CROWE BROTHERS TARGET FURTHER SUCCESS AT 2026 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES
Ryan and Callum Crowe aboard their Opul/Kelproperties LCR Honda will return to the Isle of Man TT Races in 2026 targeting further success in the Sidecar class after a dominant, record-breaking campaign last year.
The local pairing remain the outfit to beat on the Mountain Course, having taken four wins from the last four Sidecar TT races and setting a new outright lap record.
In 2026, the Crowes will contest both Motul Sidecar TT races, continuing with LCR Honda machinery. However, the outfit itself has undergone a comprehensive redesign over the winter, developed in conjunction with Lumbley Engineering. The new package represents a significant evolution from the machine that carried them to a second successive double victory in 2025, with a clear focus on further gains against the competition, all in line with the updates to class regulations.
That development work has been extensive, with the team committing significant time and resource to testing and refinement. Early indications from initial runs have been positive, reinforcing confidence that the new outfit will allow the brother to build on their already formidable pace and maintain their position at the head of the field.
Early indications from initial runs have been positive
The Crowes’ rise at the TT has been both rapid and sustained. The brothers made an immediate impression on their debut, recording a 113.529mph lap despite only contesting a single race due to technical issues. Running a 675cc Triumph-powered outfit at the time, they became the fastest Sidecar newcomers in TT history.
A switch to LCR Honda machinery in 2022 brought immediate results, with second and third-place finishes and lap speeds exceeding 118mph. A further podium followed in 2023 before a breakthrough year in 2024, where they claimed their first double victory and lapped in excess of 120mph for the first time. That momentum carried into 2025, where they raised the benchmark again, securing two more wins and setting a new outright lap record of 121.021mph, surpassing the long-standing mark held by Ben and Tom Birchall since 2016.
Further 120mph laps across both races underlined their consistency and control, taking their career tally to four TT victories just one shy of the total achieved by their father, Nick Crowe, between 2005 and 2008.
Ryan and Callum Crowe on their way to a double victory and outright lap record during the 2025 Sidecar TT races
Speaking about their 2026 campaign, the Crowes remain focused on progression rather than consolidation, with the emphasis firmly on continued development and performance at the highest level with the main goal of adding to their growing tally of TT race victories.
Callum said: “We’re coming into 2026 with the same mentality as last year, enjoying the Mountain Course with the best team around us. Preparation is going well. The new machine is currently with Lumbley Engineering and we’ve put a lot of work into making further improvements. We’ve made some changes that we’re confident will move us forward.”
Ryan added: “We are heading into this year with a lot of confidence. What we’ve achieved over the last couple of years has been special, but at the TT you’ve always got to reset and go again. The new outfit is a big part of that and a lot of effort has gone in behind the scenes over the winter with Lumbley Engineering, so a big thanks to them and to our sponsors for their continued support. We’re both fully focused on making 2026 another successful year.”
Their 2026 campaign once again sees backing from Opul and Kelproperties, whose continued support underpins the team’s technical programme and long-term ambitions at the TT.
With four consecutive wins, the outright lap record, and a newly developed machine, the Crowe brothers head into 2026 as the benchmark in the Sidecar class. Their combination of local knowledge, technical evolution and proven performance ensures they remain the crew to beat on the Mountain Course.
