Iddon keen to make road racing debut

British Superbike ace Christian Iddon has admitted he’s considering making his road racing debut in 2017. 

The 31-year-old visited this year’s North West 200 to support his Tyco BMW team-mate Ian Hutchinson but says he’s been thinking about taking to the roads himself for a while. 

Currently leading the British Superbike championship, Iddon has told MCN he’d like to take on both the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT and could even make his debut as soon as next year.  

“You get a real thrill on a circuit and I can only imagine how that thrill must feel on the roads,” he said. “Silverstone is one of the fastest circuits on our calendar but you don’t feel like you’re going very fast. Everything is so far away and it’s boring.

“Other tracks which are more enclosed give you a better sensation of the speed and it’s that perception of speed that gives you the buzz in this game, so the roads must be incredible. Having said that, it’s easy to say something excites you when you haven’t done it. The idea really does excite me but I also think I’m wise enough that if I set off down Bray Hill and don’t like it, I’d park it up.”

However, Iddon’s family aren’t so keen and says unless he can convince his mum it’s probably a no go.

“My mum is dead against it, she told me if I do the TT she’d lay on the start grid in front of me! I told her I’d run her over, but to be honest my family are real important to me and they’re not keen on me doing it.

“I know road racing is dangerous and if something happened you’re doing what you love doing. My Dad has been there and done it all. He’s been part of it, seen the good sides and has told me there’s no better buzz in the world. He’s happy enough to tell me that but at the same time he doesn’t necessarily want me to do it. He’s lost friends on the roads so he knows both sides of the story. He doesn’t want me to do it but I know if I made a decision to do it he’d support me and work to make it as safe as possible for me.”

“If I was just me I’d be here, I don’t have a wife and I don’t have kids but I do have people that quite like me! To be fair I can see that, I’d 100% rather be sat on the grid than see someone I loved sat on it.”