| Jared Gillard 1995 Junior TT Fastest Newcomer Gets in Touch |
| A week or so back, Jared got in touch with us from his home in Auckland New
Zealand, to ask if we could assist him with an issue which had been bugging
him for some time. He requested of us to try and find out as to whether his
name was on the trophy or not, as he had been informed that it actually
wasn't. He also explained that he had been informed at the finish of the 95
Junior, that for his achievement he was to be awarded an engraved medal.
Mr. Jack Woods, who had apparently been involved in the scheme for the Scholarship winner to be brought across from New Zealand for the TT that year, reputedly informed Jared after the race, that the trophy he would initially receive for being fastest newcomer, would be a temporary one and that his proper award would be sent on to him via the ACU in New Zealand. Sadly this has never happened. Jared completed the 95 Junior, finishing at 27th on the stock Des Collins Kawasaki ZX6R clocking an amazing 108.56 mph average at 1 hr 23 minutes and 24.3 seconds. After the race, the strapping 6' 6" Kiwi found he had just missed a replica by some 22 seconds. A hell of an achievement for his first time at the TT, especially so, considering that Ian Duffus had won with both the lap and race records. Disheartened at having just missed a coveted replica, Jared was soon overjoyed, when he discovered that he was in fact the fastest Newcomer and that he would be entitled to an engraved medal for the achievement. We at TTwebsite have contacted Mr. Woods and he has promised to look into this matter. Hopefully Jared will receive his medal and also see his name on that trophy at long last. We will of course report on whatever Mr. Woods comes back to us with, and hopefully this is one story that will eventually have a happy ending. We are of course now in touch with Jared and with a bit of luck we may be able to persuade him to recount his experiences of that year, in an article which we hope will appear here very soon.
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