There’s nothing in the world quite like the Isle of Man TT—and that’s simply a fact of life. Sure, there are other significant road races with impressive histories behind them, and which have also seen some of history’s greatest racers put in heart-stoppingly daring performances, but still, nothing compares. The 37.73-mile Mountain Course has been and remains so widely respected that it’s probably fair to say that motorcycling, in general—not just racing—wouldn't be the same if it didn’t exist. Just ask Soichiro Honda.
With all the weight of this event and its unique place in motorcycling in mind, it’s extra special indeed when you can achieve something new, something that’s never been done before. On Saturday, June 3, 2023, brothers Ben and Tom Birchall did exactly that at the very first Sidecar race of the 2023 Isle of Man TT. On Lap Two of the three-lap race, the pair managed to crack the fastest average speed for a sidecar on the Mountain Course, hitting an astonishing 120.357 miles per hour as their average speed. No sidecar had ever surpassed that 120-mph mark until the brothers Birchall did it.
