Games And Videos Helped This Isle Of Man TT Rookie Learn

Glenn Irwin is new to the TT, but video games and onboard videos helped him get a feel for the 37-mile course.

By: Earl Davidson

May 29, 2022 at 5:48pm ET

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How do to familiarize yourself with one of the most dangerous and most exciting races in the world? By playing video games and watching videos, at least according to Glenn Irwin.

It’s Irwin’s first time in the Isle of Man TT this year. For the 2022 series, he’s adopting a few off-bike activities to help him get ready for the 37-mile course and all of its 200-plus corners. Irwin’s stepped into the virtual world to familiarize himself with the course and has also resorted to watching videos of his veteran teammate running the route for the event.

In an interview with The Race, Irwin stated that he used the TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge, a video game, in order to learn the course and have a bit of fun while he was at it.

“I’m not starting on a blank canvas, I’m starting with that bank of knowledge. For example, I don’t like the new TT game on the Xbox so I downloaded the old one, and I played it flat out,” Irwin stated in his interview.

“I haven’t even played the game, but I’ve been doing so much studying that the knowledge of the track is there.”

Other than that, Irwin has also taken some onboard footage from his fellow teammate, John McGuinness, particularly of his run in the 2015 TT.

Irwin stated that: “I watch John’s onboard lap all the time. There’s one that’s like 132.9mph average speed and it’s such a clear lap – it’s lap one so there are no bugs on the camera!”

“I’ve put a lot into it. I’ve started going over again, and when I go over I almost feel like I’m ready to be on a bike at it now. I nearly feel that I need the speed. When I go over, I can’t just disrespect the speed limits and the everyday traffic and drive around like a w**ker, because you’d end up in Britain’s comfiest jail,” he adds.

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With all his resources at his disposal, Irwin’s preparation has helped him gain the confidence to saddle up on one of the most challenging events in the world of motorcycling, and we’ll be looking forward to seeing whether his preparations will bear fruit on his rookie season.

You can view the full interview between Glenn Irwin and The Race linked below. There’s more to the story, so it’s worth a read over at the source.