Preston firm Jackson Racing are gearing-up for another tilt at TT success
Paul Jordan will fly the flag for Jackson Racing at this year’s TT Races in Isle of Man
“Looking from the outside in, it all looks a bit crazy!”
Former motorbike champion Alan Jackson Jnr has a quiet, reflective chuckle to himself ahead of the prospect of another hair-raising campaign at the iconic TT Races in the Isle of Man.
Notorious for the danger it poses for riders, the Isle of Man road terrain has seen many fatal accidents over the years.
Indeed, Jackson Jnr had his own brush with death 20 years ago when he came off his 750cc Martin Bulock Racing Suzuki at the Black Dub near Glen Helen during the Manx Grand Prix.
He suffered life-changing injuries, but if anyone thought he would turn his back on the sport, they would be very much mistaken.
Although the accident resulted in his own racing days coming to an end, Jackson Jnr shifted his focus to managing Jackson Racing - an international motorcycle racing team based in Garstang, Preston.
Other the years, some of best riders in the sport have competed on a machine built by Jackson Jnr and his team of mechanics.
Morecambe’s multiple TT Races winner John McGuinness has rode for the team alongside other notable names including James Hillier, who started with the team and went on to earn several TT podiums, Ian Lougher, Conor Cummins and Dan Kneen.
This year, rider Paul Jordan will fly the flag for Jackson Racing in what will be his third year of competing for the team at the TT Races.
First and foremost, Jackson Jnr prays everyone comes home safe but admits the sheer adrenalin rush of the speeds which the bikes reach around the island continue to captivate riders and audiences alike year after year.
“It’s like going to work driving through a village in your car at 30mph and then going through same village on your bike going as fast as you can,” said Jackson.
“Looking from the outside in, it all looks a bit crazy. It always takes your breath away when you go over there.
“We are fortunate because it’s part of our life. We get to see what goes on behind the scenes which Joe Public don’t get to see.
“We are in it, we are part of it - we’re part of the show - you almost take it for granted.”
Born and bred into the sport of motor racing, the former biker from Preston spent his formative years watching his dad, Alan Snr, enjoying a hugely successful career racing on both two and four wheels.
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He claimed four victories at the TT Races, along with three consecutive World Formula Two Championships.
It was always going to be the case that his sons would follow their old man into the world of racing.
Jackson Jnr, whose brother Andy was also a racer, famously won the 2003 Isle of Man TT 750cc production class and then set a Manx Grand Prix lap record in 2005, which stood for 10 years.
He loved his time racing, but will take just as much pleasure to see his rider achieve success this year.
Jordan, who hails from Northern Ireland, is competing in the Supersport, Superstock and Monster classes.
“I don’t want to say what I think we can achieve this, but I do have my own personal expectation about what is achievable,” he added.
“We just need that little bit of lady luck; pit stops to go faultless. It’s a time challenge at the end of the day.
“We want to increase pace, increase lap times from last year and if we do that, we won’t be too far away.
“Paul is in his third year racing with us, he knows us, we know him - we know what we need to do to deliver.”
Jackson Racing would like to thank all their partners and sponsors, including Preston information technology firm IT247NW.
Their managing director Ryan Kilner said it was a dream come true to get involved in the event.
“It’s a bit of a dream for me,” he said. “I’ve been a massive motorbike fan since I was a kid, so getting the chance to personally sponsor an international road racing team is brilliant.
“Jackson Racing is a seriously well-known team, they’re one of the most talked-about outfits in the paddock, so when the opportunity came up to get involved, I jumped at it.
“It’s been great to align our brand with a team that has such a huge reputation. “