MONSTER ENERGY PEOPLE'S CHALLENGER AWARD
Each year, the Monster Energy People’s Challenger Award aims to put a spotlight on those competitors whose dedication and spirit would otherwise go unnoticed.
This year, four names from the 2026 entry list have been shortlisted for those that go above and beyond and truly embody the spirit of the Isle of Man TT Races.
Timothee Monot
Frenchman Timothee Monot has been a constant on Isle of Man TT entry lists since 2012, making his debut in the Supersport class of that year and achieving a pair of finishes on his Yamaha R6. Monot focused on the smaller capacity categories until 2019, where he moved up to 1000cc racing.
He arrives at the TT with the Morbihan-moto team, competing aboard a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior and a Yamaha R6 in the Supersport category.
Frenchman Timothee Monot has been a constant on Isle of Man TT entry lists since 2012
James Chawke
James Chawke first arrived at the Isle of Man TT in 2019 after winning the 2018 Junior Manx Grand Prix and nearly finished in the top ten at his first attempt. Competing across all classes that year, Chawke finished 11th aboard a Paton in the Lightweight TT, just 13 seconds behind Horst Saiger.
Chawke is a regular face in the TT paddock, and has enjoyed a strong record around the Mountain Course, finishing 23 out of the 28 races he has started. As well as his 11th in the 2019 Lightweight TT, his result of 14th in the 2024 Superbike TT was arguably his most impressive result, and will be hoping to break into the top 20 once again this year.
Chawke is a regular face in the TT paddock, and has enjoyed a strong record around the Mountain Course
Jonathan Perry
Like Chawke, Jonathan Perry is another Manx Grand Prix graduate and has also had an impressive run of reliability since his debut in 2018. Just five retirements in 24 starts has seen him notch up plenty of laps around the Mountain Course and is another rider hoping to work his way into the top 20 by the time the chequered flag drops.
His best result to date came in the 2022 Supertwin TT, finishing 13th on the Kawasaki that populated much of the class at that time. This result was his second top-15 finish in a row in the category, having finished 14th in the then-titled Lightweight TT in 2019 and before the Covid-enforced break. More recently, he’s focused on the larger capacity events with 2025 seeing him break the 125mph barrier for the first time.
Jonathan Perry is another Manx Grand Prix graduate and has also had an impressive run of reliability since his debut in 2018.
Baz Furber
Barry Furber has firmly cemented himself as a regular top ten finisher in the Supertwin category over the last few years, with five top ten results in the last six races, and even from his very first appearance in the class at his debut TT in 2016 he was just 45 seconds away from a top ten result - comfortably the first Suzuki across the line that year.
His talents don’t just lie in the small bike category either and he’s been steadily improving in both Supersport and big bike categories over the years with 2025 seeing him set personal best laps in every class. With 42 starts since his debut in 2016, Furber has a font of knowledge to draw from as he becomes a regular top-20 finisher in all classes.
Furber has a font of knowledge to draw from as he becomes a regular top-20 finisher in all classes.
The People’s Challenger award, as its name suggests, is voted for by the fans. You can cast your vote for who you feel deserves this accolade the most here: VOTE NOW
