(06-03-2015, 01:20 AM)gixxertim Wrote: That looks pretty awesome to me broken sunshine and the birds singing

Masterful bit of camera work, panning up to the rising sun with the bird song mixing in with the engine note.  The rider is Frenchman Cyril Guillemin who raced a rotary Norton in the 2003 Senior.  Neither he or the bike were particularly quick (He was lapping around 96mph) but that doesn't seem to matter because in that clip he provided a sublime TT 'moment' and a fitting epitaph to morning practice.

A couple of memories:  In 1967 my old chap dragged me and my twin brother out of bed at 4am for morning practice and took us to Barregarrow.  First two through were Hailwood on the Honda 6 and Ago on the MV 3.  I can still hear it.

Fast forward many years, I was staying in a hotel in Onchan.  Due to the 'atmosphere' my room mates were creating after an evening of Bushys followed by an egg burger at the Swiss Cafe on the way back, the window was open .  I was suddenly awakened by someone yelling, seemimgly from right outside, "Put that b****y cigarette out!  If I can't have one neither can you!"  It was an announcement in pit lane over the tannoy and the wind must have been in exactly the right direction!  Naturally, I crawled out of bed and headed for the track.

Ronnie Mutch in his book 'Last Of The Great Road Races' summed it up:  "Morning practice is like Early Mass to Catholics.  Only the very devout and insane attend."