TONY THIRKELL

Taking a stroll around the paddock at this year’s TT, I came across Conrad Harrison, the “victim” of an article in our Summer ’05 issue of the Mag and his entourage; as ever, there was no shortage of conversation with our sidecar fraternity and we were actually
discussing as to whom might be the three-wheeler “victim” for this issue, when Tony Thirkell cycled by – discussion over, “victim” nailed, time to put pen to paper.

Now aged fifty, Tony was probably a late starter into the competitive element of our sport, having spent much of his social time playing rugby and cricket, until injuring his knee in 1987. Tony had followed motorcycle racing for many years, having been to many meetings, including the TT since he was sixteen and so, by 1989, he’d decided that as his legs were no longer going to carry him around sporting arenas, he needed an engine – but why sidecars? “I’d always followed World Champion, Steve Webster as he lives not far from me so that’s where my interest lay. I bought my first outfit, a home

made chassis with a 900cc Kawasaki engine, my first race being at Langbaurgh, near Middlesbrough. I thought I was flying until I got lapped on the third circuit – still, you’ve got to start somewhere!”

After consolidating his skills on UK short circuits, there was the natural progression, like so many of the top F2 sidecar boys, to the TT. Preparations for an Isle of Man first timer are crucial, so Tony takes up the tale of his 1998 debut year “I went to the Island a week before practice started with Howard Langham. We hired a car and went round and round the circuit for the whole week until I had some idea of where to go, and at which side of the road I needed to be, even though I had been round on a road bike when I had been to the TT as a spectator.”

First practice was scheduled for Monday morning – a daunting experience? “I thought what the bloody hell am I doing here, we’ll never do the qualifying time, as three weeks before I had blown my race engine at Scarborough and I had gone to a breakers to buy

another motor for £200. We put the motor into the chassis, did not have any time to get it tuned, so we just fitted the race carbs and away we went. Much to my amazement we did the newcomers’ time in the first practice. After that we just did all the practice sessions
and tried to get faster and then completed the race, all on a £200 motor from a scrap yard.”

The Baker Honda did Tony proud completing the three lap distance of Race B at a speed of 87.32mph [one hour 17 minutes 46.3 seconds] to come home in 39th position. Tony has started in every sidecar TT since his debut and his finishing positions and lap speeds are a credit to his dedication and determination to improve his standard with each subsequent outing. 1999 – a 48th position in Race A, but at a faster race average speed than his debut performance, but a couple of days later saw his race time cut by nearly six minutes to come home in 31st position. Since then, all of Tony’s six TT finishes up until this year have been in the top twenty with his personal best being 11th in 2000, his fastest race average speed being 102.68mph when coming 15th in Race A last year on his 600cc DMR Honda.

During this period, Tony regularly appeared on the rostrum at the Oliver’s Mount Circuit in Scarborough, including a victory in July 2004. Tony continues “my season doesn’t really revolve around the TT as I enjoy racing anywhere, although it does take some organising, I compete in the FSRA British Championship, finishing 14th twice and 11th in the Super F2 Championship during the last three seasons”

On to TT 2005 – did the bad weather and reduced practice sessions cause problems? “The weather didn’t really cause me any problems – it was the engines, new Honda RR motors, which took some sorting but we traced the faults to Kit head gaskets which were faulty and were causing the water system to pressurise. We had only completed one and a half laps up to the Friday night and had done the speed but not the laps to qualify, so it was all down to that Friday night session. We set off, completing one lap at over 100 mph and so started a second; although the motor was running hot at 90 degrees everything was going ok until Waterworks One where I went in too fast, drifted across the road hit the kerb which spun us round and threw us both off. I thought there was no problem apart from fairing damage and a knackered helmet. Passenger, Roy King seemed ok. It wasn’t until I got back to the
paddock and took off my leathers that I found a gash in my right elbow, so Friday night was spent in the hospital getting stitched up and having x-rays because my forearm was badly swollen”.

Professional footballers would, under similar circumstances, be given the Saturday afternoon off; surely Tony would be a spectator for Sidecar Race A, the following afternoon? “Well, I could not get out of bed on Saturday morning as everything had seized up and I thought, bugger this were going home If it hadn’t been for my wife, Carolyne and Roy kicking my arse out of bed and saying what do you think we have come here for, we wouldn’t have raced at all.

So, off I went to see the doctor who passed me fit to race. The team, who deserve all the credit, Carolyne, Paul Appleyard, Paul Kempster, Big Dave, and Roy kept me going., swapping the engines to fit a standard one; Roy also repaired the fairing, If the
race hadn’t been delayed, we wouldn’t have started because we didn’t finish the bike until 3-30pm. Thanks to the scrutineers who let me through after the deadline. I was still feeling rough before the start and said to Roy, if I feel crap half way round we will stop and pull
into the nearest pub. Anyway away we went and everything was ok but not really fast. On the last lap we stopped at Ginger Hall for about a minute to check the back wheel, which appeared to be vibrating; finding nothing wrong we continued, finishing in 17th”.

Had it not been for that stop, Tony would have completed the distance well with Bronze Replica time, at an average in excess of 100mph. However, there was always the second race, Tony takes up the story, “by the time Wednesday came around, I was feeling a lot better and we had sorted out a race motor. The race went fine and we had good battle with Nev Jones and Dave Wallis, who was going really well until the last lap when he had a problem and we passed him going through Kirk Michael; a good race with no problems, which was really pleasing as we were on a new bike, not tested at the TT”.

Twelfth position, again just outside Bronze Replica qualification, but at a faster race average, [104.15mph], although narrowly beaten by Conrad Harrison – friendly rivalry? “Me and Conrad have been friends for years, having a bit of a dice on the short circuits, but always going for a pint afterwards. When I sold the Molly last year Conrad said he wanted one of the race engines and the HRC black box, which I sold him and that’s the motor and ignition he had in for the second race, beating me by 5 100ths of a second, the jammy bugger! The first thing he said after the race was thanks for selling me the motor. I replied you can sod off and get to the beer tent and get the beer in, everything was taken with a laugh”.

Tony is extremely grateful for the sponsorship he receives -DR Wood Haulage, SB Utilities, Highfield Gears, Richardson’s Haulage and Circle Controls and Signworks, and naturally for all the hands-on assistance -Paul Appleyard, Paul Kempster, Big Dave, and of course Roy King. However, as Tony concludes, “most importantly is the encouragement I get from Carolyne, without her support, none of this would happen. Mike Richards of MR Equipe needs a special mention as he built the chassis – he’s brilliant”. Tony, an engineer with Yorkshire Water, will be back at the TT next year, his aim, to secure a top ten position – with his experience and circuit knowledge that is well within his grasp;

I wish him well and thank him very much for his assistance in writing this article.

Graham Bean