Since the arrival of Guy Martin and Klaus Klaffenbock in 2004, the TT has enjoyed a massive influx of top talent signing up year on year. 2007 continues that trend and may just produce the best crop of TT stars to date. Here are just a few...
Keith Amor
Scottish rider Keith Amor was undoubtedly one of the revelations of 2006 and is currently hot property despite his limited outings on the roads. Amor shot to prominence at the North West 200 when he qualified his private Suzuki on the front row. He backed this up with sixth in the Superstock race but it was his debut at the Ulster GP that ultimately won him his place with the Uel Duncan Racing squad.
Amor was on the pace immediately and ended the week with a win to his name as well as a number of top ten finishes in the UGP races, battling all the way with far more experienced and better financed rivals. Perhaps more telling was the fact he became the fastest ever newcomer at Dundrod beating the previous best mark of a certain Cameron Donald.
Christer Miinen
Multiple Swedish champion Christer Miinin is not strictly a TT newcomer having previously entered in 2005, but his first TT experience was extremely short lived. Miinin lapped at 111mph on his very first lap of the Mountain Course, but that would prove to be his only lap as he withdrew from the event after the loss of teammate Joakim Karlsson.
The Swedish ace was a late starter to the sport, only commencing his career in 1998, but he has now firmly established himself on the world stage. He finished 3rd overall in the 2006 World Endurance Championship riding for the illustrious Phase One World Endurance team. In that time, Christer scored two podiums (Assen 500 miles, 24 Hours of Oschersleben) and five top six finishes in the seven rounds.
Miinin’s full debut is eagerly awaited, and this time around he lines up with the ultra-professional Martin Bullock squad - not only one of the most successful teams around the Mountain Course, but also the same team behind new team-mate Jeremy Toye’s hugely successful debut.
Jimmy Moore
Jimmy Moore hopes to follow in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen Mark Miller and Jeremy Toye and is the latest top flight American to make his TT debut. Indeed, Moore has the best pedigree out of all of them having taken the 2001 AMA Supersport 750cc and 2002 AMA Superstock Championships. He has ridden for many of the top American privateer teams and has also been a regular top fifteen finisher in the AMA Superbike Championships. Extremely experienced, Moore is sure to excel and emulate, if not better, the achievements of his countrymen.
Bob Collins
Like previous newcomers Conor Cummins and James Edmeades, Collins first came to people’s attention in the televised Virgin Mobile R6 Cup but he soon moved onto the 1000cc machines, impressing immediately. Forced to miss out on his debut last year, Collins’ potential was realised when he won the 2006 National Superstock Cup with 5 wins and 9 podiums to his name. He also made his real road race debut at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough and proved his natural talent with a pair of sixth place finishes. Full of youthful exuberance and flair, Bob is an exciting talent and is sure to become a TT regular in the years ahead.
Marc Ramsbotham
A former top runner in the MRO and Aprilia Mille Championships, Ramsbotham switched to the roads in 2005 when he contested all of the Scarborough meetings. Just a year later he was already on the podium and only being defeated by Guy Martin and Ian Lougher, such was the progress he had made. He made his debut at the Ulster Grand Prix last year and was immediately on the pace, lapping in excess of 118mph!
John Nisill
Lancastrian rider Nisill has already impressed on the roads with some solid performances at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix and he finally gets to make his TT debut. Still only in his mid-20’s, he has considerable experience of Superbike machinery as well as being a regular front-runner in the Darley Moor, Oulton Park and Aintree club championships