Bishop's Castle ace Barry Furber is targeting the Manx TT top 10

The 38-year-old is taking three bikes with him for the event, between May 29 and June 10, hoping to finally crack the top 10 in the supertwin class.

And the Bishop’s Castle ace cannot wait to feel the rush of racing on the most dangerous 37.73 miles in motorsport again at speeds of 130mph.

“It’s like nothing else – there’s nothing to compare it to,” said Furber. “People think we are crazy, but it’s hard to explain what it’s like if you’ve never seen it or been there.

“It’s six laps of 37-and-three-quarter miles at speeds of 130mph – you are learning all the time. More than anything, you are just trying to beat yourself from last year.”

Furber, who first raced in the Isle of Man TT in 2016, is racing in every class this year – the superstock, superbike, supersport, supertwin and the senior.

And with an extra race added in the supertwin and superstock classes, it is expected to be even busier than usual.

“It’s a hectic time,” he said, as he put the finishing touches to his preparations before flying out. “The supertwin has always just been one race and those bikes took a lot of building for just one race, so it’s nice to have another on it.”

He entered all classes last year, but mechanical gremlins with one of his bikes prevented him from competing in some of them. But he still managed ninth in the classic superbike and 11th in the supertwin – and hopes to finally crack the top 10 in the supertwin this year.

“I’ve always just missed out on the top 10, so the real aim is the top 10,” said Furber, who will be one of more than 10 Yamaha bikes in the supertwin race. “But it’s going to be even more difficult this year as it’s gained in popularity.”

Furber’s season started with the Spring Cup at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, last month – finishing second in the Classic superbike, fourth in the lightweight supertwin, and third in the Supersport 600cc.

“The weather was good,” he said. “It’s a little road circuit, so if the weather is bad it can be like an ice rink – but we were really lucky this year.”

Following on from the Isle of Man TT, Furber is heading to the Southern 100 – also on the Isle of Man – from July 10-13, then the Armoy Road Races in Northern Ireland on July 28 and 29, the Manx Grand Prix back on the Isle of Man from August 20-28 and finishing with the Gold Cup, back at Oliver’s Mount, on September 23.

n Furber is on the lookout for sponsorship. Message him through Facebook by searching for Baz Furber Road Racing or email barrygsi@hotmail.com