Manx Grand Prix 2003 Newcomers  Race "C" Report.

Monday 25th August - Newcomers Race. Woke up to clear sky with a cool breeze, some reports of mist around the course, but on delays. I was feeling good, relaxed and ready, the bike passed scrutineering with flying colours, thanks to Jo Rowe. Bike was parked in Park Ferme.

Now was race time. We went up to the line in our starting order, the 600 away first then the 250 GP machines then us the 400's and 125's combined. Stuart Sturock was away first with Chris Clark, then me and Brian Wyles. Stuart had brand new tyres on and I had scrubbed mine in the last practice session, my little plan was to try and catch him in the first lap as my tyres would be better, well that was the plan!

Brian got a better start than me and had to push real hard from the off to get passed, I passed him going down Bray Hill on the first lap, and then set about my task. I caught Chris at Greba Castle and was unable to pass for a while as his bike was as fast as mine in a straight line.

I did manage to get passed just after Balla Salla, and now had Stuart in my sites, he was less than the 10 second start time in front off me. Going into Glen Helen I could see him each time going into corners. As I passed the Old Petrol Station the front of the bike lifted and the back started to weave, I managed to control it but as I was going to turn into Black Dub I did not have time to brake so had to sling the bike on its side as to not hit the outside wall. As it happens I was no where near the outside wall and as I rounded the first apex I found myself heading staight for the inside bank, I lifted the bike as far as I could and was hanging of the inside of it as I passed the bank, I thought I had got away withit when WHACK!, I hit my shoulder on a rock that was sticking out of the bank. This wrenched the bars from my hands and through me over the back of the bike, but my boots hooked up on the bars, me and the bike slid across the road and hit a dry stone wall, luckily for me the bikes suspension soaked up most of that inpact or god know what the outcome may have been. The impact the sent me back across the road into the opposite bank again, the bike got back on its wheels and shot of down the course till it also hit a bank and took of 13 feet into some trees then fell down into a ditch.

Click here for crash site photo's.

I lay in the road for a second or two then thought, 10 second gaps, I need to get out of here. I tried to sit up but nothing happend, My worst fear!. I wriggled my toes and they moved, thank heavens, and opened my visor with my right hand, so alls well, but were is my left arm? I looked over and there above my head was my left arm laying in the road but the wrong way up, thats when I felt bad, forget the race, the bike, lets just get out of here and get this sorted. The marshals were soon on the seen and did there bit, thanks guys and girls. Air Med was called, but were do you land in Glen Helen? They did, I do not know where as was strapped to a spine board, I was calling for gas&air but had to wait till I got in the helicopter. Then it all goes a bit blured, I can remeber getting my leather cut of, getting Morphine injected( a few times) and my mum and pit crew coming in the the emergency room, but all this seemed to take about 10 minutes, was actually eight hours before I was taken up to the ward. I had the arm re-set the following day, it was a bad break to the Humerous, top bit, but it looked clean. Then spent a week at Nobles before flying home on the Saturday. I was then re-addmitted back into hospital on the Sunday. The break had parted by 1.5 inches and would need pinning or plating, but they would not operate as was to swollen. I then had to wait 11 days before they would operate, 2.5 weeks after the accident, for a 5.5 hour operation to IM Nail (pinned) the break.

Hozzy Pic.

I have been banned by my wife from Road Racing for the next few years now, so no more Manx Grand Prix and no more Southern 100 for a few years, but I hope I will one day return to the Mountain Coure to get a finishers medal, I love the place and had the time of my life, but I have to realise that you only get one life, and I came very close to not knowing that fact!