The 2003 Isle of Man TT was the 96th edition of the event. It was marred by the high-profile death of outright lap record holder and nine-time TT winner David Jefferies during practice.[1] Jefferies crashed at around 180 mph (290 km/h) at Crosby, due to a patch of oil that was not signalled by the marshals.[2] In the aftermath of Jefferies' crash, Jim Moodie's neck was hit by the cables of a telegraph pole laid down by the accident,[3] but he was not seriously injured.[4] Friend and rival of Jefferies John McGuinness was one of the first riders on the scene, and described it to be "like a war zone".[5]
Two riders took two wins during the event: Shaun Harris and Adrian Archibald. Shaun Harris won the Production 600 and 1000 races,[6][7] the only two TT podiums of his career.[8] Adrian Archibald took an emotional Formula One TT win, which he dedicated to his former team-mate David Jefferies,[9] and then won the prestigious Senior TT.[10]
Fog was a recurring issue during the final few days of the event, causing delays and shortened race distances for the Production 600 TT and Senior TT.[7][10]
^"David Jefferies killed in TT practice". www.motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
^"TT ace skidded on oil in fatal crash". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 2003-08-21. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
^"Whatever happened to TT hero Jim Moodie?". www.motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
^newspaper (2003-05-30). "Jim Moodie Involved In Jeffries Crash At Isle Of Man". Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
^Broadbent, Rick (2023-11-09). "John McGuinness: It's brutally dangerous – I just ride it, embrace it". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
^"Harris wins 1000cc Production TT". www.motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
^ ab"Harris wins Production 600 race". www.motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.