“We are going to go to the TT” Dom Herberston launches GoFundMe effort to race at the Isle of Man 2025 after devastating last minute team collapse
“Alan has been dropped in the shit, it’s that simple.” Dom says on the Chasin’ The Racin’ podcast.
Professional road racer, short circuit maniac and podcast host Dom Herbertson has announced his latest effort. He aims to raise money to get him racing over at the Isle of Man TT. This is ahead of the event fast approaching this Summer.
It comes after the shock April Fools’ day announcement that WTF Racing, the sister project to OMG Racing Yamaha, ceased operations immediately. This was due to commercial reasons beyond their control. The team consisted of Dom and Dakar alumni James Hillier.
Alan Gardner, who heads up the operation, has been under-fire after the news broke out. The Yamaha backed team were to have 2x British Champions on their roster for 2025. With Kyle Ryde (2024 Champion) and Bradley Ray (2022 Champion), and Joe Talbot. Joe would have been in his first year in the premier paddock.
Dom says in his emotional YouTube video “It’s caught everyone off-guard, but I can honestly say the most devastated man about all of this is Alan Gardner”.
The YT short clip titled ‘WTF is going on’ sees Dom go into detail regarding the shock position him and many others have been placed in. The most poignant of them all, he says:
“And I must tell you, that people are making up stories, coming to conclusions, which is very very easy in these situations. But Alan, is dealing with this the best he can. And he is helping out, everyone as much as he can”
“Team owners in the past have gotten into a situation like this, turned their phones off, thrown them in the ocean and gone and lived in Dubai for the rest of their lives!” Dom laughs.
The commercial sponsor who have dropped out last minute have not yet been named publicly. Also, none of the staff has announced their updated plans for 2025 yet. The team news broke out on social media and caused a nationwide stir. It left fans wondering just who will take on 2x British Champions and the newest BSB paddock edition this late in the day.
“Alan, Holly, Paul are working their backsides off, paying invoices, paying bills. There is no one who is going to be in trouble on Alan’s watch.”
Dom speaks proudly of being offered the chance to ride for WTF. This cements his dream to be a professional motorcycle racer. Despite his comical nature, the situation at hand is no laughing matter. He is trying desperately to lead the way in.
“Alan and Paul and Hollie are running a team of 40+ staff, not just the riders. This situation is nothing to joke about. People have lost their livelihoods.”
It has not yet been mentioned where the mechanical and hospitality staff of the current BSB Championship winning team and beyond will be placed. This is for the 2025 season.
“There’s been a huge sponsor who have dropped out on them. This sport takes funding to go racing and at the moment, Alan has been dropped in it as well as all of us. But, I don’t know much more than that. Alan has agreed that he will come on the show (Chasin’ The Racin’) but I don’t know when that will be yet.”
Dom has had huge success on the roads and on short circuit over the last 18 months. He has also had success alongside his podcast run with Grace Rouse, Josh Corner, Joe Akroyd and Christian Iddon. Dom spends all of his life living and breathing motorcycle racing. Determined he may be down but not out, Dom has created a crowd fundraiser. This is in an effort to take his few-man band over to race at the IOMTT.
“We are going to go to the TT” Dom says positively in the latest CTR YouTube video.
“I have had some amazing messages, it’s actually quite difficult to talk about. But there has been so much support that without that, none of this would be happening.”
“Believe it or not the Rouse family have been in this similar situation before, with Chrissy at Massingberd-Mundy and look what he did! I’m not saying I’m going to replicate that but by god I’m going to try!”
He laughs, referring to the lead up to Chrissy Rouse’s phenomenal 2020 British Superstock 1000 Championship win.
While it’s unknown what will happen to all those affected by the team having to pull out of operations, one thing is for certain. All riders involved are doing their best to seek their 2025 path. Dom is one of those. If you have a few spare pounds in this day and age, every little helps to help Dom reach his Mount Everest, the Isle of Man TT.
You can watch Dom’s latest podcast over on the Chasin’ The Racin’ YouTube channel by clicking here. You will find the Go Fund Me link here.