2012 Isle of Man TT
With names like Guy Martin and John McGuinness lapping the 37.73-mile Isle of Man TT course, most fans immediately associate the male gender with the famed TT races and the Manx Grand Prix.
But Maria Costello is out to change that with another run at the Mountain Course in 2012, this time aboard a Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki ZX-10R.
But she’s no rookie; The Northamptonshire-based racer first competed at the Isle of Man in 1996, and became the fastest woman to lap the TT course in 2004, which put her in the Guinness World Record book. She lapped the TT course at 114.73 mph, and the record held until Jenny Tinmouth surpassed Costello’s lap at the 2009 TT.
Costello followed the 2004 performance up with becoming the first-ever woman to take a podium on the TT course following a third-place finish in the 2005 Manx GP (lightweight, RLR Motorsports Honda RFV400).
This year, Costello will compete on the Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki ZX-10R in the Royal London 360 Superstock, Dainese Superbike and PokerStars Senior classes at the TT, receiving full backing from the Pr1mo BKR Elite Superbike team. Costello will also compete in the new Lightweight SuperTwin TT.
Peter Extance (Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing Team Owner) says: "We are very pleased to be able to back and work with Maria on a Pr1mo BKR ZX10R for 2012.
"The team has a big presence on the roads with James Hillier and it will be great to be able to support Maria with her road racing this season. Maria will, I’m sure, be really happy with the awesome power and handling of the Kawasaki ZX10R and she will certainly be able to improve her lap times with this bike and the back up and assistance we’re able to provide.
"As with our British Superbike assault we would like to thank Joe and Enzo of Pr1mo for helping make this happen."
Maria Costello says: "The TT is going to part of a great year and I’m feeling really excited about all the racing ahead of me. I’m especially thrilled about contesting the new TT Lightweight class on my ‘pizza race bike’ SuperTwin, that I built with my boyfriend."