Craig Neve

Craig 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 Isle of TT Man Races.

However, when Craig stepped up to the TT 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 RL360 Superstock Race 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 Milwaukee Senior TT Race, 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 leg and knee injuries that ruled him out for the next three months. Craig 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 playing integral roles in both his team and success. Craig is 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 TT 2022, taking another 11th place finish in the Senior, as well as 12th in the Superstock and 14th  in the RST 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 Monster Energy Supersport TT 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, an indication of how he’d benefitted from riding alongside Rutter.

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 with a good, experienced team around him, and he really benefits from competing in various British Championship classes. Craig is always on the top of his game when he comes to the TT.

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