The People
Nov 15, 2013 2:21:54 GMT
Post by Toni on Nov 15, 2013 2:21:54 GMT
The People
Racers
Racers are quite possibly the maddest people you will ever meet. They ride around the various courses on the Isle of Man at breakneck speed whether it is just the small race track at Jurby or the famous TT mountain course. They all know the risks of course but to them it serves as part of the attraction to do what they do. More and more are starting to ride, inspired by the old legends that they used to watch when they were only children. During TT and MGP practices and races, newcomers can be easily identified from the rest by a bright orange tabard worn over their leathers. They usually have low rider numbers apart from some.
Race Teams
A good rider is nothing without an equally good race team. For a start off they need a bike to ride and engineers to help get the bike ready for racing. That is only the initial preparation. While the rider is racing their bike they rely on the pit crew for a good pit stop to refuel and change any tyres that need replacing. Bigger race teams will often have multiple riders racing for them.
Officials
It takes a large amount of officials to plan and run any racing that takes place. This is everyone from the Clerk of the Course right down to the people helping to man the race office. They even have translators for different languages since people from more and more countries are coming over to challenge to Isle of Man TT course. A big part of this is race control which deals with everything that goes on on the course via communication with marshals and emergency services when required. There are also scrutineers who check every bike before a race goes ahead to make sure everything is as it should be. All officials are vital to the racing.
Marshals
When racers are out on the course they have no communication whatsoever with their teams or other people at the grandstand.
The only method of communication is through marshals, volunteers who give up their time to make sure the racing goes smoothly. They are in communication with each other and race control via radio which is operated by a marshal at each post. They use flags to warn riders of imminent danger or to give details on the course such as wet patches. In an incident they are usually the first ones on scene and they get the rider out of the way of harm and treat any injuries they can while waiting for medics if there are none at that post. Then they must clear the course of any debris that was created or oil that was spilt.
Travelling Marshals
Travelling marshals are the ones that are stationed at certain parts of the course with their motorbikes. They are highly first aid trained and usually have the same racing qualifications as the riders. Many have even raced the circuit at some point. Their jobs include checking machines suspected of having mechanical problems, getting to incidents fast where help is needed and checking the course is clear after a race or practice. There are a small, dedicated number who do this.
Medical Teams
Racing is a dangerous sport so obviously medical teams are needed to deal with the things that could happen as riders speed around the course. This ranges from first aiders from St John Ambulance and Red Cross right to staff up at Nobles Hospital. First aiders and paramedics are stationed at certain points along the course and ambulances are always on standby during races. These people deal with the brunt of what happens on the course and fill in all of the needed paperwork afterwards.
Media
Obviously such a popular sport gets a lot of media attention. The biggest of this is TV crews who get footage for the TV coverage shown each night of the TT racing. There are also photographers that are allowed to stand in the same areas as the marshals and manage to get brilliant photographs of the racers using the best in camera technology. These guys will do nearly anything for a good photo it seems. They are usually quite funny, happy people and get on well with the marshals where they stand.
Island Residents
Obviously, the Isle of Man is more than just a place where motorbike racing takes place often. When there is no racing going on the island is quite a quiet place where people can get to know each other and make friends. The island is quite small so people who drive can get around very easily and others can use the regular bus services (If they come on time that is) to get where they want to go. Some residents like to watch the racing when it is on while others stay in their homes to avoid all the hype.
Tourists
People come from all over the world to watch their heroes race the mountain course and the island always welcomes them, with many offering their homes for homestay during the racing. Some of these enthusiasts even camp in whatever weather in one of the many campsites around the island. They arrive by either boat or train and come to watch the action at it's best.
Racers
Racers are quite possibly the maddest people you will ever meet. They ride around the various courses on the Isle of Man at breakneck speed whether it is just the small race track at Jurby or the famous TT mountain course. They all know the risks of course but to them it serves as part of the attraction to do what they do. More and more are starting to ride, inspired by the old legends that they used to watch when they were only children. During TT and MGP practices and races, newcomers can be easily identified from the rest by a bright orange tabard worn over their leathers. They usually have low rider numbers apart from some.
Race Teams
A good rider is nothing without an equally good race team. For a start off they need a bike to ride and engineers to help get the bike ready for racing. That is only the initial preparation. While the rider is racing their bike they rely on the pit crew for a good pit stop to refuel and change any tyres that need replacing. Bigger race teams will often have multiple riders racing for them.
Officials
It takes a large amount of officials to plan and run any racing that takes place. This is everyone from the Clerk of the Course right down to the people helping to man the race office. They even have translators for different languages since people from more and more countries are coming over to challenge to Isle of Man TT course. A big part of this is race control which deals with everything that goes on on the course via communication with marshals and emergency services when required. There are also scrutineers who check every bike before a race goes ahead to make sure everything is as it should be. All officials are vital to the racing.
Marshals
When racers are out on the course they have no communication whatsoever with their teams or other people at the grandstand.
The only method of communication is through marshals, volunteers who give up their time to make sure the racing goes smoothly. They are in communication with each other and race control via radio which is operated by a marshal at each post. They use flags to warn riders of imminent danger or to give details on the course such as wet patches. In an incident they are usually the first ones on scene and they get the rider out of the way of harm and treat any injuries they can while waiting for medics if there are none at that post. Then they must clear the course of any debris that was created or oil that was spilt.
Travelling Marshals
Travelling marshals are the ones that are stationed at certain parts of the course with their motorbikes. They are highly first aid trained and usually have the same racing qualifications as the riders. Many have even raced the circuit at some point. Their jobs include checking machines suspected of having mechanical problems, getting to incidents fast where help is needed and checking the course is clear after a race or practice. There are a small, dedicated number who do this.
Medical Teams
Racing is a dangerous sport so obviously medical teams are needed to deal with the things that could happen as riders speed around the course. This ranges from first aiders from St John Ambulance and Red Cross right to staff up at Nobles Hospital. First aiders and paramedics are stationed at certain points along the course and ambulances are always on standby during races. These people deal with the brunt of what happens on the course and fill in all of the needed paperwork afterwards.
Media
Obviously such a popular sport gets a lot of media attention. The biggest of this is TV crews who get footage for the TV coverage shown each night of the TT racing. There are also photographers that are allowed to stand in the same areas as the marshals and manage to get brilliant photographs of the racers using the best in camera technology. These guys will do nearly anything for a good photo it seems. They are usually quite funny, happy people and get on well with the marshals where they stand.
Island Residents
Obviously, the Isle of Man is more than just a place where motorbike racing takes place often. When there is no racing going on the island is quite a quiet place where people can get to know each other and make friends. The island is quite small so people who drive can get around very easily and others can use the regular bus services (If they come on time that is) to get where they want to go. Some residents like to watch the racing when it is on while others stay in their homes to avoid all the hype.
Tourists
People come from all over the world to watch their heroes race the mountain course and the island always welcomes them, with many offering their homes for homestay during the racing. Some of these enthusiasts even camp in whatever weather in one of the many campsites around the island. They arrive by either boat or train and come to watch the action at it's best.