Island resident Jorge Halliday is to make his Mountain Course debut in this year’s TT.

Originally from Nottingham but now based in Glen Maye, Halliday will follow in the footsteps of his father Mark, a former sidecar competitor at the TT, when he contests the two Supersport races on the Stanford Halliday Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

Since starting his racing career in the Aprilia Superteen Championship, a series that has spawned countless future champions, Halliday has made strong progression since switching to the 600cc class, culminating in victory in last year’s Thundersport Pre-National 600cc Championship.

He dominated the 30-race series taking 12 wins, 10 runners-up and five third-place finishes to run out victor in the series.

For Halliday, who turns 21 next month, the challenge of the Mountain Course has been a long-held ambition:

‘Ever since I came to the island to watch as a kid with my family, competing at the TT is all I’ve wanted to do and, while it’s perhaps come sooner than expected, I can’t wait to set off down Glencrutchery Road.

‘Watching dad compete and seeing the enjoyment he got from it, made me realise it was what I wanted to do and it’s very much a long-term project for me.

‘There’ll be no pressure or no expectations and this year is all about learning, progressing with each and every lap and riding with a smile on my face.

‘The TT has a great set-up for newcomers and I’ve already completed some laps with rider liaison officers Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle and John Barton, as well as doing many myself in the van.

‘I’ve got some good people around me who will also assist in my preparation, including my family, obviously, and I’ll leave no stone unturned to ensure I’ve prepared in the best possible way.’