The importance of short-circuit racing for TT success

The Isle of Man TT is unquestionably one of the toughest and greatest challenges in motorcycle racing. The 37.73-mile course, which winds its way around and over the Snaefell, is a fearsome beast - one which creates heroes out of all who succeed in her challenge.

In recent years, however, it seems that challenge has only steepened as the depth of talent competing for the spoils has grown into a truly stunning roster - a mix of road specialists and crossover runners from the short circuit scene.

Last year the outright lap record was smashed by Peter Hickman, who guided his Smiths Racing BMW S1000RR Superbike to an incredible 135.452mph lap on his way to victory in the pulsating Senior TT finale. This made the TT the fastest road race on the planet, and Hickman the fastest rider.

In hindsight, it was no surprise that it should be him to achieve such a feat. His debut TT in 2014 culminated in him etching his name into the history books as the fastest-ever newcomer, lapping at an average speed of 129.104mph.

Hickman's road experience up till then was modest, his career having been primarily short circuit-based in the British Superbike paddock - where he has finished in the top five over the past two seasons. Since his TT debut, Hickman has become one of the leading men on the roads, with wins at the TT, North West 200, Ulster Grand Prix and the Macau Grand Prix.

His rapid rise on the roads appears to have brought with it a shift in approach, with more and more road racers either increasing their short circuit appearances or moving into the scene.

"Yeah, I think a little bit," Hickman told Autosport when asked if a healthy short circuit programme is vital now to run at the front at the TT. "I think people have seen me coming, go fast really quick, really early on and pretty much be on the ball from the first night. A lot of the road racers never really did that on the short circuit. They did a bit here and there, and then just went to the North West and came here.

"And maybe in the last five years or so since I've been coming and going fast straight away, the mindset has changed a little bit and more road riders are doing short circuits to get their eye in and make sure they're up to speed before they come to the TT."

The North West 200, held on the Triangle circuit which runs through Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush on Ireland's north coast, is the first major international road race of the year. But this doesn't take place until the middle of May - just over a fortnight away from the TT. Save for some tests, track time can be incredibly limited by the time you jump on the IoM-bound Steampacket at the end of the month.

In terms of road races, only the Cookstown 100 in County Tyrone and the Tandragee 100 in County Armagh in April stand before the North West, and those events are not worthwhile visits for the TT's big hitters any more.

But even if a rider does take in those two small Irish national events, as 16-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson said: "I think the days are gone where you could go and do a few Irish road races and come to the TT."

Track time is at a premium before the TT, and every moment sat on a motorcycle is absolutely vital - not least with the lap times now being set, with the theoretical best standing at a frightening 136.4mph.

This has resulted in more and more turning to the opening rounds of the British championship to get their eye in.

Two rounds of the BSB and its support series take place before the North West 200. With Hickman having to prepare for his BSB campaign in the winter months, an advantage was almost certainly gained. Though he was absent at the Monteblanco and Portimao BSB tests in March due to the late arrival of the new S1000RR, some of his big threats were in attendance as they began work ahead of their own short circuit escapades in 2019.

Bournemouth Kawasaki's James Hillier, a TT winner and 11-time podium finisher, was testing the new ZX-10RR ahead of his roads assault and an effort in the National Superstock series this year; ditto double TT winner Gary Johnson on the Lee Hardy Kawasaki. Triple TT podium man Lee Johnston was present testing his Ashcourt Racing Yamaha R6, which he will campaign in British Supersport for the first time since 2011. Even 18-time winner Michael Dunlop is expected to get his Tyco BMW dialled in with some BSB wildcards, and will take part in the official Silverstone BSB test in April.

Second-fastest road racer Dean Harrison was also at Monteblanco testing his Silicone Engineering-run ZX-10RR. An out-and-out road runner, Harrison and Silicone Engineering dipped their toes into the BSB water at the end of 2017 before running a full season in 2018. He will do so again this year.

"Road Racing is what I did for years - I was under the radar doing BSB and endurance races and stuff like that, to just have a hold on the job. But they've sussed it out now" John McGuinness

As far as he is concerned, competing on short circuits is a must to be on the button at the TT - and not just for a rider.

"If you're not doing that, you're knackered. I just think you've got to be in some way shape or form doing something to stay on the ball," he said.

He added: "It just helps. Not just me as a rider. It helps the whole team working together, so it's helped us all sort of gel really. You know how people work and you get stuff done and you know what you need to do. So it helps with everything, and obviously mainly my riding."

Mountain veteran John McGuinness was one of the frontrunners who campaigned on the short circuits over his 20-some-year career in BSB and in endurance racing, as well as the odd grand prix wildcard. In recent years, prior to his leg injury in 2017, he had begun to wind that in somewhat. But even he admits he'll have to do "something" extra-curricular if he wants to run at the fore on his return this year.

"That's what I did for years, I was under the radar doing BSBs and World Endurance [FIM's Endurance World Championship] and stuff like that, to just have a bit of a hold on the job," said the 23-time TT winner. "But they've sussed it out now.

"I'm going to have to do something. I'm doing some riding this year. I'm not just going to be last-minute dashing about everywhere, but we'll get to the North West 200 and get that one under out belt, and some testing is about all we can do [before the TT].

It's always the way in sport: as soon as someone starts winning by doing something the others aren't, the rest copy

"BSB is probably not really an option, but maybe some Thundersport or something like that [is]. Just to get on the grid with something. We've got this new lightweight Norton, so we could have a spin somewhere. I have to, I have to or else I'm not going to be competitive at the TT."

Hutchinson was a constant in the BSB paddock in the mid-2000s before taking to the roads, with the 16-time TT winner returning to short circuit competition in the National STK series a few years ago, finishing second in 2016 on the Tyco BMW. But he's not wholly convinced active competition is a must.

"I don't think it's the be all and end all, [that] you've got to be in British Superbikes," he said. "I think you need to be getting plenty of quality time on the bike on a circuit. Everyone sort of said I brought that on by doing Superstock and running at the front in Superstock and coming here.

"But if you look back over the years, there's always been riders that have done circuits. [Carl] Fogarty and [Steve] Hislop did the circuits, [Jim] Moodie did the circuits, and [Iain] Duffus and David Jefferies, everybody. There's always been someone doing short circuits. So it's nothing new."

And he's correct, it's not something new. Three-time winner Fogarty rose to prominence in the Formula TT series, which took in a mix of short circuits and road races - including the TT - and raced in the British championship to help fund his privateer World Superbike effort in the early '90s. He would go onto win four WSBK titles between 1994 and '99. The likes of 11-time winner Hislop was also a sensation on the short circuits, as was nine-time winner Jefferies.

So there is no denying those with short-circuit time on their cards are coming to the TT in better shape. In recent times Hickman has proven this, as has Harrison - who held the outright TT lap record for six days in 2018 and enjoyed his strongest Superbike showings, 10 months after first competing in BSB.

As is the way in sport: as soon as someone starts winning by doing something the others aren't, the rest copy. Just look at Valentino Rossi's famous leg dangle, or the mass exodus to Kalex chassis in Moto2 over the last few years. It may not be the absolute key to success, but by not moving with the times, a certain amount of doubt remains.

Of course, the old adage for the TT prevails: absolutely anything can happen, and the 'pure' road racers are not suddenly an obsolete force.

But with the competition as such now, letting even the slightest of advantage slip away will only serve to condemn your hopes of fighting for victory.