Moto Moto Racing — 28 June 2011


SUCCESSFUL TT FOR COSTELLO
BERING ambassador Maria Costello MBE enjoyed a rewarding 2011 Isle of Man TT on board her CMS supported Yamaha R6 when she collected two TT Bronze replica’s for finishing in 37th & 29th consecutively, in the TT Monster Energy Supersport races.

The two-week-long event is one of Maria’s biggest on her calendar and also one of her favourites due to past success which includes holding the female TT lap record for five years and in 2005 at the Manx Grand Prix she became the first woman on the podium in a race around the course. This year it left her with a new personal best lap time and smiling but it didn’t run without incident.

Sunshine cleared the over-night rain and the Isle of Man TT Monster Energy Supersport race 1 started in dry conditions at 10.45amon Monday 6th June. Maria was just in to her second lap when the race was red flagged and stopped. The race re-started at 1pmover a shorter distance of just three laps. The dilemma of whether to pit for fuel on lap one or lap two would prove crucial for all competitors.

Costello comments:  “Mick Grant helped with my decision. My standing start lap is fast so we decided that I’d do a flying lap before coming in for a short fuel-stop on lap two. However, I didn’t settle in to the race as well as expected & my 2nd lap was my fastest. I was still happy with my first 2011 TT finish, the CMS R6 had worked really well and Mick’s pep talk during the fuel stop settled me and I almost matched my PB around the TT course. I didn’t know until after the race that fellow competitor, Derek Brien, was killed in the earlier accident at the fast Gorse Lea section of the TT course. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

The dramatic shortened race was won by Padgett’s Bruce Anstey followed by Keith Amor & Guy Martin. Maria concluded her first TT race of 2011 in 37th place. She collected her TT bronze replica from her hero Mick Doohan who was making a guest appearance presenting the prizes at the Villa Marina awards night.

The second TT Monster Energy Supersport race also had to be re-scheduled when weather deteriorated forcing the organisers to red flag it and postpone it until the following day.

Under perfect conditions the final Monster energy Supersport TT race got under way. Maria again started from number 55 and past Sam Dunlop [54] early on in her first lap. It was a lonely race until French rider Herve Ganter passed her at Parliament Square and Maria & Herve came across the mountain together entering the pits for fuel at the same time. Maria’s pit crew of Mick Grant, Tony Morris, Tom Llewelyn & Bryan Bays worked great during the fuel-stop and Maria was away faster than her French competitor and she was at Ballacraine before he caught her. Costello went on to put in a new personal best of 114.97mph on her final lap and finished in a commendable 29th place collecting another TT Bronze Replica in the process. The race was won by Gary Johnson who took his first ever TT victory.

Costello added: “I really enjoyed the TT this year. Last year was my first TT for five years and I put too much pressure on myself and didn’t enjoy it. This time I improved my overall speed around the TT course and did it with a huge smile on my face, doing big jumps and wheelies everywhere, it was great. Now I can build on that.

Maria also continued to show her support for CoppaFeel!, her chosen charity of 2011, by displaying CoppaFeel! logos on the front of her CMS Yamaha R6. Maria will run their logo on every bike she competes on this season and so far the CoppaFeel! logo has appeared on her TT Yamaha R6, the Ducati UK 848 Evo VIP bike at BSB and on her ‘pizza race bike’ Supertwin at the Cookstown 100 & Bush road races. www.coppafeel.org

Maria would specially like to thank BERING, CMS, Hol Taj, Rock Oil, Arai, Jap4Performance, Able-Labels, Draper Tools, Radicool, B&C, NGK, Hel, EBC, Skidmarx, Knox, Alpha Powder Coatings, Christian Baker, DnG, Fitness First, Racebikebitz, Pipercross, Webtech Software, Daytona boots, The Image Works, Hope&Social, Sparkes Management Support, SiS, Scott Physio, and all her family, friends and followers.

Maria’s next outing will be onboard the Supertwin ‘Pizza Race Bike’ at The Skerries road races this weekend. To find out more about Maria Costello go to www.costelloracing.com

Image: Maria onboard her CMS Yamaha R6 as she jumps the Glencrutchery Road crossroads in the TT Monster Energy Supersport race. By www.simonsracepics.co.uk

Related Articles

Share

About Author

Owner of FemaleRacingNews.com.. Huge Braves Fan..