Son of former Isle of Man TT winner turned rider liaison officer Richard 'Milky' Quayle not ready for debut yet but 'maybe 2026'
The son of former Isle of Man TT winner turned rider liaison officer Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle is keen to follow in his father’s footsteps by competing on the legendary Mountain Course.
Illiam Quayle is gearing up for a season in the National Superstock 1000 Championship in 2025 after making his debut at Oulton Park last September.
And while he admits the TT is a personal goal, Quayle says he isn’t ready to take the plunge just yet.
“I don’t know, really,” he told Isle of Man Today.
“Obviously, that’s where we want to get to, but I personally don’t think I’m at that stage yet.
“It’s something I’ll tackle when I wake up one day and feel truly ready.
“It won’t be this year - maybe 2026, but I can’t say for sure.
“We all know how dangerous the TT can be. It’s the best thing in the world, but it can also be the worst.
“When I’m ready, I’ll be there, for sure.”
‘Milky’ Quayle, a self-confessed TT fanatic, made his debut at the event in 1997 and became only the third Manx solo rider to taste victory at the TT, winning the Lightweight 400cc race in 2002.
One of the best-known faces in the TT paddock, Quayle suffered serious injuries in an infamous crash at Ballaspur in 2003. He retired from racing shortly afterwards.
Quayle, who is a bus driver on the Isle of Man when he’s not working on the TT, is kept busy throughout the year preparing the latest crop of newcomers for their first experience of the famous 37.73-mile course.
“We like to pass on our experience to the new lads, and it’s hard because it’s the hardest race track in the world,” he said previously.
“And every year the TT gets faster and faster and faster and faster, so it gets harder for the newcomers.
“But they have to do all the legwork, we can tell them till we’re blue in the face that they need to do this or that, but if they don’t listen or don’t take it in then it’s wasted.
“It’s not like the old days where you had V for Victory on a VHS cassette. Nowadays there’s so much to watch on social media and YouTube, so they can learn the track in their bedroom, there’s no excuse.
“And now we can google anybody and find out whether they’re telling the truth before coming here.”