Wigan racer opens up on making emotional return to Northern Ireland
A Wigan racer has spoken about making an emotional return to the bike-mad Province where his elder brother and mentor was killed.
Rob Hodson and the SMT Racing team are already travelling to Northern Ireland ahead of the North West 200 road races.
It will be the 39-year-old's first return there since Jamie Hodson's fatal racing incident crash in the 2017 Ulster Grand Prix and in a race he was also competing in.
Although the dad of one has made quite a name for himself at the world famous Isle of Man TT Races, this will be his debut at the Colraine based triangular Causeway Circuit so, as a rookie, he is limited to three races maximum per day.
And he is now poised for a poignant return honouring Jamie's memory.
Rob told BBC Northern Ireland 'Bikes' podcast that his family, racer Jim and mum Carole were 'united' in the decision that he should continue racing after the profound shock of his brother's fatal crash.
Jamie passed away from injuries after a multi-machine accident at the 'Joey's Windmill' section of the County Antrim circuit during the Dundrod 150 section of the meeting.
A vehicle recovery driver during the closed season, Rob began road racing one year later than his beloved brother, in 2005, and was injured in the same spill, but not seriously.
He said: "We were rivals, even though we were both racing out there from the sane garage. We did most of our racing together and we helped each other wherever possible.
"Unfortunately we lost Jamie at the Ulster Grand Prix in the summer of 2017 but, after having a meeting, we decided to carry on racing, which is what he would have wanted.
"It was terrible, and to be involved in that as well was awful. There was a point where we thought, 'should we carry on?' But my Mum never turned around and said, 'I think we should call it a day now.'
"She gives us encouragement and still does, to do better and the best we can. If you had your Mum saying: 'I think we should give this up now....'
"But to have family spurring you on and wanting more and better, plus the sponsors and friends who come to the meetings with us.
"To call it a day, I don't know what we would be doing now, but to carry on it has just been a big part of all of our lives, so to carry on just seems normal."
Rob's father, seasoned TT start Jim Hodson, was also a close rival on the track - but clearly not off it.
He added on the podcast: "It's a strange one - but good. When it is you Dad in front of you on the track, it's just another rider... we both still want to be in front of one another.
"At the 2017 Isle of Man TT there was me, my Dad and my brother Jamie...we were all in the Super Sport TT race together and I don't know if many families can say that. That was definitely quite special."
Rob's season opened at England's only surviving road races, Oliver's Mount, just a wheeling seagull's flight from Scarborough, with a strong show before the event was 'red flagged.'
He hired a car recently to repeatedly lap the Causeway Circuit (at road legal speeds) to help familarise himself with this exciting high speed circuit, which regularity sees immense crowds of up to 150,000 race fans
It is his fourth season riding for SMT Racing (Standish Metal Treatment).
The North West 200 is raced over a 'triangle' of public roads on the North Coast linking the holiday towns of Portstewart, Colraine and Port Rush.
He added: The North West 200 has been in the pipeline for some while, especially over the last couple of years. We want to be part of the big road races, which we have been apart from the north west. So, things have lined up right for this year."
Rob described the NW200 as a 'unique event' and apart from the flat -out section of Sulby, he believes he won’t have experienced continual race speeds like it.
Unlike the TT , which is a time trial, the NW200 is mass start race and successful skip streaming is a key ingredient to a place on the podium.
Rob said: "It will be a massive experience. You are going from as fast as you can on a Superbike (210plus mph!), to much, much slower on a right hander or the chicane, so it will certainly be interesting!''
Last year Rob achieved his first ever podium finish at the TT Races, bringing the Paton home behind TT legend Michael Dunlop in the Super Twins.
He added: "Your dream and dream of standing on a TT Podium and then when it actually happens you are kind of wrapped up in the moment. It would be nice to do that again and hopefully try and get on the top step."