RHYS STEPHENSON NAMED RST STAR OF TOMORROW AWARD
Racing around the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course is an unrivaled test of skill and endurance for a motorcycle racer, providing a level of excitement that many say cannot be matched no matter where they race around the world.
It’s this appeal that keeps riders coming back year on year, whether they’re competing for podium positions or chasing personal bests, and no matter if it’s at the TT itself or in August’s Manx Grand Prix. This enigma that is the climb up, over and around Snaefell Mountain continues to not only draw riders back again and again, but attracts a constant stream of newcomers desperate for a taste of that Manx magic.
In recognition of this challenge, Official Safety Partner RST presents the ‘Star of Tomorrow’ award each year, awarded to the rider who shows outstanding performance, dedication, and potential. The decision lies with Rider Liaison Officers John Barton and Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle, who are therefore best placed to recognise the achievements in line with what the award represents.
2025 RST Star of tomorrow Winner - Kevin Keyes
Previous winners of the RST Star of Tomorrow award include Davey Todd and Ryan and Callum Crowe in 2018 and 2019 respectively, with all three going on to become leading names in their respective classes, TT winners and firm favourites with fans around the Mountain Course and the island itself. Local hero Ryan Cringle took the award home in 2023, with Loris Majcan and Kevin Keyes winning over the last two years.
For 2026, the award has gone to Lincolnshire rider Rhys Stephenson. At just 20 years of age, Stephenson is the youngest competitor at this year’s TT, and has come up through the ranks of the British Championship paddock, having first competed in the British Talent Cup (now the Moto4 British Cup) in 2021 before a breakthrough year saw him finish fourth in the points in 2022. Having spent two years competing in the National Sportbike Championship with successful results, Stephenson has put competing at the TT as his main priority for 2026.
Rhys Stephenson
Stephenson competed in the opening Carole Nash Sportbike TT on Friday afternoon, finishing the race in a respectable 24th at an average speed of 113.550mph, enough to earn a Bronze Replica and the second TT newcomer behind Manx Grand Prix graduate Toby Shann.
The 2026 TT marks the first time that Mountain Course newcomers are unable to compete in the six-lap races found solely in the Superbike class. The decision forms part of the TT’s ongoing initiative to improve safety and it gives first-timers a chance to ease themselves into racing at the TT before embarking on a near two-hour endurance test around the most demanding circuit in all of motorsport.
