Martin Finnegan - TT star in the making 

Martin Finnegan might not be a name that all TT enthusiasts are familiar with at present, but you soon will be! The 21 year old from Lusk in County Dublin, made his TT debut this year, impressing many experts with his mature approach to the meeting, plus his neat style and overall speed.

So for those of you who don't know much about Martin, let me bring you up to speed. Martin started road racing in 1998 at Mondello Park, after enjoying a successful schoolboy moto-cross career. He took in his first real road race towards the end of that year at his local meeting, Killalane, finishing a highly impressive second in the Junior Support Race.

Martin's natural ability was soon to become apparent. The following year he won the Irish Support Championship scoring 5 wins along the way, which were all the more impressive because every circuit he visited, he was a newcomer! 1999 also saw Martin occasionally venture into the national ranks, where he continued to impress, including a fine 5th place in the Skerries 100 Junior Race behind Gary Dynes, Dennis McCullough, Andy McClean and Joey Dunlop. Martin actually led Joey for much of the race, which was no mean feat for someone only in his first full year of racing.

Martin's 2000 season was built around an assault on the MGP. He made several trips to the Island that year to learn the circuit, completing close to 100 sighting laps before the August meeting.

Meanwhile back in Ireland, Martin was becoming a force to be reckoned with in the national 250cc class, regularly finishing in the top six, including a brilliant 3rd in that year's Skerries 100 Junior event, behind Darrran Lindsay and Dennis McCullough and ahead of one of his heroes, Gary Dynes. By now. Martin was also contesting the 600cc class in Ireland on an ex- Richard Britton CBR Honda, which was his first foray into four stroke racing. Perhaps his best ride came on his North West 200 debut where he finished 17th in the Supersport Race on his 'Regal' spec machine against some quality opposition on fully tuned machinery.

When the MGP came around, Martin was in great form and was hopeful of a good performance. However practise week turned into a mini disaster, with Martin languishing down the Newcomers practise leader board, after several problems with his 250cc Honda. Never one to doubt his own ability, Martin was still confident by the time the Newcomers race came around, having made several changes to his machine, he knew that the speed was there.

Starting with the fastest rider in practise, Ulsterman Davy Morgan, Martin made his intentions clear from the off, leading Morgan on the road. Morgan was equally determined though, and held onto Finnegan's coat tails for much of the race. It was the final lap before Martin showed what he was capable of with a scintillating final circuit of 111.19mph taking the chequered flag by over nine seconds from Morgan, adding a race record of 107.99mph into the bargain.

Later in the week, Martin rode in the Junior event on a borrowed Honda, finishing 10th, but he struggled to come through the heavy traffic ahead of him due to his high start number (44).

In the Lightweight race at the end of the fortnight, Martin blotted his copybook when he slid off at White Gates on the second lap, when a fork seal let go on the 250cc Honda. It was a disappointing end to the fortnight for Martin, especially as he was lying second at the time and closing on the race leader and eventual winner Pete Turnbull.

It's strange to think that at 20 years of age, Martin was to find himself at a cross roads in his career. This was a time when road racing, particularly in Ireland was on it's knees, following the deaths of Joey Dunlop, Gary Dynes, Andy McClean and Eddie Sinton and many people close to Martin wanted him to consider his future carefully. Added to this Martin's then sponsors where keen to contest British Championship racing, which is what they did, forming the now defunct 'Team Ireland', with ex British Champion and multi North West 200 winner Woosley Coulter partnering Martin in the two man team.

The year was disastrous for 'Team Ireland'. The expected funding never materialised and Coulter suffered a career ending accident at Oulton Park. Martin never really showed what he was capable of in the ill-fated team, struggling to compete with his peers in the ultra competitive Junior Superstock Championship due to the lack of funds. Towards the end of the season, Martin managed to get back home for a couple of one off rides on the roads, which possibly changed his career path, proving to Martin and everyone else that he had what it takes to run with the best four stroke racers in the country.

In his Ulster Grand Prix debut, Martin finished in the top ten in his three races including a fine seventh in the 600cc race, impressing many. He followed that up with some great performances at Killalane a few weeks later, battling with the likes of Adrian Archibald and John Donnan, and beating riders such as Jason Griffiths and Ian Lougher, as he went on to take two thirds and a fifth.

With Team Ireland defunct, Martin and his loyal local sponsors re-grouped and made their preparations for the new season. Martin's dream has always been to compete and do well at the Isle of Man TT, and his sponsorship consortium, now under the title of 'Round Tower Racing', named after the famous landmark in Martin's home town of Lusk, have made this possible, bringing in three Suzuki machines (a 1000cc and two 600cc's), a race transporter, and everything else required to run a rider at the top level of road racing.

As well as making his TT debut, Martin was also to go back to his first love; racing on closed public roads in Ireland. A lot was expected of Martin and he hasn't failed to deliver, after a slow start to the year, he has proved himself to be one of Ireland's best Superbike riders, taking wins at Walderstown and Athea as well as podium finishes at Kells and Monaghan, where he has beaten some of the biggest names in the sport.

But what about his TT dream? Martin came to the TT in May quietly confident of some good results on his TT debut. Practice week went well, with Martin taking his time and gradually building his lap speeds up on each of his machines. There was no pressure on Martin to perform, and it showed with the big Lusk man thoroughly enjoying his first TT.

Looking back, race week perhaps didn't bring the results the team had hoped for, but there were still a lot of good points to take away from the week. Martin started the week with a solid 18th in the Formula 1 race, lapping the circuit at over 118mph. The 1000cc Production was next, where Martin finished a disappointing 26th after the tyre problems with the CD Racing Suzuki. In Wednesday's Junior Race Martin was flying and by the start of lap three was up into the top ten in a TT race for the first time. What promised to be a brilliant result turned into disappointment soon after however, when a blown motor put him out at Greeba.

For Friday Martin had two rides, and a total of nine laps in prospect. In the Production 600 race he had his highest TT finish in 14th, one place outside the silver replicas but he added another bronze to the two already won earlier in the week. The Senior Race turned into one of attrition with many of the fancied runners dropping out early on. This included Martin who stopped at Ballagarey when his rear shock 'exploded'. This was a disappointing end to what had been a good fortnight, but some good was taken from that Senior Race, when the time sheets came out and it was discovered that Martin had lapped at 118.98mph from a standing start. Had he not have retired he surely would have joined the exclusive 120mph club.

However, there is plenty of time for Martin to join that club, and don't bet against him becoming a regular top ten finisher by next year, as his confidence and experience grows.

The TT and road racing on the whole is crying out for new young talent, and at 21 years of age, Martin Finnegan might just be what the sport needs for the future. If you compare him to the current 'King of the Roads' David Jefferies, who only began his TT career in his mid twenties, Martin is at a great advantage, being such a formidable competitor at only 21. 

Then compare him to Ian Lougher who at 37 is enjoying the best form of his career and took another two wins at this years TT. If Martin carries on till he is Ian's age, we have 16 years of watching him ply his trade around the Mountain Circuit ahead of us.

Paul Phillips

** Paul is coordinator/major contributor for the www.realroadracing.com  website - a site well worth visiting for all the up-to-date "between the hedges" racing information, opinion, articles and action photography.

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