‘It shook us’ - Isle of Man TT Sidecar duo open up on “massive crash”

The Crowe brothers have taken to social media to provide their first update since suffering a “massive crash” at the 2026 Isle of Man TT in Sidecar qualifying.

Ryan and Callum Crowe came into the 2026 TT as overwhelming favourites in the Sidecar class, having set a new lap record in 2025 and won the last four successive races.

But their TT ended in horrifying circumstances on the second day of qualifying, as their outfit flipped at the Crosby section of the circuit.

They suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but this crash led organisers to suspend the Sidecars for the rest of the event.

“We were lucky to come away as lightly as we did…”

In a post on their Facebook page, the Crowes have spoken about their crash for the first time, and also thanked Ben Birchall and Mark Wilkes for their help as first on the scene of the crash.

“TT 2026… where do we start?

“We spent the entire winter — as we always do — working hard to prepare ourselves and the bike for the TT. This year was different: we built a new bike and, alongside that, developed the engine to suit the new restrictor plate.

“Testing leading into TT had gone well and, although the event always brings unknowns, we genuinely felt we were in a good place.

“At the start of practice week we were really happy with how both the bike and we were performing. Then came Wednesday practice — and what happened, happened.

“There’s no getting away from it: it was a massive crash, and it shook us.

“We were lucky to come away as lightly as we did considering the speed and how we came off, but we weren’t unscathed.

“We both have broken bones, along with a lot of bruising and pain.

“Right now we’re still firmly in the rest-and-recovery phase, and we’re looking forward to getting to the point where we can begin rehabilitation.

“Huge thank you to Ben Birchall and Mark Wilkes who were first on scene and stopped to help us. Also, thank you to the marshals, medics and staff at Nobles Hospital.

“We’d like to extend our best wishes to all fellow competitors in both the sidecar and solo classes who were injured this year, and we wish everyone the very best with their recoveries.

“A special mention to Dan Ingham, and to his family, friends, and team — we’re so sorry for your tragic loss.

“A huge thank you to our team for the effort that went into preparing for TT and for everything during the fortnight.

“Special mention to Will, Louise & Jackie for taking on the additional responsibility of running the merch shop for a large chunk of the two weeks. Thanks also go to the TT organisers and ACU who have had a difficult TT to deal with.

“Thank you as well to everyone who purchased merchandise from us, and to everyone who popped by to ask how we both were.

“Sorry we couldn’t be in the paddock as much as we’d have liked, but we’re sure you’ll understand we needed time at home with our families to focus on recovery.

“Finally, a massive thank you to all of our loyal sponsors.

“We’re gutted we couldn’t give you a more memorable TT (for the right reasons), but we truly appreciate you standing by us and reaching out with your well wishes.

“Now it’s time to rest and recover.”