Isle of Man TT winner provides road racing future update: ‘I’m not retiring, but…’

One-time Isle of Man TT winner Lee Johnston says a return to road racing is “not going to happen” any time soon, though insists he isn’t retiring.

The Northern Irishman hasn’t competed on the road racing scene since suffering serious injuries in a crash during practice for the 2023 North West 200.

He had planned to return to action in 2024, but suffered further injury setback and hasn’t competed since, instead this year focusing on a campaign in the British Supersport Championship.

Johnston said at the start of the year that he wouldn’t be road racing due to his Sencat by Swan Racing team having no plans to expand its programme.

In a recent YouTube vlog on his channel, Johnston now says he has no plans to return to road racing “unless something drastic happens next year with a different team”.

The elephant in the room, road racing, is something that I get asked all the time,” he began.

“My boss Chris, who owns the team, has two young sons who race.

“I fully understand his decision that the last thing he wants is to introduce them to the world of road racing.

“He loves it, he thinks it’s cool, but you have your kids doing it is another thing.

“That’s how this situation of me being in the team - that wasn’t a road racing team - came about.

“I joined because it was the best for me, bringing my mechanics.

“I am enjoying it, making plans. I know people will say ‘why don’t you go back to road racing’.

“It’s not going to happen. Unless something drastic happens next year with a different team, which is not looking likely at all, that will be the case.

“I didn’t want to do a whole big spiel about retiring from road racing. That’s not what is happening. I am just not going.

“That’s the end of the conversation.”

Johnston scored a podium last weekend at the Brands Hatch meeting of BSB, though had to retire from the second race due to an issue.

On his decision not to return to road racing, he said in another vlog: Honestly, how much effort it takes me to get through a BSB weekend, there’s no chance I’d get through the TT.

“So that’s a strong reason. I know how hard it is.

“I wish I could explain to you guys what the body goes through at the TT. They properly suffer.

“It would be cool to get some tests done to show what the human body goes through at the TT.

“I’m not in a position to go road racing. The body isn’t fit to.”