Kate Harrington – Sidecar Passenger

We often talk about two wheeled motor vehicles; what about three? What about sidecars?

Who better to speak to than Kate Harrington! From 1997 to 2006 Kate was the fastest women round the TT course as a sidecar passenger. She quotes ‘Competing in the Isle of Man TT races, was by far the most amazing experience, it was awesome and quite an endurance 126 miles flat out!’. Together with her team mate Joe Martin, she has competed in various championships which included a best finish of 8^th in the TT, 5^th within the British Championships, numerous wins in Europe whilst gaining various fastest lap trophies including the New Brighton Road Race Lap record in 1996.

Kate fell into racing when Joe’s original sidecar passenger crashed heavily whilst competing in the TT and with the desire of her wanting to try it out, Joe helped her get her licence. After practicing together, Joe discovered that because of Kate’s lightness, increased flexibility and skill of moving without upsetting the car, his own times dropped. Guess who got a full time job as his partner! She was a natural and shocked people from the start.

There is so much more to being a passenger than realised, apart from the need to be calm, patient and brave basic techniques such as staying out of the wind affects performance. This means you can’t see where you are going so learning the circuit is vital. This is detected by watching and feeling the driver using the breaks and gears. As Kate describes ‘I wouldn’t see anything of the TT, not even looking down the infamous Bray Hill as I would be tucked in under the fairing, I know we were coming up to Quarter Bridge by Joe dabbing the brake, my signal to get ready to move as he changed gear down for the right hander, by this time I’d be on the back wheel.’

You have to be very fit and strong, not only did Kate weight train several times a week she also took up yoga to improve her flexibility and breathing techniques. It is quite endurance in itself. Kate demonstrates why also understanding the geometry of the sidecar is important, ‘A passenger needs to act as the brake (by being on the back wheel), helping the clutch (by taking the weight off the back wheel) giving the back wheel maximum tyre contact around right corners’ and keeping the chair wheel floating around the lefts’. No rest for the wicked, tiring just thinking about it.

The first time Kate was not Joe’s partner he sadly crashed at Mallory breaking his back, this she describes as her worst experience of racing. After a year out and some recovery time, Joe unfortunately could no longer sit within the racing unit forcing them to retire as a unit. Since then Kate is now in control of the throttle and has been involved with Enduro racing. Currently she is racing within the off road Fast Eddy Putoline XC series and the Cotswold Ladies Championship, with a hope of gaining entry into the Women’s British championship. Her ultimate goals include the Extreme Enduro Dawn to Dusk 12 hour, a sand race like the Weston Beach, but ultimately depending on finances a race like the Paris Dakar.

Whilst on the subject of the Paris Dakar Kate nowadays Kate follow’s and admires Patsy Quick, the only British woman to have competed in the Paris Dakar rally and hopefully not the last. Kate explains ‘In the old days of Road racing sidecar it was Julia Bingham, I first saw her in the 1980’s at the TT and said I’m going to do that one day’, she certainly means what she says. The desire and thrill of racing has never died down, even after sustaining some painful injuries through her racing career. This includes tearing ligaments and obtaining a metal ladder in her arm to hold the bones together. Kate explains that what she most enjoys about racing is ‘The Buzz of the start, picking off those in front and also the camaraderie of the competitors in the paddock’.

When not de-stressing with her cats, in her spare time Kate is a qualified yoga instructor, she goes trail riding with friends and helps raise money for the Riders for Health. Kate has been raising money for this organisation for 12 years. Two years ago she enrolled in the Riders for Health Africa trip because of her desire to also see the country, as well as wanting to raise money for a health worker to have their own bike. Kate also helps out at events such as the Day of Champions that runs at Donington Park along side the Moto GP event. She helps organise and run the sidecar passenger charity rides that were available throughout the day. This is one busy lady.

For more information on riders for health or to make a donation log onto http://www.ridersforhealth.org/or to follow Kate and her non stop racing career take a look at http://www.fasteddyracing.com/.

Aricle by Tammy Milsom