Startline - Road Racing podcast

This episode of Startline was recorded in front of a live audience at The George in Castletown on the Isle of Man.

Beth catches up with Isle of Man road racer Grant Thomson after a season that has already brought incredible highs and difficult lows.

From a tough first outing at the North West 200 to standing on the top step twice at the Pre-TT Classic Road Races, Grant reflects on how 2026 has unfolded so far.

He talks openly about recognising the need to support his mental health, what it means to have family and friends behind him, and - in a Startline first - answers the all-important question: if you were a biscuit, what would you be?

You can follow Grant 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.

And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im

This week on Startline, we’re joined by Aaron West, a racer from Colorado with one of the most unusual routes to the Manx Grand Prix you’re likely to hear.

Aaron didn’t grow up on two wheels. In fact, he only learned to ride a bicycle after seeing TT highlights at the age of 19 and deciding, almost immediately, that one day he wanted to race on the Isle of Man.

Since then, he’s gone from a professional ice hockey background to motorcycle racing, winning a US national endurance championship and earning his place as a 2026 Manx Grand Prix newcomer.

In this episode, Aaron talks about discipline, determination, learning the Mountain Course from thousands of miles away, the moment his MGP acceptance email arrived while he was in the queue for the Disney teacups, and the huge logistical effort involved in bringing four bikes from America to the Isle of Man.

This, once again, is a story about obsession, preparation, family, support, and the pull of the Mountain Course.

You can find Aaron 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.

And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im

This week on Startline, we meet Andrew Coulter -  a Manx Grand Prix 2026 newcomer from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, who has spent years quietly carrying a dream that first started when he was just a kid riding bikes in the street.

Andrew’s route to the Mountain Course hasn't been instant or easy. There have been gaps, setbacks, crashes, work pressures, family life and all the usual chaos that comes with trying to go racing while also running your own business. But through all of that, the same thing has kept pulling him back: the feeling that if he did not give this a proper go, he would regret it forever.

In this conversation, Andrew talks about learning to ride with his brother in the front garden, getting back on track after confidence-knocking accidents, the moment his MGP newcomer email arrived while he was halfway through a service at work, and the reality of preparing for the Mountain Course with a very full to-do list.

We also talk about family, fear, support, sidecars(will he passenger or drive...?), paddock life, and what success really looks like for a newcomer: qualifying, finishing, and coming home safe.

You can follow Andrew's progress 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.

And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im

What makes someone spend years chasing a dream that most people would never dare attempt? And what is it about road racing that keeps people coming back, despite the risks, the setbacks, and the sacrifices?

In this episode, Beth Espey sits down with Irish road racer and psychologist Stephen Walsh, whose life is split between brain injury rehabilitation by day and classic motorcycle racing at weekends.

And while they discuss Stephen's own road racing journey, this conversation goes far beyond motorcycles.

Drawing on his work as a psychologist, Stephen explores the fascinating links between performance, resilience, attention, and mindset. Why do some people thrive under pressure? How much of success comes down to talent, and how much is shaped by environment? And what can road racers teach the rest of us about overcoming setbacks and achieving our goals?

Along the way, you'll hear about the unique camaraderie of the road racing community, the strange calm of standing in No Man's Land before a race, why visualisation matters, and Stephen's intriguing theory that juggling might actually make you faster on a motorcycle.

Whether you're a racer, a sports fan, or simply interested in what makes people tick, this is a fascinating insight into the psychology of performance and the enduring appeal of life on two wheels.

You can find Stephen 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.

And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im

In this episode, we meet Brandon Kavanagh - a 27-year-old racer from County Wexford who is already making his mark on the roads.

Brandon made his Manx Grand Prix debut last year, hitting his target of a 110mph lap, and he’s now preparing to return with the Roadhouse Macau Racing Team on a new Suzuki GSX-R 750.

But Brandon’s story isn’t just about riding. He’s grown up around bikes, works long days before heading home to prepare machines in the shed, and has spent years helping Brian McCormack in the paddock.

We talk about family, hard work, the cost of racing, learning the Mountain Course, his first road race win at Cookstown - and why, after getting that first taste of the Manx, he’s determined to come back faster.

You can follow Brandon 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.

And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im 

You can also follow the Roadhouse Macau Racing team here.