Of the 25 newcomers competing at the Manx Grand Prix, none have had to travel as far to get here as American Aaron West Roberts.
The 29-year-old from Castle Pines in Colorado runs his own race team, Endless Motorsport, and has brought with him four bikes to run in the Sportbike, Supersport, Junior and Senior Manx Grand Prix races.
A former professional ice hockey player for the Colorado Avalanche, Aaron first found out about the Island after we walked in on his dad watching the races when he was 19.
What made you want to race around the Isle of Man?
“I was a professional ice hockey player back in Colorado in the States, and I really wanted to do this, so I realized I wasn't getting any younger and, uh, hung it up so that I could do this.”
How did you find out about racing on the Isle of Man?
“I'd walked into my dad's living room one day, I think I had a bag of fast food, and I walked in and that was on the TV.
“He was watching one of the replays and I went, what is that?
“He said, oh, it's this race called the Isle of Man TT. And I said, okay, well, I have to do that.
“And he said, well, you probably better learn how to ride a bicycle first, that's when I was 19.”
Have you raced on roads before?
“This is my first time road racing, and we don't really have any road racing in the States.
“Kind of the last great one that we had is Pikes Peak, and that's, that's no more for motorcycles.
“So yeah, short circuit.
“Just started with club racing in Colorado, and then last season I did the US Endurance Championship and we won that, and now I'm here.”
How were your first laps?
“They were great.
“The best way I can describe it is it's like playing a video game while in a barrel getting chucked down Niagara Falls.”
“Oh, it was brilliant.
“I actually got two laps behind him [Milky Quayle] because we were on the lap and then it got red-flagged.
“Then the next day we were able to go out and go at a pretty decent pace.
“Yeah, it was a good day, pace through that first half and then he slowed down for the second half.
“It was really cool being behind somebody so experienced and then being able to talk through the second half with him.
“That was great.
“It was wonderful, it was fast.
“When you don't have anybody in front of you, it's like, oh God, I don't know, it gets a little nerving.
“But, yeah, it was a lot of fun and felt really fast.”
How do you bring four bikes with you from the States?
“It's a bit of a logistics nightmare.
“My team also works with War Horse Ducati with MotoAmerica in the United States, which is like the factory Ducati team and they have helped me so much.
“I was without them the first day and that was a bit of a mechanical nightmare.
“So having them here is a huge comfort, not just mechanically, but also just knowing I can get on the bike, it's safe, I can just get on it and go.
“It’s a huge help so having them here has been great.
“Definitely not logistically very easy, and especially getting the motorcycles and the tents and the flooring and all this stuff over here.
“We just shoved everything in my little Ford Transit, and we had to build little stands for the bikes to put them in sideways and line 4 of the bikes up and build shelves and you name it.
“But we managed to get everything in there, and we shipped it out before TT in mid-May.
“And it made it to the Isle of Man about 4 days before the Manx.
“So it took ages to get here, and we got it here for just enough time.”
What do your parents and family think of you racing?
“I think it was a little bit of false excitement.
“You know, it was that, ‘oh great, we're really happy for you.’
“So, you know, I think it's one of those things that you have to be as supportive as you can because it's going to happen either way.
“So you might as well take it with a smile on your face.
“But yeah, I think, you know, if I had a kid, I wouldn't be that excited about them doing it either.”
What do you think of the Island?
“I love this place.
“The locals are so kind, so welcoming.
“I mean, they would just, they would give you the shirt off their back.
“Every one of them, every single one that I've met.
“So it's been, it's been really nice being here, and every time I come here, I just want to come back.”
You can spot Aaron out on the Mountain Course on his distinctive bikes on number 48 in the Sportbike class and number 58 in the Supersport class.