By Charlie Lambert
One of the Mountain Course's best-ever specialists, Blackpool's Roy Richardson, has retired from the TT and will now concentrate on backing young gun Jamie Coward while continuing to ride in the classic races at the Manx GP, now the Classic TT. Roy messaged me today with the news which comes as a surprise remembering his superb display last year when he took 7th and 11th places on the Barnes Racing R6 in the two Supersport races. But he feels the time is right and one thing's for sure, young Jamie could hardly have a better mentor.
Roy, whose addiction to motor sport was inspired by his trials-riding kart-racing grandmother, made his TT debut in 1998 and achieved five top-10 finishes including 3rd in the 250cc race in 2002 and overall 2nd in the 250 TT staged at Billown in 2009. He was one of the pioneers of the electric bikes, riding the American Brammo in the inaugural TTXGP in 2009, although the machine didn't make it to the finish.
Roy had a bitter-sweet Manx GP last year, retiring in both the Junior and Senior Classics but posting the fastest lap of the race in the former. It all came good in the Junior Post Classic though when he took the Dick Linton/Martin Bullock TZ250 to victory by an awesome one minute 29.94 seconds. That was Roy's 10th MGP win and puts him second only to Bob Heath on 11 in the all-time roster.
As well his smooth riding skills Roy has brought a dash of flamboyance to the Mountain Course with his Blackpool FC-inspired tangerine leathers and his helmets painted like a gridiron footballer. Pick of them all was the lid which he had decorated with the face of then Blackpool manager Ian Holloway. Thundering down the bypass at Billown, head down, it looked just like Holloway was riding the bike. Roy has just about seen the lot over the last few years, promotion and relegation at Bloomfield Road, success and near misses in his charity golf tournaments, and a string of superlative performances at the TT and the Manx. He'll be missed on the TT grid, and respected on the Classic TT grid.