Rapid Honda celebrates outstanding first Isle of Man TT
Rapid Honda with Drivelife arrived at the Isle of Man TT as a new team taking on one of the most demanding and iconic motorcycle racing events in the world. Two weeks later, they left with a set of results that would have delighted teams with years of TT experience behind them.
A sixth place in the Senior TT, seventh in the Superbike race, and seventh and eighth in the two Supersport races marked an exceptional debut for the privateer team. Against a field packed with TT legends, factory-backed strength and hugely experienced teams, Rapid Honda made an immediate impression.
For everyone involved, it was more than a list of results. It was a statement of intent.
“Honestly, it couldn’t really have gone any better for us,” said team manager Matt Bainbridge. “We were the second Honda home in the Supersport races and top privateer in the Senior. That’s quite an achievement. It was an amazing experience for all of us.”
At the heart of the team’s performance was experienced road racer Jamie Coward, who showed exactly why he is so respected around the Mountain Course. Calm, determined and increasingly confident as the fortnight unfolded, Jamie built momentum with every outing as the team worked tirelessly to refine the set-up of both the Honda Fireblade and CBR600RR.
By the time the Senior TT arrived, everything was starting to come together.
“By the time we got to the Senior, the Fireblade felt really good,” said Jamie. “I had no pit boards out, so I was just riding my bike, enjoying myself until the red flags came out. If the race had gone the full distance, I felt I could have got a top five finish because I had a bit more pace in me and I was learning the bike, getting more confident about what it was going to do.”
That confidence was hard-earned. The TT is never simple, and for a new team, the challenge is enormous. The Mountain Course is unlike anywhere else in racing. It rewards experience, punishes mistakes and places huge demands on rider, machine and crew. For Rapid Honda, one of the biggest challenges was the limited set-up time compared with the established TT teams.
The team began with testing at Jurby, the bumpy airfield circuit in the north of the Island, before practice got under way. It quickly became clear that the Fireblade’s TT fuel tank and the nature of the course were creating a very different challenge.
“Jamie said that with the bigger TT fuel tank on it, the Fireblade was kicking him about all over the place,” explained crew chief and Rapid Training managing director Dave Hewson. “So we made the front softer and it felt better. We started practice with it like that.”
“But the bike didn’t work very well, so we made the front suspension softer still, thinking that was the direction to go. Jamie did a 128mph lap, but it was really hard work — wheelieing and shaking its head. By Friday we were scratching our heads.”
“In the end I decided we should go back to a base setting, almost a short circuit setting, and it was immediately better. That’s the setting we started the Senior race with.”
That decision proved crucial. While many of the leading teams arrived with years of TT knowledge and data behind them, Rapid Honda had to learn quickly, adapt and keep improving. And that is exactly what they did.
In the Senior TT, Jamie produced a superb 130mph lap from a standing start in far from perfect conditions. It was a performance good enough to keep some of the biggest names in road racing behind him, including John McGuinness, Nathan Harrison and Conor Cummins.
For a first TT as a team, it was a remarkable achievement.
The results also underlined the strength of the Honda package and the determination of the Rapid Honda crew. Behind every lap was a team working under pressure, solving problems, building confidence and finding performance step by step. The TT does not hand out results easily. Every position is earned.
Jamie was full of praise for the team’s effort and attitude throughout the fortnight.
“Overall, I’m really pleased for Rapid Honda,” he said. “I really enjoy riding for them. They’re a great bunch, and were very motivated for the whole two weeks. I’m so happy we got some good results.”
For Rapid Honda , the Isle of Man TT will be remembered as a thrilling first chapter. A new team, a huge challenge, four top-eight finishes and a Senior TT result as top privateer: it was an unforgettable debut on the world’s most famous road racing stage.
The TT is about bravery, preparation, teamwork and belief. Rapid Honda showed all of that — and gave everyone involved plenty to celebrate.