Well-known car journalist Chris Harris is once again on the Isle of Man for the TT Races and has described it as ‘the best sporting event in the world’.
Motorsport fans have been sharing their photos on social media with the former Top Gear presenter who first came to the event last year.
Host of the Collecting Cars podcast, in July 2021 he recorded an episode with TT legend John McGuiness and explained that’s when he first fell in love with not just the TT Races, but the island as a whole.
He said: ‘I’d always loved this place, like any middle class southern biker, but I was never going to come on my own (until speaking to McGuiness).
‘But last year John said that I’ve got to come, so I came last year and I think it’s the best sporting event in the world, and not just motorsport, sporting event.’
Mr Harris explained that when he’s been here for work he’s had the opportunity to look around and take in the scenery, and told us his favourite locations.
He said: ‘I just love this island, I think it’s much, much more beautiful than people realise.
‘Every time I’m here I get up very early and get on my bike, head to Peel and get myself a Kipper barm from the kiosk and then ride up the coastal road.
‘The geography feels quite similar to North Wales, and we film in North Wales a lot and it’s my surrogate home, I absolutely love this part of the world.’
He added that the fan zone at the Grandstand is exactly what the event needs.
‘This fan zone is mega, people are well behaved and it’s not rowdy, you can bring your kids here, the organisers are smashing it.’
Touching on the docuseries ‘The Greatest Race on Earth’, which is currently being filmed at this year’s TT and starring Hollywood A-listers Brad Pitt and Channing Tatum, he said ‘any exposure is good for the Isle of Man TT’.
It’s being produced by Box To Box Films, the multi-award-winning team behind Drive To Survive, who will produce the series alongside Channing Tatum’s Free Association, Brad Pitt’s Plan B, Entertainment 360, and Jason Keller.
And ahead of the Senior TT on Saturday, Chris said he only wants one person to win it, but admitted there’s another rider that he’s started to follow.
‘I always want John McGuiness to smash it, he’s a legend.
‘The fact that he’s here, we forget that he’s in his 50’s and is competing at the top level. Nobody is really doing that in international sport!
‘But Davey Todd, wow, he’s really stepped up, he’s smashing it and is the coolest dude! We all want to be as cool as Davey Todd but we’re not!’