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APRIL 2021
APRIL 2021 | ISSUE 340
CONTENTS
12
NOTICEBOARD
04
PADDOCK GOSSIP
06
BACK FROM THE BRINK IVAN LINTIN INTERVIEW
14
TEN MINUTES WITH JACK VALENTINE
22
REA’S RIVALS
24
SAM LOWES MAKES HISTORY IN QATAR
27
HUTCHY’S TT FIVE TIMER
28
JASON’S JOURNEY
38
SKERRIES MEMORIES
44
BROTHERS IN ARMS
50
KEITH HUEWEN: A MAN OF WHEELS AND WORDS
56
FINAL FRAME
62
38
EDITOR’S NOTE
“Motorcycle racers are made of different gravy.” That’s a saying you often hear when people talk about bike riders and how they deal with injury. Ian Hutchinson was riding the crest of a wave in 2010 after becoming the first rider to win five TT races in a single season. Just three months after his TT triumph, the Yorkshireman’s life was turned upside down when he suffered a horrific leg injury at Silverstone. Hutchy spent months in hospital as surgeons performed more than 30 operations. Not once did he give up hope of making a return to racing. Three years ago Ivan Lintin was caught up in a horrific pile-up at the Southern 100 that claimed the life of his close friend, James Cowton. Lintin suffered a major brain injury and broke a lot of bones in the impact. For weeks he clung to life by a thread, refusing to let go of his future. Hutchinson eventually recovered and returned to action to win another eight TTs. Ivan Lintin has also made a good recovery but has decided it’s time to hang up his leathers. Choosing either direction requires a huge amount of courage. Racing motorbikes is a dangerous sport and getting hurt is accepted as part of the game. The capacity of motorcycle racers to bear the pain of crash injuries and then battle their way back marks them out as exceptional people. Steve Mercer was badly injured when he collided with a TT course car after a group of riders were sent the wrong way around the circuit following a fatal crash in 2018. Blameless in the sorry saga, the Maidstone man has recently been posting news of his recovery on social media. Anyone who has viewed the video of Steve’s first agonising steps will have been moved by his bravery and resilience. “We won’t stop.” Steve says as he picks himself up after a fall. Life has not been easy for anyone during the past twelve months during this awful pandemic. So many people have suffered loss, their lives turned upside down. That is a place only too familiar for Ian, Ivan and Steve as they travelled to hell and back. They are an inspiration to us all. Stephen Davison Editor Published by: ROLLINS PROMOTIONS LTD., 26 The Oaks, Newtownards, Co. Down BT23 8GZ Northern Ireland Tel: 028 9182 8211
26
Email: editorial@roadracingireland.com Website: www.roadracingireland.com Advertisement Directors Wallace Rollins, Gillian Rollins Editor Stephen Davison Designer Mark Stokes Printed GPS
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Every care is taken in compiling the contents of this magazine, but the proprietors assume no responsibility for manuscripts and photographs submitted to Rollins Promotions Ltd. They accept no responsibility for loss or damage. All photographs sent in must be accompanied by a SAE. All prices and data contained in advertisement and editorial are accepted by us in good faith as being correct at the time of going to press. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any variations affecting prices or availability. The views expressed in R.R.I. are not necessarily those of the publisher. All material in the publication is strictly copyright - all rights reserved 2021 - and may not be reproduced, in whole or part without the express permission of Rollins Promotions Ltd.
ROAD RACING IRELAND | 3
NOTICEBOARD
NOTICEBOA RD CAROLE NA WITH SH
If you have something you would like to be considered for our noticeboard page please send it in together with your name and address to: NOTICEBOARD, Road Racing Ireland, 26 The Oaks, Newtownards, Co. Down BT23 8GZ T: 028 9182 8211 E: editorial@roadracingireland.com
IMC SERIES BOOSTED BY NEW SUPPORT Going from strength to strength, the Irish Minibike Championship has been given a renewed boost with the announcement of three new support initiatives. The Denise Harris Award will see a £1000 prize fund distributed to the top three competitors across all of the Senior Classes at the end of the 2021 Championship. This major incentive is being provided by The Harris Group, one of Ireland’s leading importers and distributors of commercial vehicles for the construction, distribution and mass transportation industries. Founded in 1961, the company has developed an unrivalled reputation for exceptional customer service through a stateof-the-art parts distribution centre and extensive workshop facilities. Harris Group is the distributor for the Maxus range of vehicles in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Malta and Cyprus. https://harrisgroup.ie/brands/maxus/ In a separate initiative, Road Racing Ireland magazine will continue the commitment of the world’s only road racing magazine to the IMC series.
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BSB CALENDAR RESCEDULED The 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship calendar has been revised to enable more spectators to attend its 25th anniversary season. The new season is now scheduled to begin at Oulton Park on June 25-27 although this may be subject to further change as it is dependent on the speed at which Coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Round 10 Round 11
June 25-27 July 9-11 July 23-25 July 30 - August 1 August 13-15 August 20-22 September 3-5 September 10-12 September 24-26 October 1-3 October 15-17
Oulton Park Knockhill Brands Hatch GP Thruxton Donington Park National Cadwell Park Snetterton 300 Silverstone National Oulton Park Donington Park GP Brands Hatch GP
Aimed at fostering emerging talent, a new prize fund will be awarded to the top three finishers in the 2021 Junior Gearbox Class Championship.
PICTURE QUIZ
A custom made set of RRI branded leathers will also be awarded to the ‘Most Improved Rider’ across the Junior and Senior classes at the end of the season.
Who is the rider and where and when was the picture taken?
Indicative of the interest there now is in IMC Racing, WM Racing/Bucci Moto Ireland will also provide support for the Junior MiniGP class. Bucci machines are hand-made in Italy and the official importer of Bucci motorcycles and parts in Ireland already runs a team in both the Irish and British Minibike Championships. http://wmracing.uk/shop-full-width
WIN A RRI PEAK CAP
The answer of last month’s Picture Quiz was John McGuinness (Honda) leads Iain Duffus (V&M Yamaha) and race winner Ian Lougher (TAS Suzuki)during the second 600cc race at the 2002 North West 200. The winner last month was Glenn Cheevers, Portadown. Send your answer with your address and name to Picture Quiz, Rollins Promotions, 26 The Oaks, Newtownards, Co. Down, N. Ireland BT23 8GZ or email: info@roadracingireland.com Closing date for entries is 20th April 2021.
4 | ROAD RACING IRELAND
APRIL 2021
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APRIL 2021
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