Africa’s AJ Venter to 2014 Isle of Man TT with Top Gun Racing
AJ Venter
2014 Isle of Man TT
South African rider AJ Venter will return to the Isle of Man TT Races, fueled by Monster Energy, in 2014 as part of the Top Gun Racing team.
It will be Venter’s second year of competing on the Mountain Course and this time he will compete in all solo races, riding Hondas in the 600cc and 1000cc categories and a Kawasaki in the Lightweight Race.
The former British Supersport Championship front runner made his debut appearance at the TT last year, lapping in excess of 116mph, before going on to ride at the Macau Grand Prix for the first time and is determined to come back to the Island this year and continue to build on his road racing career.
AJ will also be competing in the South African Superbike Championship onboard a BMW S1000RR, which he will prepare himself under the AJ Venter Racing Team banner. The team’s plan is to keep racing at home, remain injury free, and focus on the TT for 2014
Top Gun Racing is run by former racer and TT competitor Adrian Cox, the RAF man hanging up his leathers after last year’s Formula 1 Classic TT when he took eighth on his 600cc Honda, winning the privateer category in the process. After making his debut at the Manx Grand Prix in 2010, Cox moved up to the TT in 2012 and went on to win two bronze replicas with a best finish of 15th in last year’s Lightweight race. Other riders to benefit form the support of Top Gun Racing include former Senior Manx GP winner and fellow RAF man Michael Russell.
The team will be competing with support from the RAF, Breitling, Silkolene, Energy and X Bikes and further information can be found on their website www.topgunracing.co.uk.
Speaking about his forthcoming TT campaign, Venter said: “I am over the moon to be joining Adrian Cox’s team, as he is close friends with the team I rode for at last year’s TT where I was treated like royalty. What really excites me this year is that I’ll be able to do a lot more laps as I will be competing in 6 races rather than three. I learnt a lot from last year’s event, and this year I will be coming back more focused physically and mentally. One thing that has bugged me since last year is that I wasn’t able to get my final flying lap in the Senior Race, and on my previous lap I had just done my quickest time of the event.
“I am confident in Adrian and his team as he is coming off 18 years of racing experience as well as riding himself around the TT, and if there is one thing money can’t buy, it’s experience. I must say a big thank you to Paul Phillips and his whole team, Full Throttle Racing Accessories, Minopex, Wiesehof Coffee, Arai, Ultimate Fitness Centre and SBK Sunglasses for making it possible for me to travel halfway across the world to continue pursuing a dream of standing on that TT podium one day. If it was not for any of them, the TT would still just be a Playstation game.”
