CLASSIC TT
Every August the Isle of Man turns into Fantasy Island for fans of classic racers and road bikes as the Classic TT rolls around again
Greatest classic event of the year? Must be close
There’s no other classic racing event quite like it. With thoroughbred race machinery being used to the full by the greatest road racers on the planet and the ability to get up close amid the beautiful Isle of Man scenery, the Classic TT is truly unique. Running from Friday August 24 until Monday 27, the festival’s full of variety. The Senior Classic TT brings the sound of the ’60s, with machinery from Paton, Norton, BSA and MV Agusta, and attracts an equally rich variety of riders with modern-day TT and short circuit stars mixing it with veteran heroes. Multiple British Superbike champ Josh Brookes won last year, and this year sees the return from injury of TT legend John Mcguinness, back on his Team Winfield Paton.
The Senior’s many four-strokes are countered perfectly by the 250cc two-stroke GP bikes in the Classic Lightweight. Last year saw the firstever 120mph+ lap of the Mountain course on a 250 by Bruce Anstey on a Honda RS250, on his way to smashing his own race record by over a minute. The flying Kiwi also set a new outright Classic TT lap record at 127.496mph on a Yamaha YZR500 in the Superbike.
Illness sadly means Anstey won’t make this year’s races, however the Superbike race will undoubtedly be the highlight again. Big-name stars from June’s TT will be riding bikes including Japanese 750cc superbikes, rotary Nortons and bullish Suzuki XR69S. New lap record, anyone?
You can also expect super-close action between small-bore British, Japanese and European machines in the Junior, won last August by veteran Michael Rutter on a Honda. There will also be parade laps, including a somewhat special outing by Mcguinness. To celebrate 40 years since Mike Hailwood made his epic Isle of Man comeback (see June issue), he’ll be riding the Sports Motorcycles Ducati 900 that carried Mike to victory. “I’ve already had special moments on the Mountain Course, but this is undoubtedly going to be one of the highlights,”
reckons Mcguinness. “It’s truly an honour and a privilege to be asked to represent Mike.” If Mcpint’s recent ‘parade’ on the latest Norton superbike is anything to go by, don’t expect him to be dawdling...
There’s the Festival of Jurby too, organised by the Isle of Man section of the VMCC, and also a Lap of Honour giving a chance to see and most definitely hear the glorious
Benelli 350/4 on page 32. And, as the Classic TT is part of the island’s Festival of Motorcycling, the Manx Grand Prix happens at the same time – so there’ll be lots of races for modern machinery filling any gaps between the classic action. (The Manx goes on until Friday August 31, should you need any more excuse for a race-based holiday.) See you on the ferry…