Road racing star Dean Harrison reflects on a stellar five years

But in the same instance, he also had to find his own way, learn his craft and start from the bottom before becoming one of the world's most talented motorbike racers.

Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, Harrison spent his youth following his father and fellow TT winner, Conrad, around race tracks across the UK.

His first experience of the Isle of Man TT was as a four year old, in 1993, and he has hardly missed one since.

But since those early days, both he and fellow road racing superstar Peter Hickman have taken the sport and speeds to new heights in recent years.

After making his debut in 2011, Harrison has gone on to win the Lightweight TT in 2014 – the same year his father claimed his own maiden Sidecar TT victory – the Supersport TT in 2018 and Senior TT in 2019.

He has also claimed four Classic TT wins, two Southern 100 solo championships, five podiums at both the North West 200 and Ulster GP, and numerous victories at Oliver's Mount.

Not bad for someone who only bought his first race bike aged 18.

"My earliest experiences of travelling to the Isle of Man go back to 1993. I was about four years old and I've just grown up around the place," said Harrison, during an evening at the Cleveland Arms, in Wolverhampton.

"When I was a kid, I didn't really pay the races that much attention but once I'd turned about 12 it started to grab my attention more.

"But my dad always raced the sidecars and he set the bar early on."

With such a renowned father, Harrison was able to meet the likes of record 26-time TT winner Joey Dunlop, before he tragically lost his life during a road race in Estonia in 2000, aged 48.

"I remember asking Joey for a game of pool once in a pub. It wasn't something I never really thought about at the time and would never have dreamed of as an adult but it's a memory I'll have for life now," he said.

And yet, despite growing up around the road racing, his father's background and the fact he had a picture of TT legend John McGuinness on his wall – rather than a footballer – he still had to work his way up from the bottom.

"When I first started racing I just wanted to ride my bike and didn't really think about it as a career," he said.

"I can't really tell you what's happened over the last four or five years.

"I first started watching racing at Oliver's Mount. My friends were all watching things like the World Superbikes but I was never really into all that, it was always about the road racing.

"I just wanted to race the TT and when I got my licence I eventually managed to get to meet (TT rider's liaison officer and former TT winner) Milky Quayle and was just totally in awe of everything that was going on.

"McGuinness was still winning and when I managed to get into the winner's enclosure after the races I just stood there like a meercat.

"I never thought it would be me in there one day. It's like if someone said you'd won the lottery, you'd think they were winding you up.

"I first started off by tearing around the fields near Bradford airport. I came through the ranks the hard way.

"My first bike was a DT50 but I did not race properly until I was 18. I was riding a VFR as a teenager and while riding that on the roads of Bradford I just got wiped out by a car.

"However, I was able to use the insurance money to buy my first proper race bike, so everything sort of stemmed from there really.

"I just kept going once I started racing and worked my way up.

"I've never really had much advice during my career and I've sort of worked it all out myself.

"My dad does help a bit but the lines he takes on a sidecar are totally different. I'm in a different gear and travelling at different speeds."

Harrison has since gone to claim three TT wins, as well as being on the podium 16 times.

Along with Hickman, he has also helped take the average lap speed around the 37.73-mile course beyond the 135mph mark. Harrison's personal best average lap speed stands at 134.918mph.

"The Senior TT was obviously the biggest win," he said.

"I've actually won three now and it can be a bit annoying when people come up and congratulate, saying 'you've finally won one', when it's my third!

"The most satisfying part though is the fact I've won in all the classes now, which includes supertwin, supersport and superbike classes.

"I think I am a bit light for the big bikes. For some of the bigger lads, if the bike's not right, they can use their strength to try and get it back under control but for me everything's got to be spot on.

"Especially through sections like Ramsey or Ginger Hall, where the bike can just skate over the bumps rather than being able to plant the thing properly.

"There's no substitute for experience around a course like that. Track knowledge it key.

"I always want to win but all I do is just race my bike and ride to my ability. I don't really even look at the pit boards that much."

Harrison prefers to ride his bike with as few electronics aids as possible, which means he has a better feel for the bike.

"You have to set the bike for everything around the TT, a happy medium, because what makes you fast in one section you'll be probably lose more time in others, so specific set ups don't really work," he said.

"I prefer to be control of things as much as possible and set my bike up so it does what I tell it to do, so there's nothing holding me back."

Harrison will be back racing in British Superbikes (BSB) again next year, as well as riding in all classes on the roads with Silicone Engineering Racing, on Kawasakis, at the North West 200, Southern 100, Classic TT, Ulster GP, Oliver's Mouth and the main TT.

However, it was at the Classic TT this year when he suffered his worst crash to date.

"It all went tits up when I clipped the wall during practice," he said. "It really knocked my confidence because I always tend to over think things anyway.

"It's one of the worst injuries I've had and what made it worst was it was my own stupid mistake.

"The only reason I didn't race at Oliver's Mount in September was because I'd broken my ribs, which was like the worst thing in the world because there's nothing you can do other wait for them to heal.

"But I'm going to Jerez in January testing and now I've got the hunger back again because I just want to get back out on my enduro bike."

Oliver's Mount, in Scarborough – England's only road race – still remains one of Harrison's favourite tracks.

The entire race meeting was nearly cancelled altogether following two bad crashes in 2017, but following a huge revamp and a focus on track and spectator safety, it returned in 2019.

"As soon as you get into a rhythm around Oliver's Mount it's fine but it's definitely unique," he said.

"When you think of some of the names who have raced and won round there, such as John Surtees, Mick Grant, Barry Sheene, Mike Hailwood, it's amazing really.

"Plus it's about £20 for the whole day, so where else can you get value for money like that?

"There are that many bikes going into the first haiprin you can physically feel the ground rumbling underneath you. There's nothing like it."

Having now truly established himself on the roads and circuits, Harrison is in doubt where the differences between the two disciplines lie.

"The main difference between circuit and road racing is when I'm on a track, I'm nervous because I worried I'm going to mess everything up, but when I'm at TT, I'm nervous about death," he said.

"But I've grown up around the place and I love it. You've just got to try and enjoy it – and when you win there's no better feeling in the world."