Now I know that road racing is serious stuff, but amidst all the bravery and determination required to pit ones self against the ultimate test, the IOM TT/MANX GP. There just has to be a fair sprinkling of humorous/comical/funny tales to emerge from the serious side of things.

What about it members, come on tell us about them. Riders, spectators or anyone connected with the TT, of course each tale will be treated in the strictest confidence wont it folk
Now dont be embarrassed no need to mention names (you better had)
lets all have a good guffaw together.

I am not asking for jokes or non roadracing stories, but amusing events connected to the above.


To the contributers so far, a big well done and just the sort of stories I was hoping for.
Each one differant and TT related.
I just kow there are many more to come, so keep thinking them up good folk.

1994 Sidecar A Race with Stan Cooper - Broke down at Ballacrye, left a note stuck to the bike sayng 'Gone to the Raven' and walked back to Ballaugh.

Had no money on us but seeing as I played pool for the Raven I was good for a beer or two.

Well, early afternoon turned to early evening, turned to late evening, turned to kicking out time and no sign of the team. When we bothered to ring them we were told the bike was in Douglas and 'What Note?'

Can't recall how we got back to Douglas but do recall phoning my dad at 2am for a lift back to Peel because I was too wasted for a Taxi.

We went back to the Raven on the Sunday to pay the bill....circa £70.00 and watched the postponed TT F1 from the front of Arthur and Sue Moores place just opposite the Raven with a terrible hangover.

Not sure that this is embarresing, just the day in the life of breaking down.

Now for a fee I can tell you about Geoff Bell and my exwife's boobs, Roy Tansley trying to ride a pushbike with his false leg missing or my dad going for a ride down the castletown bypass in a wheelchair, with a broken leg and no one pushing him.

1981-first year as cadet in st john sat at early morning practice at greeba bridge waiting for heavily delayed pracitice to start got sent up the field to pick some mushrooms by 'aunty' joan radcliffe (50 yrs on the course and still going strong) came back down with 2 carrier bags full, and a certain peel sergeant spent the rest of the practice going thru em and "confiscating" any funny ones....still everyone went home with good pound of mushrooms each

a certain cadet also when bored used to go into the field at greeba bridge and put grass under windscreen wipers of cars and bikes of the marshals who parked there whilst on duty-the furory that was caused when the cows used to come down to the stream to drink and a quick nibble.....well good thing i was thinner then cos i had to be able to run very very quickly

I'm not entirely sure about the truth of this one but it's a good story.

There was once a competitor (German I'm told) who crashed at Sulby Bridge as he picked himself up he heard other bikes approaching and in order to get out of the way he jumped over the wall...............of course he thought it would be a similar drop to the ground on the other side...............it wasn't he dropped down into the stream below and get a little wet.

Fitz Wrote:1994 Sidecar A Race with Stan Cooper - Broke down at Ballacrye, left a note stuck to the bike sayng 'Gone to the Raven' and walked back to Ballaugh.

Had no money on us but seeing as I played pool for the Raven I was good for a beer or two.

Well, early afternoon turned to early evening, turned to late evening, turned to kicking out time and no sign of the team. When we bothered to ring them we were told the bike was in Douglas and 'What Note?'

Can't recall how we got back to Douglas but do recall phoning my dad at 2am for a lift back to Peel because I was too wasted for a Taxi.

We went back to the Raven on the Sunday to pay the bill....circa £70.00 and watched the postponed TT F1 from the front of Arthur and Sue Moores place just opposite the Raven with a terrible hangover.

Not sure that this is embarrassing, just the day in the life of breaking down.

Now for a fee I can tell you about Geoff Bell and my exwife's boobs, Roy Tansley trying to ride a pushbike with his false leg missing or my dad going for a ride down the castletown bypass in a wheelchair, with a broken leg and no one pushing him.

Fitz, good stuff and just what the doctor ordered, na not embarrassing , hey Fitz what sort of fee had you in mind for the rest of it?, we could always have a whip round if its really good.

cargo Wrote:I'm not entirely sure about the truth of this one but it's a good story.

There was once a competitor (German I'm told) who crashed at Sulby Bridge as he picked himself up he heard other bikes approaching and in order to get out of the way he jumped over the wall...............of course he thought it would be a similar drop to the ground on the other side...............it wasn't he dropped down into the stream below and get a little wet.

It is a good story Cargo, and I have a story as well but had to think whether I should post it or not.
Anyway let me start by saying the rider was more or less ok.

My wife and I and our two children were spectating about 300 yds past the Bungalow bridge, sun was shining and good racing and apart from one other guy was on our own. Everything in the world was perfect, until a rider got the bungalow bridge wrong and hit the bank just exiting the corner. This threw him off and he and is bike slid the 300yds up the road, and came to a halt right in front of us.
The rider was lets say a bit concussed and needed help, now I am aware spectators are not allowed on the course but other riders were only seeing the accident late. So me and this other guy climbed the fence and helped the rider off the road. We went back to move the bike (from the centre of the road), meanwhile a group of riders were exiting the bridge and really motoring. well me and this guy looked at each other, mouths wide open then used our arms to slow them down but they were late seeing us, and flew past us on either side. I tell you, you have never seen a bike moved as fast in your life, closely followed by me and this other guy diving back over the fence. And what was my better half's first words? "you have ripped your trousers", I explained to her in rather colourful language that it was a clean pair of underpants i needed, not needle and thread.

The rider was ok.
Cargo I have posted this story here (hope you dont mind) because being new to this game (and thick) I dont know how to add a message to my own article.

Another Bungalow Bridge story.
The late Esso Gunnarsson dropped it there in practice, he was a bit knocked about and when he came too he thought he was in heaven - when he saw Phil Read, who had packed up there, he knew that was not the case!

Bill Snelling Wrote:Another Bungalow Bridge story.
The late Esso Gunnarsson dropped it there in practice, he was a bit knocked about and when he came too he thought he was in heaven - when he saw Phil Read, who had packed up there, he knew that was not the case!

Bill its the way you tell em App

When Fred Clarke did the commentary from Ramsey he used to walk round the paddock gathering information on riders. I suppose he need someting to fill time or a witty remark to make about a back marker while waiting for a front runner to arrive.

Anyway he got talking to my mate Ronnie and he discovered that Ronnies dad was a butcher..........I think it was the Thursday afternoon practise that Fred was on air when Ronnie went past and Fred called him the Butchers boy from Belfast and wondered if he was delivering sausgaes...........................

Next day Ronnie stopped at Ramsey and delivered some sausgaes to Fred.

Also one year at the TT Ronnie had terrible practise problems he seemed to stop somewhere every night..........but on 3 occasions when he stopped all different places the same female German marshal was there. And every time she had a bottle of Schnaps for him........
It got to be a standing joke that Ronnie was doing it deliberatly........However that marshall visited us in the paddock and Ronnies wife was not impressed................
The marshall was a looker......and the joke was no more

I cant remeber the year but I found it funny. Pete Beale was posted as the fastest rider during a practice , smashing the lap record. Plenty of talk in the tea tent. loads of back slapping and hand shakes.


Problem was nobody told race control that Bealy had turned off at Baggarow Crossroads and rejoined the coarse at the Mountain.

You should have seen the red faces

"However that marshall visited us in the paddock and Ronnies wife was not impressed................
The marshall was a looker......and the joke was no more"

That why Ronnie's emigrating?

Ohhh the Ronnie stories are always good.

My Auntie, (Sister B) told me one about a certain Kawasaki rider who ended up in A&E. She was Sister on duty back then and this rider, for the sake of confidentiallity we will call, ohh lets see Mr Midget... car reference there for help.

He was lying on the trolly just having come in and there was my Auntie standing over him, 'Name?' she said to him, he was obviously a little shaken and in a bit of pain...

'Don't you know who I am ....?' he shouted

Sister B looked at him , ' No sorry I don't, we treat all our guests exactly the same here...... Name?'

'Mr Midget' he replied

'Occupation?', enquired Sister B, knowing full well who he was and what he did.....

'Professional Motorcycle racer' - Midget said, ' and before you ask yes a dammed good one.'

Without a blink of an eye she turned to him and said ' you carn't be that good if you have ended up in here'.

This is a true story, I could tell you more about his stay but that would be unfair.....

DCLUCIE Wrote:Ohhh the Ronnie stories are always good.

My Auntie, (Sister B) told me one about a certain Kawasaki rider who ended up in A&E. She was Sister on duty back then and this rider, for the sake of confidentiallity we will call, ohh lets see Mr Midget... car reference there for help.

He was lying on the trolly just having come in and there was my Auntie standing over him, 'Name?' she said to him, he was obviously a little shaken and in a bit of pain...

'Don't you know who I am ....?' he shouted

Sister B looked at him , ' No sorry I don't, we treat all our guests exactly the same here...... Name?'

'Mr Midget' he replied

'Occupation?', enquired Sister B, knowing full well who he was and what he did.....

'Professional Motorcycle racer' - Midget said, ' and before you ask yes a dammed good one.'

Without a blink of an eye she turned to him and said ' you carn't be that good if you have ended up in here'.

This is a true story, I could tell you more about his stay but that would be unfair.....

Have to say, these stories seem to get better and better.

DEclucie I do find your story funny (as they all are), and the way you have managed to keep the unfortunate Rider name a secret is brilliant.
I can just picture this story from beginning to end

These Yorkshiremen are all the same, Dave

Quote:I cant remeber the year but I found it funny. Pete Beale was posted as the fastest rider during a practice , smashing the lap record. Plenty of talk in the tea tent. loads of back slapping and hand shakes.


Problem was nobody told race control that Bealy had turned off at Baggarow Crossroads and rejoined the coarse at the Mountain.

You should have seen the red faces

Colin i believe it was the late Adam Woodall who turned off at Barregarroo Crossroads and rejoined at Brandywell. it was mentioned in the results book, i can not remember the year.

it was definately Pete Beale who did it at the TT, it gave him a lap time of around 120mph and he topped the leaderboard that day.. the nearest time to that was about 117 i think.

Hi Russ, Adam did the same thing at the 1998 Manx. The bulletin read " First off were juniors 9 Gordon Blackley and 93 Gary Rowe, 30 Dave Vale, 6 lightweight Brian Kneale. 6 senior Dean Martin, 12 lightweight Andy Jackson, 50 junior Adam Nowell, 1 lightweight Norman Gordon, 3 junior Alistair Howarth and 7 junior Chris Hook. It looked as if 5 senior Adam Woodhall had set a cracking time as he flashed across the line over 1 minute ahead of the next man - but it transpired that he had left the course at Barregarrow and rejoined the course at Brandywell. So the first rider to complete a full lap was Gordon Blackley at 107.42 mph"
Unfortunately it doesn't give a time or speed - would be interesting to know who was quicker Adam or Pete Beale, could start a new trend. Cheers

Hi All,

Another one for the funny books.

I was at my first ever race accross and there was an orange jacket crew at their very first meeting. Was at a two dayer at Aintree by the way. The passenger was looking a little nervous and the driver had a smile of anticipation all over his face. You could tell he'd had long nights in the garage for week after week, and the chance for a run out in anger had finally come. We have all been there.....

We said to them that we were new to the circuit as well and were going to follow someone to learn the course and to tag on the back of us. As the morning went on they were both getting more and more confident with the course and the look of worry and constant running to the toilet was overtaken by wider and wider smiles of enjoyment.

At the lunch break we popped over to them and asked how they were getting on and to see if there was anything we could help them with. The passenger took me to one side and asked how I got on with back protectors.....I said fine no problem... he looked a little confused and worried and shook his head... 'I carn't get on at all with mine' he said 'its really hurting me and I carn't raise my head to check out where we are'.

I asked him to show me what was wrong and he came back carrying the back protector, it wasn't a fitted one .. he put it on and immediately it became apparent what was wrong and why he was struggling so much with the dammed thing..... he had it on upside down..... the part that goes round the coccyx (Tail bone) was actually digging straight into his neck.

After getting myself off the floor from laughing so much I showed him the right way round he just said ... 'ohh no flamin' wonder'.

We had a beer at the local pub that night and you could say the poor fella had a hard time of it.... especially after we told his driver, girlfriend and all the crew that were with them.....but he took it all in his stride and laughed through somewhat gritted teeth. It was even worse though for him as the course commentator/announcer... who was also apparently in the pub that night got wind of it and mentioned something about it at every opportunity the very next day.....
We became friends after all that and regularly recounted that day for years after when we saw them accross, it was just part and parcel of what racing is all about, it really felt like a family ... I miss it like hell....