After an enforced absence, the TT bounced back. Did it feel the same ? Did it sound the same ? Everyone worked so hard to make it seem that there had been no year out, but there was that dreadful, aching hole left by Joey and Peter. Every time I saw a Joey Replica helmet worn by someone on the TT course it was like a kick in the stomach ! Every time the Commentator handed back to the Grandstand we expected to hear Peter... Geoff Cannell worked very, very hard, but he needs to add that "feeling" of utter conviction to his commentaries that Peter could always bring out in his. The rest of the Commentators laboured not a little, seemed somewhat overawed by the occasion and sounded tired out some of the time. Still, they got it all across to us in their own ways... The riders worked hard to make the racing thrilling but the absence of the Maun and his massive following was more than noticeable. We have many pretenders to the "throne" but in 2002 we have seen that David Jefferies still reigns supreme on the Mountain Course, with Ian Lougher, Jim Moodie and Milky Quayle, plus some yet to make the top flight, coming to the fore. The sidecars were totally dominated by Rob Fisher. The most noticable thing was the number of vehicles parked on the prom. Vehicles of the four-wheeled kind, displacing the customary rows of motorcycles. It looked as though many more fans came by car and van than in other years, but after seeing bikes parked in camping areas, it was easy to conclude that "fourwheels" stays in hotels and "twowheels" camp out ! "This year the TT was like a big beast waking up after a long sleep--" This is not my phraseology but it was said in similar ways by a number of people from all areas of the TT fraternity. But it is a perfect way of assessing 2002. People said that "it" was not the same at all... We were all back but it was like starting off from scratch again. After all the years of visiting the TT and the hyped-up feeling one gets as the TT approached, some felt somewhat less hyped this year for some reason. The fact that "we" had been away TWO years must have had something to do with it ! WHATS YOUR OPINION ? Please E-mail to : MY HONEST OPINION OF TT 2002 |