CRAIG NEVE

Neve was a regular in the British Supersport Championship when he made a relatively low-key debut at the Manx Grand Prix in 2014, finishing seventh in the Newcomers A race. A year later he took fifth in the Lightweight and lapped at more than 115mph in the Junior race but none of these achievements gave an indication of how well he’d adapt to the TT.

However, when he stepped up to the flagship event in 2016, it was a seamless transition and whilst sometimes riders can slot into the midfield and progress from there, he did more than that. Indeed, he finished all his races inside the top 25 with 16th in the Superstock the highlight especially as he increased his fastest lap of the Mountain Course by more than 9mph to well in excess of 124mph.

Since then, he’s been a regular top twenty finisher and, after taking 11th place in the 2018 Senior TT, along with a new personal best lap of 127.452mph, he was all set to challenge for the top ten in all classes in 2019.

However, his season came crashing down, quite literally, in a heavy spill at the North West 200 with the leg and knee injuries ruling him out for the next three months. He was fortunate it wasn’t worse, but he was back in action at the Classic TT to ensure he didn’t lose a full season of Mountain Course competition.

Neve has surrounded himself with experience in recent years with former racer Derek Huxley and former Honda Racing mechanic Mark Hanna integral cogs in both his team and success. He’s also continuing to perform well in both the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship and Ducati Tri-Options Cup and he was back to his best at TT2022, taking another 11th place finish in the Senior as well as 12th and 14th in the Suuperstock and Superbike races.

The experience was taken to a new level in 2023 as he joined Michael Rutter’s Bathams Racing team and it could be seen in his results. Enjoying his best ever TT campaign, the Lincolnshire rider finished five of his six races inside the top 15, the highlight being a first ever top ten finish with eighth in the second Supersport race.

He was on course for the same result in the Senior before overshooting Cruickshanks, eventually finishing 11th once more, but he joined the 130mph ranks for the first time with a superb lap of 130.863mph, indication of how he’d benefitted from riding alongside Rutter.

Continuing with the team for a second year in 2024, Neve was seeded inside the top ten at the TT but a heavy practice spill at Greeba Castle limited him to just one race and things went from bad to worse at the North West 200 the following year when another crash left him with chest injuries, ruling him out of TT2025. Hopefully, he’ll be back in 2026.

VIEW FROM OUR RIDER LIAISON OFFICERS

A real nice lad, Craig’s another fantastic, emerging talent at the TT and, with age very much on his side, is definitely one to watch in the years ahead. He’s quiet and unassuming who has a good, experienced team around him, and he benefits from competing in various British Championship classes. He’s always on the top of his game when he comes to the TT.

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