MICK SKENE

DoB - 31 / 7 / 65

Marital Status - Engaged to Elaine (Paris March 2000)

Career highlight(s) - Apart from taking part in the Manx, Finishing 6th in a World Cup Sidecar round at Brands in  August 99

 

35 year old Scot, Mick Skene, was the 'nearly man' of this years Manx Grand Prix. He topped the leader boards after practice week with an amazing speed in excess of 113 mph aboard his R6 Yamaha.

On Race Day he led from the early stages, and looked like taking a comfortable victory from Irishman Seamus Greene. However, on the final lap, disaster struck. Mick slid off at Brandywell where the road was damp from a shower of rain, and Greene was left to take the victory.

We caught up with Mick and asked him about what might have been.

 

So Mick, it must have been heartbreaking to 'have it in the bag' as they say, but to lose out right at the end?

Yes, It's was and still is a struggle to come to terms with what was "Almost".  At the end of the day I had some pretty bad luck, but I also had even more good luck!

You must have taken some conciliation though, with the lap speeds you were putting in throughout the fortnight?

The lap times were purely a bonus, I'd arrived for my 2nd ever visit to the Island (1st being in 95 watching the TT).  My goal was to crack the 100mph lap if possible.  The laps I did at the start of the week felt quicker than at the end of the week, I put that down to getting experience on the circuit and putting it all together to create the smooth flow required for the TT circuit.

I came away from the Island with a Trophy for the fastest lap for a newcomer, So yes it was pleasing to be coming home with that.

Can you talk us through the accident?

Not really, I was knocked out so I can only pass on what I've been told from witnesses and from the marks left on the road. The last bit I remember was coming up Hailwood rise. I was told from spectators that the road was damp and I had come round the left at Brandywell and the back end of the bike let go in a gradual slide, I'd slid down the road and the bike had cartwheeled down off the road.

The first thing I recall after the accident was the Doctor asking me if I knew who and where I was.  I remember him saying that "I had come off at Brandywell", I'd asked where's that? His reply was "on the IOM" but I'd meant where about on the circuit was Brandywell as my knowledge of all the corner names is not yet 100%.  It makes me laugh thinking back.

One thing I will remember for the rest of my days is not the helicopter ride as I've been on so many through my work to mention with working offshore, but as we took off I saw my bike propped up against the fence about twenty feet from the road, That's when I realised what was happening and that I hadn't finished the race.  I think total disbelief and shock took over, as I don't recall much of the flight into Douglas.

And how serious were you injuries?

I was lucky to escape with just a Fractured collar bone and a trapped nerve in my neck plus bruising. The nerve problem is still ongoing but improving which is the main thing. After 5 weeks I'm now glad to be back at work.

I think that had you have ridden in the Junior on the Wednesday, you could well have ended up on the rostrum?

Maybe? I didn't have an entry for it, only for the newcomers and senior.  Arguably I should have been on the rostrum for the newcomers, but I wasn't, so who knows what may have happened in the Senior.

Moving away from the Manx now, I'm told you used to be a sidecar passenger with your twin brother, Jock? Tell us a bit more about that?

We bought an outfit between us at the end of 94 and did 95,96,97 and 99 together.  Some of the results were: 6th in Scottish in 95 & 96 Scottish and Northern champions in 97 . In 98 Jock and his passenger Neil Millar won the British c/ship.  In 99 Jock and I came second in the European cup.

Then in 2000 Jock and Neil won the European cup. But due to many things one of them being lack of funds, Jock has decided to retire, the next step for him would have been the world cup but as he can't find the backing required has called it a day so it looks like that’s the end of sidecar racing for me.

So when did you start racing solos and why?

I started solo racing in 93 after an accident on my road bike which knocked me out for 20 minutes. While recovering from the accident I realised that racetrack was the place for highsiding bikes and not roundabouts in Aberdeen.

My first race was at East fortune on a 350 power valve in 93.  I recall the engine blowing up or seizing at the first few meetings. I then did two full seasons on it in 94 & 95 finishing 4th and 5th in the what was then the Modstocks class.

For 96 I had bought an CBR600FM. Things were progressing well in the SS600 Championship until an unrelated incident at the end of July put me out for the rest of the season, (that's another story! The short version being that a car ran over my foot resulting in the need for it to be pinned) .

In 97 I rode a CBR for East Coast Superbikes in Forfar.  It was on this bike that I did my first solo road race (the only one until the Manx,) The Dundrod 150 in June of that year.  A 4th in my first race the 1st race of 3 and I'm not sure of the others.  I loved every minute of it. I think from then on I knew that some day I'd race round the TT circuit.

In 98 I rode a ZX6R for a Team called Hashimoto Racing. This was in the British 600 championship, It was a big learning curve with a few spills and breakdowns along the way but a year of which I gained valuable experience.

And what about next year? Will you be returning for another crack at the Manx?

Even at this early stage I'm sure the answer has to be yes, depending on a number of  things such as money/sponsorship but I'd love to go back.

Hindsight a bit more experience and some more luck are some things that may help?

Well Mick, it has been lovely talking with you. Finally is there anybody you would like to thank?

I'd like to thank the many people who helped in any way towards the racing, Alex Aitken, Alan Budge (Budgie), Alan Cummings, Graham Lawson (Sij) and to the many others that helped in any shape or form. Not least my fiancée Elaine for not punching my lights out after seeing that I was "ok" in Hospital and for her support throughout it all.

I'd like to thank the many people who helped in anyway towards getting me sorted out after my spill, The Medics and Medical staff the Marshals the organisers and anyone else that I haven't mentioned THANKYOU

I've done many exciting things in the past, I've ridden across Australia on a motorbike and up and down it's coast line too on another occasion I've been a sidecar passenger at a world cup outing at Brands in 99,  but nothing comes close to racing round the TT circuit for me anyway, Brilliant.

I would appreciate to here from anyone with comments, opinions, tips, thoughts etc on my trip to the IOM this year, send me an E-mail.  I work away from home a lot but would still try and reply to anyone that's got any info for me

Interview by Paul Phillips
*Special Thanks to Stella Campbell for arranging this interview.

GO back