TT3D: Closer to the Edge Page #6

which is called Ballagarey.

It's affectionately known

as Ballascary because it is.

It's so, so scary. It's so fast.

It's the most important,

but also the most dangerous

corner on the circuit.

The big problem with Ballagarey is

it's unsighted on your entry point

so as I'm coming up to here

now I'm still hard on the gas,

still on the gas, still on the gas,

at the 30 mile an hour sign here now,

this is where I come off the gas.

I come down one gear effectively,

I get my head out of the bubble,

and my head's getting

ripped off my shoulders,

but at that point also I'm trying

to look for my peel in point

but I still can't see it.

I know it goes to the right

but where do I turn in?

As soon as I see the kerb on the inside,

I lay the bike on its side and drive it.

OK, and just fire through,

right by the kerb-

So, so fast.

Averaging 131. 57 miles per hour;

John McGuinness is still

the fastest man around the course.

A hundred years ago, the first race

was won at just 38 miles per hour.

Throughout its history

even riders with no hope of winning

have come to break personal bests

and challenge

the island's famous course.

Riders are always chasing

faster and faster lap times.

...in first place.

This is Nick Crowe. He's still second.

I just think it's got

a certain addiction about it.

Once you get here,

you couldn't let it go then.

You're looking for the ultimate

lap times all the time.

I always set out to beat myself

more than anybody else.

Every year, I just thought I'd do it

faster and faster and faster,

which I was actually doing

unfortunately until to

the time of me accident,

which was really no fault of me own,

just one of those freak things.

In 2009, while leading the race

a hare ran onto the track,

causing Nick to crash his sidecar

at 160 miles per houri

I think it just came up and

damaged the front part of the fairing.

And then it came and hit me

in the face and that was it then,

obviously the bike turned

immediately right then, that was it,

straight into the trees.

Yeah, we were lucky

to get away with that one.

If we have

an injury or a fatality,

I tend to sort of want to stop

because, yeah, i do, feel

like a drug dealer sometimes

because I'm preparing

these engines for these people

to go and hurt theirselves with

and even though it's, you know,

touch wood, not my fault, you know,

people who deal in drugs are worse

than the people who take them.

And last year;

we had such a terrible time.

I did say that i wouldn't carry on

with the sidecars.

And then the way Nick bounced back

was just...

I couldnt 't say no to him at all,

so we've got three engines all ready

for him, and we're doing two more.

His spirit is unbelievable.

Nick himself won't be riding.

Instead, his own race team will attempt

to break the sidecar lap record,

which has stood unbroken

since his accident.

Do you have to find Guy?

Yeah. He's...

He's got a little problem

with his license.

Have you got a problem

with your license, Gary?

Yeah, I've just had

to have it re-scanned.

Typically, Guy is

nowhere to be found

and he won't be eligible to practise

without his race license.

Until he returns, the bike can't

go through scrutineering.

We don't know where he is, as usual.

He'll be here in a bit, hopefully.

We've just had

a message from race control.

Would Guy Martin please report

to the race office immediately, please.

Guy Martin...

Where do you start?

He is a maverick.

He's an eccentric. He's always

got something good to say,

although a lot of the time

it comes out not broadcastable.

He's a bit old school.

He's a bit what we grew up with,

what we used to be.

Guy is

a fabulous personality.

I don't think Guy really knows

exactly what he wants to do.

He's got a lot of

different loves in his life.

I'd like to see

him win around here,

but if he's not careful,

he'// run out of time.

Guy is

a colourful character

But he's an attention seeker; isn't he?

He loves a bit of attention, he's had

green shorts on for two years.

I mean, they must be stinking

and growing legs by now,

but that's what racing is all about.

We need characters in there, you know.

Guy is what he is.

I mean, he talks pure rubbish,

but he's funny.

Guy says it as it is,

and I think that's

why he's so popular with people.

He's not worried about

upsetting the hierarchy.

Guy Martin is Guy Martin

and nobody would want him any other way.

I mean he is a true grit, he's

a John Wayne of motorcycle racing.

At last, Guy returns

after blowing up a friend's classic bike

in the south of the Island.

- There you are, it's sorted now.

- That's all it is.

Spot on! Ta very much. Cheers, boss.

The roads

will be closing in half an hour

and tonight's practice will start

at 7:
30 prompt.

Guy's race license approved,

the team can finally make it through

scrutineering with the bikes.

Right, cheers.

And the time is now 7:25,

the roads will be closing

and tonight's practice

will begin in five minutes' time.

Five minutes, ladies and gentlemen,

five minutes.

Number eight, Guy Martin,

and number 19, James Hillier

leave the line,

both on superbikes as well.

J I like the little things you do

J I like the way your body moves

J I like the way you make me go

J Oh, so crazy J

The mechanics said last year

coming into the first pit stop

and me eyes were on stalks,

you couldn't see

the whites of me eyes all the time.

You come to the TT and your body's

unfamiliar with it to start with.

Stuff's just going past

so fast.

From a standing start lap, 125 mile

an hour; you know, first lap.

And its like, "I must be mad. "

It is spectacular and when

you've just, you know plodding along

on your road bike thinking

you are a legend riding fast.

It's like a totally different thing

when you see

the race bikes come through.

You might have driven

to the pits that morning

so your top speed for the day so far

is maybe 40 miles an hour

You let the clutch out

and within a couple of miles

you're pushing 200 miles

an hour between you know,

stone walls and hedges.

So it takes a bit

to get your head up to speed.

Then you settle down

and start relaxing

and getting more

and more comfortable with the circuit.

You start going faster;

start going smoothly,

start breathing properly.

You do go into, like,

this weird sort of state of mind

where everything start slowing down.

You start moving,

your eyeline starts lifting so much

and your brain starts working

so much ahead of yourself

You're thinking, like,

maybe four or five corners ahead.

It's all about momentum,

and keeping your rhythm up

and not getting into any stupid battles

with people.

You've got to be really using your head.

I'm a real hard rider

to ride with, if you want to race off me

you're going to have to be

willing to wrap around a post.

You know what I mean? And that's

the way I race motorbikes.

And that's the way I push,

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