. But if the flight is too high and too far, then the landing will be extremely dangerous.
Hilary, now 70, sighed and said, "There are a lot of accidents in this race, but it rarely happens to the spectators and controllers. But it happened to me.
Musson, more than anyone else, knows the risks in the Isle of Man. After years of participating in local mini races, she became the second female racer to join the Isle of Man TT in 1978.
It is also the time to end the 16 year ban on women in this dangerous race. That year, Musson finished 15th in the rankings, ranking only one stack.
During the 10 years of his career, Hilary Musson suffered only two injuries and a wrist injury. In 2006, she and her husband moved to the Isle of Man. A year later, the terrible accident robbed her left leg. The bitterness was when she was retired Isle of Man TT.
On the day of the accident, (7/6/2007) a rider rushed along the mountain, crashed into a street lamp and died on the spot. The 200kg bike hit the road like a rocket and flew straight into the nearby audience. Two deaths and two controllers were seriously injured, including Ms Musson. She woke up in the hospital with multiple injuries and one leg was cut.
As of now, she still holds the control shirt worn that day because it also imprints the wheel. "Sometimes, I still can not accept this fact because it's not my fault, I feel so unfair."
Sitting in his room, Mrs. Musson still hear the roar of the motorcycles that are launching on the Sulby line - the longest line of the race. In her room she still holds the Aprilia RS250 20 years ago.
Roy Moore, commentator for the race, commented: "At the corner of the Isle of Man TT, you only need to skip 30 cm off the position will the car lose control. For Joey Dunlop, if you put a coin at the turn, you would roll over the coin at a later time, because Joey's memory was so transcendent. He has the ability to run in the right place, right number, right turn around and right position as a hundred times.
> Isle of Man TT race's history
That day, Conor was plunging into the famous Verandah section with four bends along the slopes at a speed of 240 km / h. When he was in the right turn, he started losing control. Conor rode freely on the road, causing both the man and the car to fly down the hall. Conor was thrown up, flipped several times and knocked down. Fragments of the car splashed hundreds of meters from the crash site.
Conor Cummins's video of the accident has garnered millions of views online since 2010. Unintentionally, Conor's horrific accident produced a popular video. "If I had one dollar for every view, I would have been very rich," Conor said. Does cruelty apply to this case? Because of my terrible accident, but very interesting to others. And of course, I must admit that this is a very spectacular accident! "
Conor was hospitalized for two months thereafter, in a person filled with screws and metal fragments because of broken bones. The accident left terrible scars on his body as well as in his mind.
However, a year later, Conor Cummins was seen riding in a new car as if flying through the memory of the Verandah.
In the years 1960-1970, tourists were flooded with hotels, restaurants and shops on the island. By the fall of 2016, 42,000 people from more than 40 countries came to see Isle of Man TT. They bring more than $ 40 million to the island.
Christie estimates that over 30% of Creg-Ny-Baa's earnings come from racing weeks. At Creg-Ny-Baa, customers have the best views to see the rivals. Here, visitors will see the racers drove down the mountain from Kate's Cottage with a speed of more than 240 km / h, the crab right at a speed of about 130 km / h and then gas station at the later straight line.
As an omen, the Douglas Borough crematorium is located just a few hundred meters from the line. After Pauline's funeral, Christine goes to Quaterbridge Road, where she and Paul often watch racing with their dad. Christine and mother hardly spread the ashes to the ground. They smiled for doing exactly what Paul wanted.
Paul, like his father, is a side racer of the side-car racing segment. Paul died in 2004 after losing his arm. At that time, he was just 22 years old and ready to marry. His daughter, Shauna, was born four months after Paul's funeral.
For two consecutive years after Paul died, Christine always left the island when the race started because she could not stand the obsession with Paul's death. But in the third year, she did not want to leave the island anymore because she realized the Isle of Man TT was flowing in her blood.
Cowley said: "I still love the Isle of Man TT and love all that belongs to it!"
In 2011, the world was in awe of the catastrophic accident of MotoGP racer Marco Simoncelli. Everyone feels that MotoGP is too dangerous, just a little mistake to make the racer pay the price of his life. But, somewhere on an island, there is a race that is more dangerous than MotoGP. It's the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.
Isle of Man is an island in Ireland, located between England and Ireland. On the island there are many narrow roads and many bends should attract the followers of racing to try. The first edition of the Tourist Trophy was held in 1907, with a length of 24 km.
In 1911, the track was extended up to nearly 61 km around the Snaefell Mountain area and this is also a race track used today. Every year, public roads on the island will be blocked for two weeks to make the Isle of Man TT race.
The tragic death
British driver Davey Lambert (48) died after an accident at the Isle of Man TT. The race continues to take two lives on the fourth day of the following week. In 2016, four racers were killed.
By 2017, the total number of death races in the Isle of Man has risen to 149 since the start of the tournament. Including amateur racers, the total death to more than 253 people.
Despite many improvements to improve safety, since 2000, 26 racers have died. With the danger of the race, Isle of Man TT was named the "death race".
Isle of Man TT is a unique race in the world. This is the most prestigious, most criticized, and also the most attractive, because it is really scary. Thanks to this dangerous race, the whole world knows about the presence of a tiny island - where people dare to stand up to the challenge of death.
Each year there are two weeks, the small island between the Irish Sea and a population of only 88,000 people became the most attractive race car race on the planet. The organizers turn 37.73 miles (61 kilometers) of streets into spectacular racetracks with more than 40,000 spectators from around the world. Audiences can also bring their own motorbike to attend events dedicated to them.
In 4 days of racing, the speed of the racers often exceeds 320 km / h. Every year there are accidents and almost no one does not die.
In the most dangerous race in the world, drivers face the most terrible challenges: extreme speed and narrow track with 264 sharp bends. Both sides of the track are fenced by stone walls and poles.
Riders in world championships such as MotoGP or WSBK have never challenged themselves in the Isle of Man because only one small mistake also lost their lives or career.
"If Roger Federer makes a mistake, Roger loses a point, but if I make a mistake, I lose my life," said Richard Quayle, one of the Isle of Man's winners.
In the Isle of Man TT, every place is an experience, from the main stage to the finish line.
Resurrection "Death Race"
For more than 100 years of history, Isle of Man TT is not always supported. In 1976, after a series of fatal accidents, this race was severely criticized to reduce the attractiveness. Almost 30 years later, Isle of Man TT became a fateful race and resurrected until now.Paul Phillips - often referred to as "TT's boss". Paul resigned from the financial industry in 2006, accepting a reduced income to assume the position of development director of Isle of Man TT. His goal is to restore the glory of the race - a pretty difficult task at that time.
Paul and his team recruit new talents, renegotiate contracts with media partners and set new safety standards on the track.
He offers a very successful promotional strategy: instead of selling the images of a race, he gives viewers an image of high-tech driving, along with pictures of the Risks and fierce Isle of Man racing TT.
"In the past, people thought there was nothing to see about Isle of Man TT, drivers were just a bunch of bloody and stupid riders. Now, the Isle of Man TT is the most dangerous race in the world and these guys are warriors. "
Scary "Ballagarey"
"The Mountain Course area is full of dangerous bends, but Ballagarey is the most frightening and important part of the course," said Milky Quayle, a senior at Isle of Man.Ballagarey's appearances are pretty soon, as soon as the racers start, so they do not have the best concentration. The racers often rush to the curve with very high speed and out of the crab is a straight line up to 3.4 km long. Saving a second in Ballagarey would be advantageous for the driver at the straight line later.
At this turn, the car can reach speeds of about 290 km / h and things get worse. In 2010, Guy Martin lost control of the CBR1000RR in this corner and crashed into the rock wall along the road, causing the car to explode.
The challenge is that Ballagarey is a corner, and the racer can not see the other side. If a racer hits the crab at a slow speed or uses brakes, he loses precious seconds.
Milky Quayle, who recruited from the track, became the third winner of the Isle of Man TT in 2002. He retired a year later by being involved in a catastrophic accident.
Give life to teammates
Although the content of racing is more diverse, side-car is still a very special content. Side-car racing is classified as the most insane type by the sub-racer giving his life to the main rider.Growing up in England, Ben Birchall dreamed of becoming a motorcyclist since childhood. But Ben has no money and no relationship to help him become a real racer. The only way he became a side-car side racer.
The main driver always needs an extra driver. Secondary drivers need protective gear, recklessness and a crazy head. The sub-racer is in the trunk and has only one handle to cling to. Their task is to counterbalance the car when cornering, pushing the body in the opposite direction to help the car stick to the road.
It is important that these people have a good feeling to coordinate with the main rider. Ben Birchall spent 10 years as an extra racer to save enough money to become the main rider. He then hired his younger brother as a side racer.
They became the strongest pair then, the 2009 world side car champion and won 5 more awards later. Recently, the two have set a record in the Isle of Man TT when completing a round of racing with an average speed of 188 km / h.
The motobike ready to fly !
In 1986, Gene Mcdonnell was killed at Ballaugh Bridge, and it was also "the worst accident ever in Isle of Man history."The incident occurred when the rescue helicopter took off to rescue a racer who had crashed, the helicopter's engine causing a horse to panic. The horse jumps over the fence and runs out in the middle of the race, just in time for Gene. Gene stabbed at the horse at full speed and both died on the spot. Gene's car flew into nearby cars and exploded.
In 2014, Bob Price dies after his car hits the ground and loses control. Bob's car flies so high and far, rushes into Raven's nightclub by the road. Presently, a wooden board of remembrance was placed on the rock wall of this nightclub with the words "Yen! Bob!"
At dizzy speed, nearly all vehicles passing Ballaugh Bridge are in the air. But if the flight is too high and too far, then the landing will be extremely dangerous.
Die of other people's mistakes
Hilary Musson still remembers the feeling of wearing a protective suit and driving her car up the mountain at the 26th mile, where she had been a supervisor for more than a decade. She still remembers the feeling of being hospitalized and feeling as her husband told her she had just woken up after 6 weeks of coma. And she still remembered the feeling of looking down at her feet and seeing that she was not there anymore.Hilary, now 70, sighed and said, "There are a lot of accidents in this race, but it rarely happens to the spectators and controllers. But it happened to me.
Musson, more than anyone else, knows the risks in the Isle of Man. After years of participating in local mini races, she became the second female racer to join the Isle of Man TT in 1978.
It is also the time to end the 16 year ban on women in this dangerous race. That year, Musson finished 15th in the rankings, ranking only one stack.
During the 10 years of his career, Hilary Musson suffered only two injuries and a wrist injury. In 2006, she and her husband moved to the Isle of Man. A year later, the terrible accident robbed her left leg. The bitterness was when she was retired Isle of Man TT.
On the day of the accident, (7/6/2007) a rider rushed along the mountain, crashed into a street lamp and died on the spot. The 200kg bike hit the road like a rocket and flew straight into the nearby audience. Two deaths and two controllers were seriously injured, including Ms Musson. She woke up in the hospital with multiple injuries and one leg was cut.
As of now, she still holds the control shirt worn that day because it also imprints the wheel. "Sometimes, I still can not accept this fact because it's not my fault, I feel so unfair."
Sitting in his room, Mrs. Musson still hear the roar of the motorcycles that are launching on the Sulby line - the longest line of the race. In her room she still holds the Aprilia RS250 20 years ago.
The Legends of the Isle of Man TT
"King" Isle of Man TT is the nickname of Joey Dunlop, who holds a record 26 wins. His superiors are still remembered even though Joey Dunlop died two decades ago.
Roy Moore, commentator for the race, commented: "At the corner of the Isle of Man TT, you only need to skip 30 cm off the position will the car lose control. For Joey Dunlop, if you put a coin at the turn, you would roll over the coin at a later time, because Joey's memory was so transcendent. He has the ability to run in the right place, right number, right turn around and right position as a hundred times.
> Isle of Man TT race's history
The famous crash on youtube
For months, Conor Cummins dared to review his accident video and never wanted to watch it again.That day, Conor was plunging into the famous Verandah section with four bends along the slopes at a speed of 240 km / h. When he was in the right turn, he started losing control. Conor rode freely on the road, causing both the man and the car to fly down the hall. Conor was thrown up, flipped several times and knocked down. Fragments of the car splashed hundreds of meters from the crash site.
Conor was hospitalized for two months thereafter, in a person filled with screws and metal fragments because of broken bones. The accident left terrible scars on his body as well as in his mind.
However, a year later, Conor Cummins was seen riding in a new car as if flying through the memory of the Verandah.
Every year, people on the island earn more than $ 40 million
Steve Christie, manager of Bar Creg-Ny-Baa, said: "Small businesses on this island rely on the Isle of Man TT to live on. The race has brought them economy. "
In the years 1960-1970, tourists were flooded with hotels, restaurants and shops on the island. By the fall of 2016, 42,000 people from more than 40 countries came to see Isle of Man TT. They bring more than $ 40 million to the island.
Christie estimates that over 30% of Creg-Ny-Baa's earnings come from racing weeks. At Creg-Ny-Baa, customers have the best views to see the rivals. Here, visitors will see the racers drove down the mountain from Kate's Cottage with a speed of more than 240 km / h, the crab right at a speed of about 130 km / h and then gas station at the later straight line.
End of race: Cremation
When Christine Cowley got his ashes - the rider Paul Cowley, she felt heavier than ever. Paul had told his family where he wanted to be scattered ashes on the track, they did not expect to have one day to do it.
As an omen, the Douglas Borough crematorium is located just a few hundred meters from the line. After Pauline's funeral, Christine goes to Quaterbridge Road, where she and Paul often watch racing with their dad. Christine and mother hardly spread the ashes to the ground. They smiled for doing exactly what Paul wanted.
Paul, like his father, is a side racer of the side-car racing segment. Paul died in 2004 after losing his arm. At that time, he was just 22 years old and ready to marry. His daughter, Shauna, was born four months after Paul's funeral.
For two consecutive years after Paul died, Christine always left the island when the race started because she could not stand the obsession with Paul's death. But in the third year, she did not want to leave the island anymore because she realized the Isle of Man TT was flowing in her blood.
Cowley said: "I still love the Isle of Man TT and love all that belongs to it!"
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