JimmyV is home

Just wanted everyone to know that a jet-lagged yet extremely happy Jimmy V returned home safely yesterday as of 3:10pm EST. I'm sure we'll take a moment and reflect on what has been accomplished here in the future but for now we'll just be happy to have Jimmy back in one piece.

The usual suspects from Ashburn gathered yesterday for a welcome home dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse yet no one thought to take a picture of the affair. You'd think it would have been a no brainer, especially with 5 iPhones and one Blackberry present.

At some point I will put together a long post thanking people who helped me make the trip possible for Jimmy along with a total of all the donations we received a long the way. I'm sure Jimmy will put something up here as well for friends, family, and fans. I also think a proper welcome home BBQ is in order but that will have to wait for now. Virginia International Raceway is calling and we're accepting the charges. :-)

Superstock TT Is In The Books

I competed in the 4 lap Superstock race yesterday, and it went a bit better than the 6 lap Superbike race on monday. It started out well, with my opening lap being my fastest lap yet at 114.2 mph. From there I just wanted to take things easy and bring it home in one piece, and we did just that. My average race speed including pit stops was 110 mph, which is not too bad for a newcomer. I came across a few crashes while I was out there. There was a newcomer from Japan competing this year, and he had been doing pretty well up until this race. I came across his bike laying in the road right after the "black hut" turn. The bike was pretty beat up, but fortunately the rider was ok. I think he ended up with a few broken bones, but no major injuries. 

I do want to make sure that I'm very clear when I say "These people are flippin CRAZY!!!!". That goes for the majority of the people competing in this event, as well as spectating. Here's an example... My teammate, Craig Atkinson, ran into a slight problem 4 laps into the 6 lap Superbike race... His front tire went flat. Not completely flat, but less than 10 psi flat. He finished the last 2 laps (75.5 miles) on a FLAT TIRE!!!!!!! He said he knew there was a problem when he had to keep the bike from crashing in the slow corners by putting his foot down, but it seemed ok through the fast corners. Now what I really want to know is, if the bike barely makes it through the slow corners, what makes you think it's going to be ok to take through the fast corners? Hence the saying, "these people are flippin CRAZY!!!". 

So I have one race left, and it's 6 laps long (226 miles). I have been thinking about it for a few days now,  and I don't feel that I have enough in me to safely do 6 laps at a competitive pace. There's a pretty good chance that I'm going to sit out this last race, just simply for the fact that I don't want to make a half ass effort, and I've reached my goals for this year. I've accomplished what I came here to do, which is to proper qualify, and get some finishing medals. I'm pretty happy with things at the moment, and am looking forward to achieving more next year.

So, it looks like my racing is about done for the week, but I still have a few days on the island. I'll continue to update this blog till I get back to the US. 

Cheers!

TT Superstock and some Discovery Channel stuff

Jimmy completed the 4 lap TT Superstock event yesterday and finished 51st. Unfortunately I have no other details as I haven't talked to him or anyone else who is visiting the Isle. I just happened to catch the event on the TT Live Timing site and know that both he and Critter finished the race.

Now some TV stuff for the US visitors. According to Critter's post on the WERA forum, Discovery HD will be airing segments on the 2009 TT starting in July. Much of the footage was shot in HD and should be spectacular. There will be special on-board stuff along with segments dedicated to the American riders.

Here's a schedule but be sure to check your local listings.
7/6/2009 TT Preview
7/13/200 Superbike race
7/20/2009 Sidecar race 1
7/27/2009 Superstock race 1
8/3/2009 600 race 1
8/10/2009 600 race 2
8/17/2009 Side car 28/24/2009 senior TT
8/31/2009 2009 Highlights

Wow That Was A Long Race...

So I finished my first official TT today. 6 laps of madness is what that was. I started out running a very relaxed  pace so that I would be able to make it all 6 laps. Well, that pace got even more relaxed on the last 2 laps.  My goal for today was just to finish, and that's what we did. When I set out today, I could honestly care less if I got dead last, so long as I was able to ride the bike across the line. I was mentally drained after the first 4 laps, and I started making some silly mistakes. This is not a place that you can afford to make any mistakes, no matter how small. I was fortunate enough to keep thing together till the end, and after seeing the amount of people that retired during the race, I was pretty happy about bringing it home. 

 I hope to try for a decent result in tomorrow's Superstock race, but the bottom line is I just want to make it home in one piece. I honestly think that I can safely up the pace a bit for tomorrow's race, but we'll just have to see how things go. They will be starting the race tomorrow evening at 6:30, so the sun will definitely be a factor. The first couple of laps should be fine, but when the sun starts to come down during the last 2 laps things will get a bit more difficult. There are a few turns that will be almost impossible to see due to the sun, so we'll just have to take things pretty easy through them. 

Well... In the words of my new Protégé... That's all I got to say about that.

Cheers! 

TT Superbike is in the books

Jimmy has finished the rain-delayed TT Superbike race in one piece. Unfortunately I was slacking and not watching the live timing so I don't have lap times or the final results. But I do know he finished the race and is concentrating on the Superstock race tomorrow.

I'll update this post as more info becomes available.

-Stillie

Rain, rain...Go away....

I haven't heard from Jimmy this morning so I'll assume that the internet is still down. Jimmy was scheduled to run the TT Superbike race today at noon but inclement weather has postponed all racing on the Isle until next week. There was hope that they would be able to kick things off tomorrow but unfortunately high winds and heavy rains are on the forecast for Sunday as well.

Here's a link to the story straight from the IOM site.

Click for story

I'll try to keep everyone posted about the racing action as it unfolds since I have a TTLive account. You will most likely be able to get updates from the TT Forum if that silly thing called "work" interferes with my racing updates.

-Stillie

My name is Forrest....Forrest Gump..

Hello all,

I'm posting for Jimmy because they are once again without internet. So I'm picking up the slack to let everyone know how the final practice session went.

Jimmy got 2 laps in today and both were in the 113mph range. Instead of pushing all out to qualify, he spent the time trying to get more bearings and picking up additional markers along the way. He was even held up a couple of times on each lap and still managed qualifying speeds. Gary said that it was the first time Jimmy looked relaxed getting off the bike afterwards and Jimmy felt really good about the additional information he picked up.

He's in good shape for tomorrow and feels like he will be ready to race even if the weather doesn't cooperate. The scheduled start time is 12pm IOM time, so 6am for those of us on the East Coast. They are expecting bad weather on the Isle so that could be pushed back as the day wears on.

There's a story behind the title of this blog. One of Jimmy's teammates has only seen a few American movies, one being Forrest Gump. I guess Jimmy's luck with gasoline, laps aboard the vomit comet, and smooth Kentucky accent have reminded him of it. :)

Good luck tomorrow Jimmy! We're all pulling for ya!

-Stillie

Time To Catch Up A Bit...

On a positive note... My first 2 laps today were over the minimum qualifying speed of 113 mph. That means that I've made the show. My best lap was 113.9 mph, so we were just shy of the 114 mark. My qualifying is now officially over, and I have one more day of practice left. Hopefully I can pick up a few more mph tomorrow, and we'll be all set for the 6 lap Superbike race on Saturday.  The team reversed the changes that had been made yesterday, and the bike felt reasonably good. Once again, I went out for practice side by side with my teammate Craig, but this time he was on his 600. That was definitely a huge help. With every lap around this place I get a bit more comfortable with it. I'm slowly starting to learn the proper lines through the kinks and bumps, and things are just now slowly starting to gel.

On a funny note... After my first 2 laps, I was out of fuel and had to come in for a pit stop. I came in, relaxed for a few minutes, drank some water and swapped helmet visors. The crew refueled the bike, got it turned around and sent me on my way. I rolled up to the start line ready to go put in 2 more solid laps. The starting official tapped me on the shoulder to signify that it's my turn to take off, and off I went. It took maybe one and a half seconds before I felt something wet in my lap. I looked down to see fuel spilling out from the gas cap and splashing all over my abdomen and crotch area. I briefly let off the throttle, reached down with my hand and slammed the fuel cap shut. It looked shut at the time, but sometimes they need a good hit to actually lock in and seal. After slamming down on the fuel cap, I once again got on the throttle and started to accelerate, only to find that fuel was still pouring out. At that point I had to make the decision to either pull in to the pits, or continue on my with my 2 laps. I chose the prior. As I was making my way into the pits, I started to feel a slight burning sensation... on my privates. Nothing was actually on fire, however when you spill fuel on sensitive areas of your body, it starts to burn... alot.  I pulled up to my crew shouting for someone to take the bike, and to get that damn newcomer safety vest off of me so I could get out of my leathers. We eventually got the vest off and I started immediately pouring water down my leathers. Rob was actually able to get pictures of the whole ordeal. I then ran off to the trailer so I could get out of my leathers, and then I rushed to the shower. I took a quick shower, and was once again left standing there all wet with no towel handy. Go figure. I was able to use the backside of the t-shirt I had been wearing underneath my leathers to dry off, and I then ran back to the trailer to get suited up in my other set of leathers that had not just been covered in fuel. The thing about the other set of leathers is that I had thrown up while riding in them just 3 days before. Sometimes you feel like you just can't win. Anyway, I was able to get back on the bike just in time to do one more lap. And that lap is what leads us to the next subject...

And now, on a serious note... I went out for my last lap and came across a waving yellow flag at Union Mills. A waving yellow flag means, slow way down because there has been some sort of an incident ahead. As I rolled through, I saw debris everywhere. It looked like a huge bomb had just went off. In the midst of the debris I saw a rider laying there surrounded by marshalls. He was laying on his back, with his hands folded across his lap. After riding through that, I thought to myself "wow, that person is dead, and I'm happy that it's not Scott or Critter". I tried to push that to the back of my mind and I continued on to finish my lap. I pulled in to the pit area and everyone just looked at me. Craig asked if I had seen any yellow flags, and I said "yes... Someone crashed in Union Mills and it didn't look like they were gonna make it." He then told me that it actually WAS Scott Jensen. I didn't believe him at first, so I ran to the race office. All they could tell me was that Scott had retired from the practice session. They couldn't tell me where it was or anything. I started running around looking for his crew, when I came across a few of the "right" officials. They asked me if I was ok, and told me that it was in fact Scott that had gone down in Union Mills. After running around a bit more, I was able to find out that Scott is the luckiest man on earth, and was able to get through that horrific crash with only a broken arm. I was absolutely relieved when I heard that.

Already, this event has been a life changing experience for me, and we're not even halfway through it. Scott and I had a long conversation yesterday after practice about this whole event, and if we were actually cut out to do this. It's just so intense. There really is nothing like this on earth. Another rider crashed yesterday during practice in a really fast, bumpy section of the course. It definitely messed with both Scott's head and my own to see someone laying on the sidewalk limp like that. It's hard to see, because we know that as long as we're out there on the course, either one of us could be a split second away from the exact same thing. It's really hard to not let things like that bother you. That was what Scott and I talked about the most. If we actually had what it takes to get around this place quickly. It's so easy to sit on the sidelines or behind a computer and judge the riders, what pace they're doing, and if they are any good on a motorcycle or not. I know because I've been doing just that for years. Things are just so much different when you actually get out there and start riding. Scott is a perfect example. He is one of, if not THE fastest american road racer to come over here, and he was struggling to get to qualifying times. It just goes to show you that this place is so very different from any other place on earth,  and that it can do an absolute number on your brain.

In the end, I'm actually starting to feel a bit better about things. Other than Scott's crash, and my unfortunate refueling incident, today went really well. The thoughts about not being cut out to do this are slowly drifting away. The fact that I've qualified shows that I am here, I am doing it, and if I weren't cut out for it I wouldn't have gotten this far. Sorry for all the rambling today, I've just had quite a bit on my mind. I definitely want to thank everyone again for supporting me in this whole adventure, and I can assure you, I wouldn't have made it this far without all your help.  

Tomorrow will be here shortly, and we will continue to just let the speed come to us instead of trying to force it. If we can continue at this rate, we should be just shy of the 120 mph mark by the end of the event! 

Cheers!   

Baby Steps...

Coming into today I knew I had a few areas I needed to work on. I'm still struggling quite a bit over the mountain section of the course. I thought it would be the easiest to learn because you can see through most of the turns, but I guess I was wrong. The problem is that it's so fast that all the little kinks in the road that mean nothing while driving it in a car, become turns you have to set up for when you're flat out on a bike. I still lack the confidence to hold it flat out in lot's of places that I need to. I'm also not carrying near enough speed into any of the turns over the mountain section.

Scott and I did a lap with Milky early in the day so we could all check out the sections we're struggling in, and after that Critter jumped in the car and we 3 newcomers did a lap on our own. I think that all helped a bit, but it's hard to learn anything when you're not at speed on a bike. I went out side by side with my teammate Craig Atkinson (AKA) for practice thinking that would help... I wasn't really able to latch on like I had hoped. It must have helped some because my first lap out was my fastest.I was able to get a 111 mph average speed lap, and it was from a standing start. We are getting there, it's just taking a bit longer than I had hoped. Hopefully we will continue in the right direction for tomorrow and we can maybe get to the 115 mph mark. 

I guess we'll find out soon...  

Not The Best Start to The Week...

So I had a tiny tip over yesterday... It happens. 

After my not so great day on Monday, Shaun Harris ( A 2 time TT winner) came over and started looking at the bike. He asked me to sit on it, and at that point he started taking measurements on the amount of suspension travel. After about 30 seconds he looks at me and said the bike is all wrong. He said he would work with Garry to get the bike set up properly. Well They definitely made some changes. Shaun's settings were night and day better. The bike felt great compared to where we were Monday. It felt so good in fact, that I was able to stay on the gas all the way through the kink at the end of Sulby straight. I shut off just before my braking markers, but the bike was a bit too unstable to get right on the brakes. When the bike finally settled down enough for me to get on the brakes I was way past my braking marker. I thought I could still make the turn if I ran super wide, but history proves that I was wrong. I was about 1 foot from the bales on the outside of Sulby Bridge, and the front end just tucked out in the dust. I was only going about 5mph at the time, but at that point it was day over for me. The rule is, once the handlebar touches the ground it's an "official" crash and you are no longer allowed to continue riding that day. In the end, the bike is fine, I'm fine, and I feel like we've got a good shot at really getting up to speed in the next day or two. ...And hopefully we can get there without puking anymore, because that just sucks.

It May Be A Long Week

This is going to be a short one. I'm just trying to get some rest at the moment. I was able to better my time a bit today (107.4mph), but I ended up getting sick on the bike. I'm not sure why, but it almost seemed like motion sickness. I'll try taking some dramamine before practice tomorrow and we'll see how that goes. 

That's the short version of my day, I'll report back tomorrow with a bit more detail.

Cheers!

A Nice Day Of Rest...

...To get prepared for a long week of riding.

 I want to thank Stillie for posting on my behalf yesterday. The internet situation is a bit strange here. Practice went well yesterday. I just went out, rode around at a very relaxed/safe pace, and just goofed off a bit. I was a bit surprised by my lap times, and I am no longer worried about qualifying. A 113 mph lap should be fairly easy. Hopefully I can get that knocked out tomorrow. As far as being the fastest newcomer goes, I have no idea if it will work out that way or not, but we'll sure give it a go. I believe I was the 3rd fastest newcomer yesterday so that's a really good start.

I spoke with Bruce Anstey today and asked him about how things went for him yesterday. He said he had a bit of a moment in the Ginger Hall section of the course. That is by far the roughest section of the course, and like most places here it's 6th gear flat out. He said he had a tankslapper that was so bad it ripped the steering damper mount off the bike. That's sounds pretty intense. 

Today was very relaxing. We haven't done much at all today really. I went for a lap with my teammate Craig Atkinson, and Robbie the team owner. It was very helpful and I think I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm gonna get to bed early today and try to catch up on the sleep I've been missing over the last few days. Tomorrow is the start of a full week of practice, so I'l report then and let you know how it works out.

Cheers! 

First photos of Jimmy in action are now on the net.

Thanks to Shaun Harris for posting the link to the WERA forum!

I'm going to follow internet protocol here so as not to step on toes of photographers I don't know. I would love to post this photo in Jimmy's gallery but I don't want to run into any problems with copyrights or fail to draw attention to the photographer's site.

So without further delay, the man in action during Saturday's practice.

http://www.ttpics.co.uk/tt2009/SatPractice/large-55.html

Edit - 6:06pm EST
Travis rounded up some support on the IOM forum. Thanks guys!
http://www.iomtt.com/Home/Forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=162968#162968

First practice session is in the books

Hello all,

I'm posting for Jimmy because he's temporarily lost his internet connection. I conducted a brief interview via phone and Marie took notes since Fairfax County PD frowns on driving and writing. Now I'm going to quickly throw together a blog since she is dragging me out the door for dinner.

Jimmy's best average speed was 106.1mph which resulted in a 21:20 laptime. He really feels that he was one of the faster newcomers today and found that those weeks of interrupting my favorite TV shows with PS2 training have really paid off. Newcomers are required to turn a sub 2o minute lap with an 113mph average speed in order to qualify for the TT. It can be done in any practice session and Jimmy feels that it could happen as early as the next practice session on Monday.

One thing I found interesting is that newcomers are led around on a marshalled lap the first time out. According to Jimmy the entire thing is similar to following control riders around at a track day. Jimmy was stuck behind someone who hadn't done their homework and knew very little about the course and eventually lost contact with the control rider because no passing is allowed. He had hoped to use that session to learn a few things along that first lap but it wasn't to be.

There's a mandatory pitstop required after the first lap so Jimmy took that opportunity to make a few adjustments to the bike because the handling was very harsh. The settings were spot on and the different was like night and day. Now he's very excited about the bike's capabilities and the fact that it's an absolute BEAST. Jimmy feels like they need to drop another tooth off the rear sprocket to smooth it out a bit and give him a bit more top end. He felt like he was reaching for 7th gear in some spots and needs a bit more.

On another note, Scott Jensen had a rough opening day today. Jimmy was at the hospital with him when we talked. Nothing serious, just precautions taken for the rider's safety. Just x-rays and being held overnight for observation. Scott had an issue at the Union Mills section of the course and the bike ended up hitting the wall. His 1000 was apparently broken in half but they plan to get him on another liter bike next week. He's also got his 600 over there as well.

So there's the first day. I'm getting the stinkeye here so I better get rolling. I'd hate to have to sleep on the couch because of Jimmy V.

-Stillie

Official Sign On Day

So I am now officially signed on and ready to ride! The day started out fairly laid back as usual. Scott and I made our way to the paddock area around 9:00am, and we went straight to meet up with our teams. The team I'm riding with is VRS Performance. After the shipping of the bikes fell through completely, I had several different people on the island refer me to Robbie Silvester. Robbie owns VRS Performance, and together we were able to work out a deal on renting bikes so I could still ride the TT. After spending the day with the team, I'm pretty happy about how things turned out. They have a really nice rig, with a huge canopy, lots of tools, and some very well prepared bikes. In fact, the ZX-10 that I'll be riding finished 2nd at Olivers Mount this year. for those that haven't seen Olivers Mount, here is a short video clip.  It's pretty crazy!

After meeting with the team for a short bit, I made my way to the airport to pick up Garry. Garry Hayes flew on to the island this morning, and all I have to say is... That guy is a MACHINE! After flying in from detroit and getting zero sleep, he just jumped right in and started getting the ZX-10 set up for me. He and the team worked on the bikes most of the day. I went through the official signing on in the early afternoon, and after that I just kind of hung around the paddock area for the rest of the day. Scott and I were lucky enough to get a good lap in with Richard "Milky" Quayle in his wife's Honda Civic Type R. We were buzzing around the mountain section of the course at 120mph and Scott and I just couldn't stop laughing. It was an absolute blast!  Everything is looking good, and after that amazing lap in the car with Milky, I feel I'm about ready to get out there and give it a go.

Now I'm just gonna get some rest and hope that all those hours of watching onboard videos and playing video games pays off tomorrow. I look forward to updating everyone on how things go tomorrow evening, so stay tuned!

 

 

I Got A Sweet New Towel...

My day today started off similar to yesterday in that I had to use a t-shirt as a substitute for a towel. We got through that ok, then it was back to business as usual. Scott and I grabbed Moffitt's car and went out for a lap of the course. We were able to stop at a store and actually purchase a towel as well!!! How exciting! We are both getting more comfortable with the course and are very ready to ride. 

I can't stress enough about how cool everyone here has been. I ran into Bruce Anstey in Douglas today, and he offered up a small motorbike for me to get around on. I thought that was very cool of him seeing as how he doesn't know me from anybody, and has such a high profile at the TT. I also got to meet Robbie Silvester, and Shaun Harris today. Robbie owns the team I'm going to be riding for over the next two weeks. It looks very professional and very well run. My teammate seems super laid back, and is very fast around this place. It will be great to just soak up all the information everyone has to offer. 

That's about it for today. It was very laid back. Things will begin to pick up tomorrow when we actually get signed in for the races and start setting the bikes up for Saturday. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow because I know that it's gonna start off with a towel! 

Some notes from the REMF..

REMF is an acronym used by the US Army to describe the rear echelon or soldiers left behind in support roles as others deploy to the fight.

Hello All,

I hope you all had a safe and joyous Memorial Day weekend (US visitors). I just wanted to take a few minutes and send out some support effort updates. As you can see, Jimmy is now overseas ready to take care of business for the U.S.A. Now I’m sure some of you might be wondering “What happens if I send a check to Jimmy right now?” Well rest assured that your donation will be handled quickly and safely! Jimmy left several deposit slips with me and my girlfriend Marie to ensure that all donations are quickly and securely.

I’d like to send out a special thank you to Marie who has really thrown herself into the TT effort. She’s been a tremendous asset to the growing number of people who are generously donating their time. She joins the local “team” of Ben Stockdale and Marc Berte, two long time friends and club racers. Ben and Marc have already given countless hours as well as generous donations, graphic design, shipping and customs research, and even dropping Jimmy off for his flight to the Isle. Marc will be heading over to enjoy the TT along with a group from DCSportbikes.net in the next few days.

I installed a Google Analytics urchin into the site a few days ago to get an idea of the traffic we’re receiving. Basically an urchin is a tool used by web developers to obtain information from their visitors such as country of origin, number of visits, unique visitors, and a bunch of other boring *web stuff. I was quite surprised by the number of overseas visitors we have including 20 from the Isle. We appreciate your patronage and hope you’ll continue to follow Jimmy as his story unfolds here.

I’ve uploaded a PDF document that shows a map overlay of our visitors. It's being hosted on my own site where it is available for download. You’ll need a PDF viewer such as Adobe Reader or FoxIt PDF Viewer to open it.

Click here to view the PDF

As always I’ll close by once again saying “Thank you” for all of the donations and support! I’ll post an updated donation total soon! Jimmy is also keeping a personal log of everyone who donated and the amount thrown in to the effort. We’re really amazed at how quickly each donation adds up and I think you will be too.

-Stillie

*No personal information is collected by this tool.

Don't Forget To Bring A Towel!!!

Sooo... I went to shower this morning only to find out that we must supply our own towels... Whoops. I used a t-shirt instead, so all was well...kinda. Now, you would've thought that I would make it a point to go buy one today, but by the time we got around to it, all the shops were closed. Oh well, it looks like the t-shirt thing will have to work for one more day.

 Today was a very relaxed day which was definitely what I needed. Scott and I had lunch with the guy that is running the Norton race team. Like everyone else we've met so far, he was really nice and very laid back. Everyone here has the same attitude towards the newcomers. They are all very enthusiastic about us, and at the same time are making it very clear that there are no expectations for any of us. Everyone says to just ride around, have fun, and don't worry about going quick till next year. We also ran into Steve Plater. For those of you that don't know, he is one of the few people to have actually won a TT in his second year on the island. He is definitely a world caliber rider. He welcomed us and asked if it was out first time to the TT. When we replied with a yes, all he said was "F*ck!". It sounds like this place is absolutely insane your first time around at speed.

Anyway, things are good for now. I have a feeling that things will begin to pick up and be a bit hectic in the next few days, but I also can't wait for everything to start. I'll update again tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have a story that involves me going to buy an actual towel! 

 

Finally On The Island...

And so it begins... I flew out of Dulles last night and had a fairly nice flight into Dublin. The only problem was a young child, maybe 4-5ish, that was acting up pretty much non-stop. I found it somewhat interesting, and a bit amazing that the parents seemed to be the only ones on the plane that could sleep through that nonsense. To each their own I guess. I had a short layover in Dublin then flew straight to the Isle of Man. Words can't describe how happy I was to finally land on the island and no longer have anything to stress about. If something didn't get done by now, it's not going to get done so there's no point in worrying about it.

Once I arrived on the island I took a taxi to the house that has been set up for the American newcomers to stay.  The taxi dropped my bags and took off. Neither Critter nor Scott Jensen were there when I arrived, so I dropped my bags behind the house and was ready to start wandering around Douglas like a lost American tourist. I didn't mind too much since I'm here for the experience, and I feel like that's just another part of it. It didn't take long before I was able to get in touch with Milky and he came and picked me up. We headed to the grandstand area where I got hooked up with Ian Moffitt. Moffitt is a real stand up guy, and like most people on the island, is here to help us get sorted. From there, Moffitt and I met up with Scott and Critter, and we've just spent the day wandering around. Moffitt let us take his car for a bit so we could get in a few laps. It didn't take long for the lack of sleep on the plane to catch up with me. I had the guys drop me off at the house and I ended up sleeping for about 5 hours. I woke up not too long ago, but I now need to try to get back to sleep so I can be on the same schedule as the rest of the island.

Once again, I want to thank everyone for their support. I couldn't have made this happen without everyone stepping in and helping with all the last minute chaos. From here on out I can just focus on riding, and that should be a petty good time!

We're Almost There!

Unfortunately it looks like the customs paperwork was going to be a bit of an issue, so I was advised by the guys on the island to scrap the shipping in fear of the bikes not making it in time. They have started sorting out options for leasing bikes on the island, and cost wise, it looks to be about what it was going to take to get my bikes shipped over.

It's been very hectic and stressful ever since the main sponsor dropped the ball, but some positive things have come from it. I really want to thank the entire motorcycle community, as well as friends and family for helping pick that ball up and run with it! it looks as though my dream of competing in the TT will finally happen, and it will have happened with the support of every one of you behind me! Words cannot express how awesome it has been to see everyone pull together and make this happen!

Once again, I can't thank everybody enough for the amazing amount of support and generosity you have all shown. I look forward to competing to the best of my ability, and I hope to represent the USA well!

URGENT - SHIPPING HAS FALLEN THROUGH AGAIN

We need help getting the bikes to the Isle of Man or at least the UK. The bikes are currently in Kentucky but can be quickly moved to a busier port on the East Coast if necessary.

DHL/FEDEX - both refuse shipping or charge astronomical amounts for anyone who does not have an active Business Account. Please contact us immediately at jimmyvtt2009@gmail.com if you have a shipping contact or would be willing to let us piggyback on your shipping account.

For all of our sponsors and supporters, your donations will not go in vain. Jimmy is currently looking at the option of leasing a bike on the Isle for race week should shipping fail.

Thank you for all for everything you've done so far!!

Getting there....

Well everyone, progress is progress. I just wanted to take a moment and update you guys on what's been going on. Jimmy has secured shipping and is in the final stages of hammering out all the details. A contact on the Isle has been absolutely invaluable in procuring shipment of bikes to and from the island. We're just waiting on final date and time for shipment along with a cost.

As for the bikes themselves...Have a look! Below you'll see the gorgeous Triumph 675 prepared by RidersDiscount.com awaiting a crate and the familiar TVR131 being safely tucked away for its journey east.

We're getting there peeps! Stay tuned!!!

First Day Total

At the end of the first day we've amassed a total of $2,270.00 in hand with more on the way in the form of personal checks and money orders. We're absolutely in awe at the outpouring of support from our friends and family along with the extended family in the racing and motorcycle community.

Jimmy estimates that he will need a total of $7,000 to cover the costs of the trip, not counting his plane tickets. That means we're off to a flying start just 12 hours into this endeavor. Thank you all for your continued support and donations.

-Stillie

Asking for help....

James “JimmyV” Vanderhaar has been accepted into the 2009 IOM where he plans to contest 5 classes. The title sponsor just cut their commitment 4 days prior to shipping. Now Jimmy is being forced to use every available resource he can to include reaching out to the great interwebs. We are asking for monetary donations of any amount. It doesn’t matter if its $5 or $500, every bit helps.

Those of us who race know the speed at which things change all too well. Parts orders run late, bike issues lead to last minute rebuilds, and car troubles leave us searching for a ride. However none of us have had things change so quickly with such an impact such a stage. So that is why an SOS call is being put out.

Unfortunately the only thing you can be promised in return is the satisfaction of knowing your funds DIRECTLY contributed to someone’s participation in one of the greatest roadracing events in the world. You will know that your funds are directly responsible for Jimmy’s presence if you see him on the TT coverage or in the articles that follow. Imagine being able to say “Hey I helped put that bike there!” if you’re out at a bar and TT highlights are being shown.

Rest assured that Jimmy will be racing and your money will not just go into pockets. An anonymous source has agreed to provide a short term loan so these funds are going towards tires, meals, other necessary racing items, as well as repaying the loan. EVERY dime will be spent on this effort, nothing pocketed.

We are accepting donations in the form of cash, money orders, and personal checks. Send us an email at jimmyvtt2009@gmail.com if you have any questions regarding donations. The same email is tied to our Vanderhaar Racing Paypal account and can be used for donations via that source.

We greatly appreciate all of your donations and look forward to representing you and this great country on one of the world’s biggest stages.

Sincerely,
Stefan “Stillie”Still

Welcome to JimmyV does the TT

Hello and welcome! This is an online record of Jimmy's ride into Isle of Man history. Please check back often for more updates and ways you can help Jimmy acheive his dream!

Thanks!
Stefan "Stillie" Still
JMVTT Webmaster