"Nibbo" retires after chasing dream at Isle of Man TT 2013
Popular TT competitor Michael Niblett has decided to retire after finally achieving his life-long ambitions in this year’s Isle of Man TT races.
The 28-year-old Hinckley-based road racer ended his eventful ten-day Manx trip with a finish in a dramatic PokerStars Senior TT on the Astro Racing Kawasaki ZX10R.
Michael recorded a race time of 1:57:50.303 which included his best-ever lap at the event of 120.256mph.
Earlier in the week he finally won a bronze replica in the second Supersport race, when he finished in 31st place on the Liney Vans Triumph 675, setting a lap at 118mph.
“I did what I set out to achieve and I can't think of a better time to hang up my racing leathers," says Niblett, who started his racing career in 1999.
As Niblett expected, his second visit to the world-famous TT races was eventful.
Bad weather meant all competitors had few practice laps round the daunting, high-speed 37.73 mile Mountain circuit and in fact the race programme was moved on a day to give everyone extra time.
There were mechanical problems with both machines, leaving Niblett’s dad, Martin Niblett and friends Stephen Gillings and Andy Gilliver with hours of hard work.
Niblett was scheduled to race six times, but ran out of fuel in one and retired in another with a broken fuel pipe.
Niblett, recently appointed manager of the new Stratstone Triumph dealership in Leicester, has found combining work and racing difficult.
“Although I love racing I want to do other things and the sport just eats up so much time and money. Anyway what can top taking part in the TT races? I want to thank all of my supporters over the years. It has been amazing,” says Niblett.