FLYING HAGGIS REMEMBERED IN STYLE

This year’s Isle of Man Classic TT will celebrate the career of the late Steve Hislop, one of the greatest British motorcycle racers of all time. Entitled ‘Back to the Future: The Hizzy Years’ the celebration takes place 30 years after Steve set the first ever 120mph lap around the Mountain Course. The parade lap will see the career of the enigmatic Scottish rider recognised with many of his most memorable racing machines ridden by former team-mates, rivals and friends. Four-time World Superbike champion and TT winner Carl Fogarty, who was both a team-mate and rival to Hislop, will head the line-up. The hotly-contested 1992 Senior TT race, which saw the lead change hands multiple times before Hislop prevailed by 4.4sec, is widely acknowledged to be the greatest TT race of all time. Fans’ favourite and British Superbike Championship legend Chris Walker will join Fogarty on the lap, Walker having competed against Hislop for many years in the British Superbike Championship, and current TT star Michael Rutter, who competed against Hislop in the British Superbike Championship and International Road Races for more than a decade, is another star confirmed to take part. Fellow Scots and TT winners Ian Simpson and Brian Morrison will be joining the celebration too – the latter having also lapped at more than 120mph in that famous TT race in 1989. Another Scot, Stuart Easton, who not only hails from the same town as Hislop – Hawick, but was also his team-mate in Paul Bird’s Monstermob Ducati team in 2001 and 2002, will be on board one of his idol’s former machines, along with double TT winner turned TV pundit Steve Plater. Hislop rode a variety of machines during his career, with some of the most memorable coming to the Island to go on display and be ridden. Included in that list will be the 350cc TZ Yamaha he rode to his first TT victory in 1987, the iconic ‘White Charger’ Norton from the 1992 Senior race and the Castrol Honda RC45 Honda he used to secure a double TT victory in 1994. Steve’s mother Margaret and two sons Aaron and Connor will be attending the Classic TT and there will be a pop-up museum open to the public showcasing all of Steve’s bikes. Tickets for the 2019 Classic TT are on sale now via the official iomttraces.com website including official grandstand tickets, VIP hospitality experiences and official entertainment events including the Counterfeit Stones Classic TT Party performance.