PETER HICKMAN

Peter Hickman’s link to the Isle of Man TT can be traced way before he was racing with his Dad Dave a regular on the British racing scene during the 1970s and 1980s, firstly as a rider and then an engineer. Indeed, the Burton upon Trent rider was victorious on the Mountain Course in 1977 when he won the Lightweight Manx Grand Prix and then returned for several years as an integral part of both the factory Norton and Honda teams where his engineering prowess was fully utilised.

With Peter starting racing at a young age – he was only 18 when he first competed in the British Superbike Championship in 2006 – Dave tried his best to keep him away from the roads but by 2014, he could do so no more. Peter had decided the time was right to tackle the International road races and with well over a decade’s short circuit experience under his belt, Dave didn’t stand in his way and gave him all the support he needed.

To say he’s come a long way since making his TT debut in 2014 would be the understatement of the decade and having taken racing on the roads to a new level - in a similar way to what David Jefferies did in the late 1990s - he’s been the King of the Mountain in the 1000cc races since 2018. And that statement is only enhanced when you look at his record elsewhere, with dominant performances at the Ulster and Macau Grands Prix and wins too at the North West 200.

Following on in the footsteps of fellow BSB riders Steve Plater and Josh Brookes, Hickman upstaged them both when he became the fastest ever newcomer in 2014 and what he’s achieved since has been nothing short of superb and if you look at his TT record since 2017, it’s simply sensational with his 38 races seeing him stand on the rostrum some 31 times. Thirty-one podiums in the last six TT’s is simply superb.

Fourteen of those have been wins and only a few technical gremlins outside of his control have prevented him winning more. His speed, across the classes, has been consistently at lap record pace. Always relaxed and cheerful, Hickman has overtaken everyone in the TT pecking order and he’s on record-breaking pace no matter what the race. The fact he set the current outright lap record in the Superstock race, a staggering 136.358mph, further highlights his dominance.

It’s no small coincidence that Hickman’s success has come with the same team, Smiths Racing who then morphed into FHO Racing, continuity that has stood him in great stead. Even the new 8TEN Racing set-up includes many of the personnel who have been with him for more than a decade. The ultra-professional team has a family atmosphere that suits him down to the ground and with a long-standing relationship with his crew chief Darren Jones, everyone in the team knows their role. Along with his own talent, confidence and laid-back approach, that has, ultimately, played a huge part in his success which makes for a formidable combination.

His size and stature means, like Jefferies, he’s more suited to the 1000cc class and this can be seen in his results where he’s won 11 of the last 16 races on the big bike. But the threat posed by Dunlop, Davey Todd and Dean Harrison is growing ever-more and he knows another gear will be required if he’s to keep them at bay.

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NOTHING BUT PETER HICKMAN AT THE TT