Startline - Road Racing podcast

Canadian racer Dallas Reynolds has taken rather an unusual route towards the roads.
After 13 years in the Canadian Army, including deployments overseas, Dallas turned his attention increasingly towards racing, progressing from club competition at home, through the Canadian national series and ultimately onto the Irish roads.
Now, the Isle of Man is firmly in his sights.
In this episode of Startline, Dallas talks about where his fascination with the TT and Manx Grand Prix first began, the influence his military career has had on the way he approaches racing, and what he has learned from two seasons competing on the roads.
Having already experienced the MGP from inside the paddock as part of another rider’s team, Dallas is now preparing to submit his expression of interest for 2027 and hoping his next visit to the Island might finally be as a newcomer.
We also talk about learning the Mountain Course, dealing with setbacks, the importance of preparation and why, for Dallas, the answer is simply to keep putting the work in.
You can follow Dallas on Instagram here and Facebook here.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 

For some people, racing is something they’ve been doing all their lives.
For Martin Clare and Amanda Mason, the journey has been a little less straightforward.
In this episode of Startline, we catch up with the pair in the Manx Grand Prix paddock to talk about how they found their way into racing, their love of the roads, a new sidecar partnership that is very much still a work in progress and why sometimes you just have to take the opportunity and see where it leads.
There are plenty of laughs along the way, but also a powerful reminder that life is there to be lived. And bacon is not to be burnt.
And after this episode - Martin and Amanda did become the last ever Tonfanau Sidecar Champions!
You can find their page - LCM Racing on Facebook or you can get in touch with Martin and Amanda directly.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 

Ben Wilkinson has one goal firmly in his sights: racing at the Manx Grand Prix.
After beginning on motocross bikes at the age of 11, Ben moved into circuit racing before turning his attention to the roads. But his journey suffered a painful setback following this year’s Southern 100, when a low-speed road-bike accident left his shoulder broken in four places and his arm out of its socket for four days.
In this episode of the Startline Road Racing Podcast, Ben talks candidly about the physical and mental challenge of recovery, the family and friends helping to rebuild him, and why the accident hasn’t diminished his determination to race again - although it does mean the garden has been neglected...
We also hear why his first Manx Grand Prix application was unsuccessful, what he needs to do next and why, however long it takes, Ben won’t stop until he reaches the startline.
We're also joined by Ben's friend Kean, who's quickly proved he's got what it takes to be a crucial part of the team.
And in this episode, we also catch up with former guest Shane Doran who did his first MGP in 2026.
You can follow Ben's Peach Racing page on Facebook here.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 
 

In this episode, we catch up with previous Startliners Illiam Quayle, Markus Karlsson, Andy Herd and Andrew Coulter to find out how Manx Grand Prix 2026 lived up to the dream.
We hear how they expected it to be, what was the reality was like, their advice for anyone wanting to be a newcomer in 2027 and most importantly - whether they want to do it again...
You can find Illiam Quayle Facebook and Instagram here
Markus Karlsson on Facebook here and Instagram here,
Andy Herd on Facebook here and Instagram here.
And Andrew Coulter on Facebook here and Instagram here.
**
Also in this episode, hear how Beth got on being a sidecar passenger for the very first time there may one tiny swear word, so sorry about that!
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 

Belgian racer Laurent Hoffman has been back on the Isle of Man Mountain Course after a 12-year gap, and the comeback story is even more dramatic than it sounds.
After a crash at TT 2014 left him in a wheelchair and doctors telling him he’d likely never ride again, he returned to the Island with a rebuilt team, years of preparation, and some clear goals.
Laurent shares the inside story of growing up in the paddock, discovering his talent in go-karting, and funding a racing career almost entirely out of his own pocket.
He opens up about the pressure of expectation, why he chose to keep his return quiet, and what it really takes to get to the Manx Grand Prix when travel, money, experience, and the right people all have to line up at once.
Laurent also shares a surprisingly candid look at life off the bike, from avoiding social media pressure to passing the racing bug to his son without forcing it.
With his wife and son alongside him in the paddock this year, this is as much a story about resilience, patience, and generational passion, as it is about speed.
You can find Laurent on Facebook here and Instagram here.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 
 

In this episode, Beth chats to motorcycle racer Richard 'Eggy' Eglin about more than 30 years of racing, from his first time at Mallory Park in 1991 to competing at the Southern 100 and Ulster Grand Prix.
Richard talks openly about his recent S100 victory, the challenges and costs of racing, the importance of the people who support him, and why the racing community means so much to him.
He also shares his experiences with mental health and explains how motorcycle racing has given him an outlet, a focus and a reason to keep moving forward.
An honest and inspiring conversation about racing, resilience, friendship, support and the determination to keep chasing your goals.
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this podcast, you can find support at TORQ, a specialised mental health and well being support service on the Isle of Man, created by the Dan Kneen Charitable Fund in partnership with Rock2Recovery.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 
 

The waiting is almost over.
The paddock is beginning to fill, the tents are going up and, after a year of planning, the 2026 Manx Grand Prix is suddenly very real.
In this episode of Startline, we’re at the TT Grandstand with Manx Motor Cycle Club Chairman John McBride and Secretary and Treasurer Ned Bowers for a final look ahead before the action gets under way.
We talk about an exciting international crop of newcomers, the riders who could be challenging at the front, the huge commitment - and financial sacrifice - it takes simply to make it to the start line, and the one remaining place in the prestigious Tommy Club.
John and Ned also take us behind the scenes of an event powered by volunteers, talk about the vital need for marshals and reflect on what makes the MGP so special: more than a century of history, tradition and stories and a new generation of riders hoping to write their own.
For the organisers, twelve months of preparation are almost over.
Now comes what Ned describes perfectly as “a year in a week.”
MGP 2026 is almost here.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 
 

Motorcycles have been part of Kyle Casement’s life for as long as he can remember.
Raised in a motocross family, Kyle began riding as a young child and went on to compete in British Championship events, beach races and arena cross. He later qualified as an electrician before establishing BVS Vehicles - a business that began with selling a few cars to help fund his racing and now plays a central part in making his ambitions possible.
After moving into road racing just five years ago, Kyle is now preparing for his greatest challenge yet: making his debut at the Manx Grand Prix and completing his first racing laps of the Mountain Course.
In this episode, Kyle opens up about the excitement and nerves building as he prepares for this.
There are the challenges of balancing work, training, racing and family life, and the huge contribution made by the people supporting him behind the scenes.
He also reflects on growing up watching the TT from the hedges, learning from experienced friends and family members, and the surreal prospect of finally heading down Bray Hill himself.
Kyle has no expectations of lap speeds, podiums or immediate success. His first goal is simply to learn, stay safe and embrace an experience he will never have the chance to repeat: being a newcomer on the Mountain Course.
You can find Kyle on Facebook here.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 
 
 

Adam “Stretch” Rayner may be a latecomer to motorcycle racing, but he is certainly not short of ambition.
The six-foot-six welder from South Yorkshire candidly admits that his early riding was sometimess reckless. 
A stark warning persuaded Adam to change direction, gain his racing licence and take his natural ability into official competition.
Since beginning racing in 2023, Adam has set his sights firmly on the roads. His debut at the Southern 100 in 2026 confirmed that it was where he belonged: despite a slipping clutch and a crash while challenging near the front, he achieved his target of a 100mph lap and describes it as the best racing experience of his life.
In this remarkably open conversation, Adam talks about the mentor who helped redirect his life, the people supporting his ambitions and the enormous financial pressure facing privateer racers.
He also reflects on becoming a father just six weeks before the interview, the sacrifices racing demands and why his original ambition of simply competing in one TT has now grown somewhat.
Funny, forthright and entirely unfiltered, this is Adam “Stretch” Rayner’s journey from the wrong side of the road to the road-racing paddock.
You can follow Adam on Facebook here and Instagram here.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there. 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 

Markus Karlsson has spent almost his entire life on two wheels.
The 27-year-old Swedish rider received his first motorcycle at the age of two, began racing at seven and grew up surrounded by bikes, with a road-racing father and a mother who served as a motorcycle police officer.
Now Markus is preparing for his biggest challenge yet: making his debut at the Manx Grand Prix in 2026.
In this episode, he tells Beth about building his own 600cc race bike from scratch, travelling repeatedly to the Isle of Man to learn the Mountain Course and the moment his acceptance email made him realise that the dream had suddenly become very real.
Markus also reflects on struggling at school, finding sponsors from the age of 13 and developing the belief that if somebody else can do something, he can learn to do it too.
You can find Markus on Facebook here and Instagram here.
The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix.
 
Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there.
 
And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You can follow Markus on Facebook here and Instagram here.
With an epic journey from Sweden to the Isle of Man ahead of him - and a newborn daughter joining the travelling race team - Markus explains why reaching the Manx Grand Prix is a challenge being taken on by the whole family.