PATRICK HOFF SET FOR TT DEBUT IN 2024
Patrick Hoff is set to follow in the footsteps of his International Road Racing Championship rivals Lukas Maurer, David Datzer and Erno Kostamo when he makes the step up to the Isle of Man TT Races for the first time in 2024.
Riding under the umbrella of the Penz13.com team, the German ace – who finished third overall in this year’s IRRC Superbike Championship – will campaign his own BMW in the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock and Milwaukee Senior TT Races.
The 32-year old was a relatively late starter to road racing, commencing his career in earnest in 2015. But after competing in hill climb competitions in 2018, he soon turned his attentions to road racing and has since become one of the leading competitors in the IRRC series.
“The hill climb competitions were so nice to ride and the people so welcoming and I really enjoyed the discipline so that’s when I started to think about road racing,” says Hoff. “And once I started the IRRC, I got to know about the Isle of Man TT. I wasn’t sure if I would get to compete here, but I’ve progressed each year and now feel ready to embrace the challenge.”
After finishing 8th in the championship in 2022, Hoff considered entering the TT this year, but friend and countryman David Datzer – currently the fastest German around the TT Course – recommended another year to increase his experience prior to a maiden TT campaign.
It proved to be a wise decision as Hoff claimed third overall with the highlight being a double victory at Schleiz. Further podiums were taken at Horice, Chimay and Frohburg to end the year third overall behind Maurer and another German rider, Didier Grams.
“Doing another season in the IRRC ahead of my TT debut really paid off as my results improved again and I was really happy to finish third in the Championship. I was hoping for the top five but after switching tyre brand during the year, I was able to push on and run at the front on a more consistent basis.”
“It’s a good standard of competition with the likes of David, Erno and Lukas with circuits like Horice good preparation for the TT. It’s not as fast but there are lots of ups and downs and twists and turns and I’m really looking forward to the TT now.”
“I’ve visited the Island twice already, firstly with David and a month ago where Johnny [Barton - TT Rider Liaison Officer] took me round, which was extremely valuable. I’ve done something like 20 laps around the course in a car and have been studying onboard laps and the PlayStation game regularly!”
“When I first stood on Bray Hill, I was like ‘woah’ as the DVDs don’t show how steep it is but after doing more studying, everything has got better and better and the second visit with John helped a lot. I’m starting to feel more confident and racing around the Mountain Course is going to be phenomenal!”
“My main goal for 2024 is to be safe and enjoy myself as this is a long-term project for me. Building up my speed and getting used to the track is the aim during qualifying week. I’d like to think I can do a good job at the TT and perform similarly to how Lukas and Erno did in their first year, and then improve year on year after that.”
