For some strange reason, international media around this amazing race seemed somewhat muted in 2025.
Our man on the ground, Peter Goodacre who has covered the TT for RideFast for many years shed some light on the media silence:
“I strongly suspect that the lack of coverage was due to new restrictions on photographers that were introduced last year by the organisers. We are now restricted to 20 small zones round the course, with no guarantee that we will be allowed to shoot once we get there.”
This has not gone down well with TT photographers, many of whom decided to stay away. It’s actually an insult to the publications that have been providing them with free advertising for decades.
But anyway:
By all accounts it was, once again, a great success with SA’s AJ Venter flying our flag high.
Here’s most of the skinny.
Imagine sixty kilometres of two-lane roads through the villages, past the shops and pubs in the hamlets of the Natal Midlands or Cape winelands and insert two weeks of the world’s craziest road race right there.
That will give you a small idea of what the Isle Of Man TT is all about.
The TT started in 1907.
The Senior TT finale, the event that brings the curtain down on the TT was introduced in 1911.
This year’s 2025 Isle of Man TT was two weeks of amazing racing, smashed records and weather disruptions.
Disruptions that led to the cancellation of the Senior TT for only the second time in IOM TT history.
Once again, Michael Dunlop stamped his name in the history books with four victories added to his record-setting tally.
33 TT wins. That’s quite something!
He clinched both Supersport races and set a new lap record of 123.056 mph in the Supertwin class, marking the end of a 30-year drought for Ducati at the TT.
IOM Resident Dean Harrison claimed both race victories In the Superstock class for Honda.
BMW-backed 8TEN Racings, Davey Todd took his first Superbike TT win. He ran a tight ship throughout and was a shoe in for the cancelled senior race.
In the Sidecar category (Yup, we agree, that lot are double nuts), brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe cleaned up in both races, taking their second and third career TT wins.
Sadly, 14-time TT winner Peter Hickman, was forced to withdraw after a big off during the Friday evening qualifier.
It all happened at the high-speed Kerrowmoar section where riders reach speeds of around the 225KPH mark in the third session. He was airlifted to Hospital and spent two nights in intensive care. Thankfully, he seems to be on the mend.
That’s the TT for you.
The Milwaukee Senior TT, was set to feature a showdown between Todd, Dunlop and Harrison. High winds, especially across the treacherous Mountain section, forced organizers to make a call.
The weather had already disrupted practice and race schedules through the event. With Showers and wet roads early in the day and a proposed shortened four-lap race scheduled for 7 in the evening, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson made the call:
The Senior TT was cancelled for only the second time in the event’s history.
“It was absolutely the right decision,” said Dean Harrison. “Conditions on the Mountain were simply too dangerous. No win is worth that risk.”
S.A’s AJ Venter delivers SA’s strongest showing yet…
South Africa’s TT man AJ Venter has completed his 2025 Isle of Man TT campaign with a series of record-breaking performances.
Backed by luxury automotive brand FuturExotics, in the first year of a three-year sponsorship deal, Venter competed in both the Superbike TT and Superstock TT races.
He was also registered for the cancelled Senior TT.
After his ninth year competing at the TT, Venter describes this season as a turning point:
“Even my worst day this year was better than my best day last year. Everything just felt more dialled in – from the bike, to the team, to the mindset – and that’s all thanks to the incredible support I received from Zunaid Moti and FuturExotics. It was the most prepared, focused, and professionally supported I’ve ever been,” he said.
Venter placed 15th out of 54 riders in the Superbike TT, and 21st and 24th out of 57 in the Superstock TT, going head-to-head with some of the world’s top factory and privateer teams.
He kicked off the event by reaching a top speed of 304 km/h during the first night of practice, signifying an exciting personal milestone and his first time breaking the 300km/h barrier. This performance set the tone for a powerful showing across the two-week racing festival.
In a significant moment for South African motorsport, Venter further cemented his place in the TT record books with a new personal best lap speed of 204 km/h average, officially making him the fastest South African to ever race the Isle of Man TT.
The performance also earned him the distinction of becoming the 61st fastest rider in TT history since the race began in 1907.
His all-South African crew, managed through the FuturExotics partnership, also delivered a standout performance – clocking the third-fastest pit stop in the Superbike TT at just 53 seconds, outperforming dozens of international and factory-backed teams.
“This was a huge year for us,” said Venter. “We’ve never had this kind of support before. With FuturExotics, I was finally able to focus on performance instead of logistics, fundraising, or running around behind the scenes. This was the first time I could just race, and it made all the difference. I’m incredibly thankful to Zunaid Moti and the entire team for believing in this journey.”
Zunaid Moti, founder of FuturExotics, said the experience was equally exhilarating for the brand.
“This was an absolutely thrilling and high-octane event to be a part of,” said Moti. “Seeing AJ go head-to-head with global factory teams and still deliver such a strong showing proves the depth of South African talent. This was just year one of our three-year partnership, and if this is what we could achieve together in our first outing, I have no doubt that next year we’re going to be even bigger and better.”
“I work with a lot of young riders, and I want them to see what’s possible. I’m just a normal South African who shows up and does the work. If I can do this, so can they. That’s what drives me. And we’re just getting started” says AJ.
Nice one guys!
Notably, for the second year in a row, the 2025 IOM TT recorded no race fatalities and that’s cool!
The Marshals are the team who makes it all happen:
Known as the “Orange Army”, more than 500 volunteers dot the 37.73-mile Mountain Course for each qualifying and race session.
Anyone can sign up with many undertaking some serious training for the event.
The riding Marshals have been in place since 1935.
Most are experienced riders on BMW S1000RR and M1000RRs. Many are former TT racers.
They are the first responders and we’ll wager that most will drill you around your favourite track.
The TT gets a movie nod:
Amazon MGM Studios has picked up the TT feature film and docuseries being produced by Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt and other slower but more famous riders to be released later this year.
Brace yourself – just look at what “Drive to Survive” did for F1.
Let’s hope that they can retain the raw fury and old school street racing character that is one of the worlds greatest races.
The Isle Of Man TT.
We’ll have a follow up feature from Peter when he returns from abroad.
