TT isn't one to remember for Midhurst speedster

MARK PARRETT admits the pressures of life outside the Isle of Man are beginning to take their toll after an underwhelming Tourist Trophy campaign.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Jun 2012, 09:30 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 19:32 BST

The self-employed electrician failed to spark life into his TT after a hampered build-up threatened his participation altogether – but the 42-year-old insists he wouldn’t miss the 37.73-mile road race for the world.

He purposefully sidestepped the North West 200 – regarded as the warm-up event for the TT – in favour of putting all of his eggs into the Isle of Man basket. That looked to have backfired when the Midhurst rider failed to finish the Dainese Superbike race.

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His chances of redemption on the big bike were curtailed when the blue riband PokerStars Senior TT was cancelled because of the notorious island weather, but an 18th place finish in the first Monster Energy Supersport race offered some solace.

“The conditions were perfect for the Supersport race, but it took me the first lap to get into it,” said Parrett.

“It’s the first time we have been out this season really. We didn’t get over to Northern Ireland so it was all right all things considered.

“It was a conscious decision not to go to the North West and focus purely on the TT. I had a stack of work to get on with. I just had too much to do and no time to get the bikes ready. The money isn’t coming in like it used to.

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“If I had gone to the North West 200 then I could have gone a lot quicker, no doubt. We hadn’t ridden a race bike since Ulster, which was August 2011, so that’s a six-month lay-off, so we’ll have to address that for next year.”

Parrett recovered well after his opening day disappointment in the Superbike race to finish all four of his remaining outings – among which was the inaugural BikerPetition.co.uk Lightweight TT.

His average lap speed of 104.753mph was enough to secure a bronze replica and 27th place and Parrett admits it was all about seeing that chequered flag.

For more information on the Isle of Man TT Races go to www.iomtt.com. To book or for more information on 2013 TT Races trips including flight, ferry, travel and accommodation, Grandstand tickets or VIP packages contact Regency Travel on 01624 694 455 (www.iomttbreaks.com)

JAMIE HOLT

Related topics:MidhurstUlsterNorthern Ireland