Maria Costello MBE will make her 17th appearance at the TT later this year, marking her 37th start across both solo and sidecar races.
The Northamptonshire rider will compete in the Supertwin TT races on a Galgorm Resort-backed VRS Racing Kawasaki Z650 and in the Sidecar TT races aboard her own Galgorm LCR Honda F2.
Now in her 30th year of racing, Costello will be joined by 20-year-old Alice Smith, who is set to tackle the Mountain Course for the first time.
The pair, who began racing together in 2023, have been building toward this challenge.
Podium
Costello made her TT debut in 2002 after first competing at the Manx Grand Prix in 1996.
She became the first female solo rider to podium on the Mountain Course with a third-place finish in the 2005 Lightweight race.
Since returning to the TT in 2010, she has secured four top-20 Supertwin finishes, including a best of 12th in 2016.
In the Sidecar class, Costello achieved a best finish of 16th in 2023 with Gary Wheeler, setting a personal best lap of 103.189mph.
Excited
“I’m really excited about this year’s TT, as much as I’ve ever been,” said Costello. “Alice and I have been improving our lap times, and her youthful exuberance rubs off on me. We’ve had mechanical challenges, but thanks to Wayne and my incredible sponsors, we’re looking forward to this TT.”
She added: “I’m delighted to have Galgorm Resort as title sponsor for both disciplines. With the VRS Supertwin and sidecar modifications, we aim to build momentum throughout the fortnight.”
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