Startline - Road Racing podcast

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.

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 [email protected] 

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.

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 [email protected] 

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.

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 [email protected] 

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.

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 [email protected] 

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.

And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email [email protected] 

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.

If you've ever wondered what it's really like to race on the Isle of Man, here is a behind-the-scenes look from someone living the reality.

Growing up, Chris Moore was surrounded by racing - his stepdad was a TT legend, and it all shaped him into a rider who’s been chasing the Isle of Man dream for more than 35 years.

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 [email protected] 

In this episode of Startline, Beth meets John and Linda Mullin - two people who prove that road racing is held together not just by speed, skill and bravery, but by tea, calm, kindness, knitting, and the odd well-timed nana nap.

From marshalling around the Mountain Course to supporting riders in the paddock, John and Linda share brilliant stories of friendship, teamwork, nerves, laughter and what it really means to be part of the Manx racing family.

The Isle of Man is quite literally their second home for much of the year, and if you're on the Island you may have spotted them in the Spaceship....all will be revealed.

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 [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

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 [email protected]