(this same message has been sent to iomtt.com message board)

Many are speaking of the possibility of a 130 mph lap this year. In the early '50s the aim was a 100 mph lap (as you know it was approached by a Gilera 500cc raced by Geoff Duke in 1955 and then officially reached in 1957 by a Gilera 500cc raced by Bob McIntyre) - now the technical progress (and the improvements of the TT roads) has added 30 mph (!) to the dreamed average speed limit (and almost 100 km/h to the racing machines top speed). It means to improve the actual lap record by about 19 seconds. Personally I think that it is an highly improbable achievement for this year. 19 seconds on the 60.7 km long TT course mean a rate of 0.31 sec/km. It is NOT a thing as simple as it would appear. I think that together with perfect course conditions two other pecular conditions are needed:

1. a very competitive race. The riders must know that they have to push to their limits to win the race. This was for example the condition of the 1992 TT race when Fogarty was able to do that famous lap record that remained for 7 years.

2. A sensible improvement in the engine power. The rate of 0.31 sec/km is only an average date. If we consider that the TT course has a very fast (flat out) hill climb section we understand that the improvement in the lap speed depends first of all from the engine power.

I think that this second condition is not yet in existence this year. So the 19 seconds improvement should be done almost all in the driven TT course sections. And this will be the case only if the first condition will be realized. But this is the most difficult thing to happen. And the most dangerous too.

Marco - Italia

P.S.
Will be there this year - as it was made for the 2002 TT races - timed TT course sections? And will the TT sections times be published on the iomtt web site (as it happened in 2002)?

You have forgotten one very important point , the racers heart and desire to achieve that 130mph lap , its all well and good talking about theory stuff and we know track and weather conditions must be taken into consideration but TT racers are unique human beings , they are used to riding solo againt the clock , ok a push from a close run race would help but at the end of the day they are single minded and very strong willed and if they consider a 130mph lap to be within them they would move heaven and earth to achieve it against all the odds.

Yes, you're right - the human will is much important in this kind of things. By the way I think that the main aim of a TT rider is to win the race and not to do the lap record. Often the lap record is simply a consequence of the will of winning the TT race. This was the case of Fogarty in 1992. And that was to be a very difficult lap record to beat!

I take the advantage to correct a mistake in my past message. The year the TT course sections times were published in was 2003 and not 2002.

Don't forget the record was from a standing start...