McGuinness interview
Norton star will race againthis month and is already planning next year’sTT
John McGuinness is aiming to make his competitive return to the Isle of Man later this month. The 23-time TT winner hasn’t ridden competitively for 15 months after badly breaking his leg when coming off his Honda at the 2017 North West 200. After a gruelling 10-month recovery period, the 46-yearold had been hopeful of making a return for the TT in June, but a set-back which saw the front of his fracture break again put him on crutches again. However, while he was unable to compete he did complete two parade laps on the Norton SG7 at an average speed in excess of 120mph.
Bank Holiday return
Now McGuinness is on his way back to full fitness and is plotting a racing return at the Classic TT over the coming August Bank Holiday. “I’m in a much better place than I was six months ago,” McGuinness told MCN. “When the pain goes away and you can walk normally you begin to forget where you were this time last year.
“I’ve been patient. I’ve waited and made sure the bone was healed before I started anything. I’ve had plenty of X-rays and after the last one the surgeon told me to get
going. Medically I’m strong but I’ve still got quite a bit of pain. There’s still tissue damage but simple things like walking, carrying, loading bikes into a van etc feel sweet.” However, returning to the Mountain course isn’t enough for McGuinness, who won the 2016 Classic Senior race on the Paton he’ll again be riding this year.
“I love racing for Roger and Pat on the Paton. They’re old-school people but they know what they are doing. Their heart is in the right place and there is no pressure. But I’m putting pressure on myself as I’d love to win it. I’m on the best bike on the grid and away at number one so, fingers crossed, we can be competitive.”
In order to get himself race fit, McGuinness has begun taking part in track days on standard road bikes but is also planning a
number of race appearances on a superstock-spec machine in order to get signatures for his Mountain course license.
“I’m just starting to ride again now. I did 100 laps of Knockhill the other week at the Jamie Whitham school. I was a bit frustrated as
‘I have to believe I can do 135mph too’
I didn’t see which way Jenny Tinmouth went; she smoked me. But she knows what she’s doing. The day after I felt like I’d been run over by a bus. The muscles you use for riding a bike simply cannot be prepared through any other form of training. I rode again last Wednesday at Oulton and it was much better. I’ll hold my hand up and say I didn’t enjoy Knockhill much but I enjoyed Oulton a lot and all I was riding is a bog-standard road bike. I just wanted to get my leg over something and ride.” Despite the excitement of his impending return, McGuinness admits there are questions in his mind after so long away.
“I’ve got mixed feelings about going back. I can’t wait to get the monkey off my back but can’t help wonder if I can still do it. Has my confidence gone? I keep saying it, I don’t want to finish my career on a golf course after a crash that wasn’t my fault. I guess the only way to answer the question is to get back out there and do it.”
Next year’s TT
And while his priority is the upcoming Classic TT, McGuinness has already begun to think about next year’s TT, where he’s confident he can challenge Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop. “There’s no reason I can’t do at least another TT. The boys upped the ante this year with the 135mph lap but I have to believe I can do that too. Taking nothing away from those guys, I did 132.7mph slowing down into the pits. That 135mph lap was set in a last lap dogfight. I’ve never been in that position.