Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. HONDA CONFIRMED AS NEW ISLE OF MAN TT RACES MOTORCYCLE PARTNER

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 15th Apr 2016

   Honda has been unveiled as the new motorcycle partner for the 2016 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   The deal will see the manufacturer provide a fleet of CBR1000RR Fireblades to be used by the travelling marshals throughout qualifying and racing at the 2016 meeting.
   Honda’s association with the Isle of Man TT Races can be traced back to 1954 when founder Soichiro Honda made his famous TT Races declaration ‘to participate in the TT races’ and to ‘pour in all of my energy and creative powers to win.’ The company made its first appearance in the 1959 TT Races, winning its first race in 1962.

   Honda has the most race wins by a manufacturer with over 250 victories, the most recent of which was the closing race of the 2016 Isle of Man TT Races, the PokerStars Senior TT, when John McGuinness clinched his 23rd TT race win, breaking the outright lap record in the process.

   Travelling Marshals were first used in the 1935 TT Races. The marshals are positioned around the 37¾ mile course and are able to provide a rapid response to any incidents. All of the bikes carry medical equipment that can assist in managing a casualty. They also carry out duties such as course inspection, observe machines on the course for visible faults and review and report any course incidents.

   The Travelling Marshals have previous race experience of the Mountain Course, having competed in either the TT or the Manx Grand Prix. The current team has eight Manx Grand Prix wins and a TT podium between them and all of them are first aid trained to a high level and play a vital role in the Isle of Man TT races safety programme, which relies on fast responses.

   Nick Campolucci, Head of Motorcycles at Honda commented:

   “Honda’s Racing history is inextricably linked with the Isle of Man TT Races and we are delighted to extend and increase our partnership with the TT Races and the Isle of Man. Our success around one of the world’s most demanding circuits continues with the current generation Fireblade and it’s fitting that the bikes help the travelling marshals in their essential work, as well as taking a starring role in the racing.
   David Cretney, Isle of Man Government representative for Tourism and Motorsport, commented:

   “There is a great bond between Honda and the TT Races, the Isle of Man and its people. It is a great reflection on the current strength of the TT that a company as prestigious as Honda hascome on board as an official partner and its support is a vital part of delivering the TT experience and running the races.”

2. 2016 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES FUELLED BY MONSTER ENERGY SET FOR SPECTACULAR LAUNCH

   Posted on 10:00am Wednesday 13th Apr 2016

   Many of the burning pre-season road racing questions will start to get answered at the launch of the 2016 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy this Thursday 14th April on the Isle of Man.

   Tickets are still available for the launch event, which will take place at the Villa Marina in Douglas, hosted by TT TV commentators James Whitham and Steve Parrish who will use their insider knowledge of the riders, teams and the TT Mountain Course to establish the early favourites for 2016 honours.

   The presenters will also be taking questions from the public via the TT’s official Twitter account (@iom_TT) while fans can follow the event worldwide with the chat show streamed live on the TT’s official YouTube channel.

   This year’s evening will see a number of riders with new teams and manufacturers including notably Ian Hutchinson whose close season switch to BMW machinery with TAS Racing is expected to see him challenging for honours in all five main races. The Bingley bullet was undoubtedly the man of the meeting in 2015, winning three races and returning to the top step at the Isle of Man for the first time since 2010.

   Also favouring BMW, Michael Dunlop will again race for Stuart Hicken’s Hawk Racing outfit with the Northern Ireland rider a certainty to again challenge for big bike race wins with strong preparation and a return to full fitness.

   Michael’s old team-mate at Honda Racing John McGuinness re-established his ‘King of the Mountain’ credentials in 2015 with his stunning PokerStars Senior TT Race win. The Morecambe Missile was written off and virtually ignored in 2015 but responded not only with victory in the Senior TT, his 23rd TT win, but also reclaiming the outright lap record from Bruce Anstey.

   John’s Honda Racing teammate Conor Cummins performed consistently in 2015 with four top ten finishes but the Manx rider will be looking to challenge at the very front of the field in his third year with the factory backed outfit.

   TT race winners will be appearing thick and fast on the stage with Gary Johnson (Penz13.com), and Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering) lined up to discuss their new rides this year while another winner Ivan Lintin will be returning with the RC Express Racing outfit, one of Harrison’s previous teams, for a second season.

   Harrison’s new Sarolea TT Zero teammate Lee Johnston remains at East Coast Construction for the conventional classes and the Northern Ireland rider will be looking to build on his victories at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix by winning his first TT Race.

   James Hillier is another rider who is looking to benefit from racing for the same team as he will outline what makes his partnership with Quattro Plant Kawasaki so successful as he looks for his first Superbike win after several close challenges while fellow Kawasaki rider Peter Hickman, who represents the GBMoto outfit, will be sharing his thoughts on how he intends to continue his meteoric rise on the Isle of Man.

   William Dunlop will be hoping that his switch to CD Racing will provide him with the elusive first win while David Johnson is jetting in from Australia to talk about the Norton challenge that he’ll be spearheading in 2016.

   Some of the more intriguing, and invariably amusing, stories will come from the veteran riders and none more so that Ian Lougher, who returns to the TT after a two year absence on the Swiss backed Suter Racing 500 machine. Much debate has centred on how the two-stroke bike will tackle the Mountain Course, while almost as much pre-event debate has centred on Ryan Farquhar and his switch to the Tyco BMW team. Michael Rutter, (Bathams SMT BMW) is another rider who favours the German manufacturer’s machines.

   In the sidecar class seventeen time TT Race winner Dave Molyneux, who reclaimed the outright record in 2015, will be appearing with fellow Manxman Dan Sayle, himself the holder of eight race wins around the Mountain Course and the pair will be one of the teams to beat in 2016. Fellow race winners Ben Birchall/Tom Birchall and Tim Reeves/Patrick Farrance, Conrad Harrison with new passenger Dean Kilkenney and John Holden and the returning Andy Winkle will also outline their plans on attempting to return to the top step.

   Interest will undoubtedly fall on the high profile TT newcomers who will be introduced for the first time on the Isle of Man including Italian former WSB rider Alex Polita, a former European Superstock Champion and England’s Ben Wilson, a regular on the British Supersport podium.

   Doors open at 7.30pm with tickets priced at £5 available from the Villa Marina box office at www.villagaiety.com - fans who can’t attend will be able to watch the proceedings on a live stream hosted on iomtt.com

3. The Royal Automobile Club awards Segrave Trophy to motorcycle road racer John McGuinness

   Posted on 10:00am Monday 4th Apr 2016

   The Royal Automobile Club, has awarded the Segrave Trophy to motorcycle road racer John McGuinness. Acknowledging the Lancashire man’s success, the citation read; ‘An outstanding contribution to motorcycle road and circuit racing, including setting the outright lap record at the 2015 Isle of Man TT. He is the greatest living exponent of the TT, with 23 victories to his name.’

   Speaking at the awards Tom Purves, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, said,

   ‘It is our honour to salute John’s career and his remarkable success, particularly at the Isle of Man TT where he became the first rider to achieve an average speed of over 130 mph and, in 2015, set a new outright lap record of 132.701 mph.

   ‘Lady Segrave commissioned the Trophy in 1930, soon after her husband, Sir Henry Segrave died after breaking the water speed record on Lake Windermere. It was her wish that the Trophy would celebrate and encourage those individuals who demonstrated outstanding skill and courage, whether on land, sea or in the air. As one of Britain’s greatest motorcycle racers of his generation, John’s bravery and sheer speed are the exact qualities Lady Segrave wished to celebrate.’

   Upon receiving the trophy, McGuinness said:

   ‘I’m absolutely honoured to receive this prestigious award. It’s something a little different and I’m definitely in good company when you look back at the motorcycling greats who have previously received this, with the likes of Geoff Duke, Barry Sheene and Joey Dunlop. The award has been running since 1930 and I have massive respect for everyone who has been a part of its history and I am so proud to now have my name alongside some of my heroes.’

   About the Segrave Trophy:

   The Segrave Trophy is named after British pilot and pre-war racing driver, Sir Henry Segrave - a man who pushed himself and his machines to the very limit in the pursuit of ultimate speed. He was the first man to hold both land and water speed records, though the latter would cost him his life in 1930. With such drive and determination in mind, the Trophy is awarded for ‘outstanding skill, courage and initiative on land, water and in air - the Spirit of Adventure’.

   The first recipient of the Segrave Trophy was Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith for his transatlantic and England to Australia flights in 1930. Previous holders of the trophy have included Amy Johnson (1932), Donald Campbell CBE (1958), Sir Jackie Stewart (1973) to Allan McNish (2014). The Trophy is only awarded if the Segrave Nominations Committee judge there to be a suitable recipient that meets the criteria of the award.

   The Segrave Trophy has been awarded to eight motorcycle racers including Geoff Duke, Barry Sheene MBE, Mike Hailwood, Steve Webster, Carl Fogarty, Joey Dunlop and John Surtees CBE.

   

4. WK Bikes CFMOTO Team re-signs Gary Johnson for 2016 Bennetts Lightweight TT Race

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 31st Mar 2016

   Lincolnshire has ridden for the team.

   “Gary was 2nd fastest in first practice last year, so with some luck and reliability, we are optimistic that he can bring the fast pace through to the race this year. With the Lightweight race now being 4 laps instead of 3, Gary will really be putting the bike through its paces, so we’ve made some changes and upgrades,” said Mike Hinkley, WK Bikes Managing Director and Team Principal. After the last couple of years being dogged by very bad luck, we’ve spent a lot of time developing the bike further since last year’s race and Gary and the team are looking forward to showing the potential of this bike.”

   The WK Bikes team was born from a history of racing in the form of their sister company, Quadzilla. Although they are used to racing quads off road, the team bring the same passion, drive, experience and motivation to the WK Bikes team with their 650 bike on the world’s most challenging road race circuit.

   The WK Bikes team have made technical developments and advanced its 650cc machine, which started as a commuter bike available from their own range of bikes, manufactured by the leading Chinese manufacturer CFMOTO. With the continued support from the CFMOTO factory and sister company Quadzilla, the team have been able to make further improvements to the standard machine.

   For information on WK Bikes visit www.wkbikes.com or check out their facebook page.

   Tickets are now on sale and selling fast for the 2016 TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. Glencrutchery Road Grandstand race day tickets are sold out but there are still TT Fan Zone Grandstand tickets available at Ballacrye, Creg Ny Baa and Nobles Park during practice and race days. Grandstand tickets are also available by purchasing VIP or Platinum Hospitality tickets. All tickets are available from www.iomtt.com or by phoning 00 44 (0)1624 640000.

5. RECORD BREAKING FEATS EXPECTED AT 2016 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES...

   Posted on 10:00am Wednesday 30th Mar 2016

   WITH FASTEST EVER SUPERBIKE LINE-UP CONFIRMED IN HIGH QUALITY FIELD

    

   With entries closing for the 2016 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy at the end of February, the fastest ever line-up has been confirmed with the expectation that this year’s riders will surpass the record-breaking speeds at the 2015 TT meeting.

    

   The RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT Races will again create the most intrigue and headlines. With the top 20 seeded riders all having lapped comfortably over 127mph, it’s the fastest top end field ever assembled.

    

   Honda Racing’s John McGuinness is again the man leading the field away with the number one plate. The 23-time TT race winner has re-established himself as the ‘King of the Mountain’ with last year’s stunning PokerStars Senior TT victory and new outright lap record of 132.701mph (17:03.567).

    

   Arguably the biggest surprise is the rider at number two - Bruce Anstey. With the exception of 2010, when he started at number one, the Kiwi has had the number five plate every year since 2004. 

    

   James Hillier, one of last year’s stars, moves back a place to number three on the Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki, while there’s also change at four with last year’s triple race winner Ian Hutchinson moving up the order from his 2015 starting position. The Bingley Bullet has switched to the Tyco BMW for 2016 and takes over the number that he had in 2010 when he won five races from five starts.

    

   Ten seconds behind him is another of last year’s revelations and another potential race winner in the shape of Peter Hickman. The eighth fastest rider of all time will line up on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki and has the ideal target in front of him in Hutchinson although he could well be occupied with the rider starting behind him – Michael Dunlop.

    

   After a problematical 2015 TT campaign, Dunlop is back at the start number that saw him claim a hat-trick of 1000cc wins in both 2013 and 2014 and he will be hoping that it proves to be a lucky six.

    

   Previous two time Supersport TT Race winner Gary Johnson will again have the number seven plate, this time on the Penz13.com BMW, and will be followed down Glencrutchery Road by William Dunlop (CD Racing Yamaha) and the evergreen Michael Rutter (Bathams/SMT Racing BMW). As in previous years, Manxman Conor Cummins completes the top ten on the second Honda Racing machine.

    

   There’s exciting news at number 11 with Cameron Donald moving back up the grid from last year’s start place of 19. The Australian took second in the Superbike race for three successive years between 2011-2013 and the Adelaide based rider will again look to be back up at the front of the field on his return to Wilson Craig Racing.

    

   Silicone Engineering is a new team among the seeded outfits in the number 12 spot but it’s familiar territory for rider Dean Harrison who starts one position ahead of Lee Johnston on board the East Coast Construction BMW. Dan Kneen on the Mar-Train Racing Yamaha starts ten seconds later with Australian ace David Johnson completing the top 15 on the factory Norton.

    

   Going off at 16 will be Ryan Farquhar, who rides the second Tyco BMW.. Dan Stewart (Wilcock Consulting Honda), Martin Jessopp (Riders Motorcycles BMW), Steve Mercer (Jackson Racing Honda) and last year’s Bennetts Lightweight TT winner Ivan Lintin who’s amongst the Superbike seeds for the first time on the Devitt RC Express Racing Kawasaki, complete the top twenty.

    

   There’s no shortage of talent outside the top 20 with the likes of Alan Bonner, Dan Cooper, Sam West, Daniel Hegarty and Ryan Kneen all back for another effort as is the veteran Ian Lougher on the intriguing Suter 580cc two-stroke.

    

   There’s a good contingent of overseas riders with Horst Saiger (Austria), Stefano Bonetti (Italy) Mark Miller (USA), Kamil Holan (Czech Rebublic), Hudson Kennaugh (South Africa) and Herve Gantner (Switzerland) all returning to the TT with further strength in depth coming from riders of the calibre of James Cowton, Jamie Coward, Christopher Dixon, James Ford and last year’s best newcomer, Ireland’s Derek McGee.

    

   The entry has been further boosted by a number of riders graduating from the Manx Grand Prix including last year’s Senior, Junior and Lightweight race winners Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, Billy Redmayne and Rob Hodson. Others to make the step up include David Sellers, Paul Smyth, Julian Toniutti and Craig Neve.

    

   Eight newcomers will get their first race action around the Mountain Course in the 1000cc races – Italian Alessandro Polita, British Supersport rider Ben Wilson, British Superstock regulars Victor Cox and Michael Booth, Irish Championship front runner Seamus Elliott, Jochem van den Hoek (Holland), Andre Pires (Portugal), and Cornwall’s Forest Dunn.

    

   Tickets are now on sale and selling fast for the 2016 TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.  Glencrutchery Road Grandstand race day tickets are sold out but there are still TT Fan Zone Grandstand tickets available at Ballacrye, Creg Ny Baa and Nobles Park during practice and race days. Grandstand tickets are also available by purchasing VIP or Platinum Hospitality tickets. All tickets are available from www.iomtt.com or by phoning 00 44 (0)1624 640000.