NORTON FEATURE

At Classic TT

Iconic British motorcycle brand Norton is set to be a key part of the 2015 Isle of Man Classic TT presented by Bennetts. The marque has been inextricably linked to the TT from the very first races in 1907 through to Cam Donald’s fastest-ever 500cc Norton lap of the Mountain Course in 2014. Rem Fowler’s Tt-winning bike from 1907 will be returning to the Isle of Man as part of a unique popup museum that will also feature the greatest collection of factory Rotary Nortons ever seen on the Isle of Man, courtesy of the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. Among the 18 on display, will be Steve Hislop’s 1992 Tt-winning ABUS machine, a number of the iconic JPS rotaries and the Duckhams’ sponsored bikes. The paddock display will run from Friday, August 28 to Tuesday, September 1, 2015. The Classic TT Parade lap – Norton the Rotary Years sponsored by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company – will run on Monday, August 31, and will, where possible, feature original riders including Trevor Nation, Ian Simpson and Steve Cull. John Mcguinness, one of Steve Hislop’s biggest fans, will ride the 1992 ABUS in the parade. The theme for this year’s Classic TT meeting will be centred around the late 1950s and early 60s rocker years with music and fashion from an era when the Norton brand was achieving iconic status away from racing. A large-scale Cafe Race Concours D’elégance will add to the paddock, with Ace Cafe, a driving force of the period, bringing this evocative era back to life behind the grandstand in 2015. The 2015 Classic TT includes two race days on Saturday 29 and Monday, August 31, 2015 with the paddock carnival on Friday, August 28. The Classic TT forms part of the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling, which runs from August 22 to September 4 and also includes the Manx Grand Prix, the Classic and Two Day Trials and the VMCC’S rally and Festival of Jurby.