Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. WILLIAM DUNLOP JOINS TEAM NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM RACING FOR 2015 CLASSIC TT CAMPAIGN

   Posted on 10:56am Monday 16th Feb 2015

   William Dunlop has joined the newly formed Team National Motorcycle Museum Racing for the 2015 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts. The museum, based in the West Midlands, is home to the largest collection of British Motorcycles in the world with over 100 marques including BSA, Ariel and of course Norton.

   Dunlop will ride one of the museum's original and iconic Rotary Norton bikes from the 1992 British Championship season in the Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1 Classic TT Race on Monday 31st August 2015.

   Dunlop has three podium finishes in the TT Races Supersport class in the last three years and also finished runner up in the inaugural Bennetts 500cc Classic TT Race in 2013.

   The Rotary Norton really came to the fore in Steve Spray's 1989 British Championship winning campaign and the 1990 TT campaign that saw Trevor Nation and William's father Robert achieving podium positions in the Formula 1 TT Race with Robert also winning the North West 200 in the same year. However the bike is most famous for Steve Hislop's 1992 Senior TT win when he rode it to victory against the might of the work's Yamaha of Carl Fogarty.

   Brian Crighton, the original Rotary Norton engineer, who will be joining Team National Motorcycle Museum for the Isle of Man project commented:

   "This bike was originally designed and conceived for short circuit racing so we have a lot of work to do to adapt it for the challenges of the TT Mountain Course which is a unique and hard place to race. The challenge that we are facing is very similar to the challenge that the Norton faced in 1992 adapting Steve Hislop's bike."

   James Hewing, Director of the National Motorcycle Museum, commented:

   "The founder of the museum Roy Richards had a huge passion for British bikes, particularly Nortons, and he always liked to see the bikes actually running rather than just being displayed. I'm sure that he would have approved of this campaign and his two sons are right behind us."

   He continued:

   This is a great project and I'm particularly pleased that we have got Brian Crighton on board as we couldn't even begin to try and do what we are doing without him as part of the team."

   As well as the Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1 Race, the museum will also be supporting the 'Norton the Rotary Years' parade lap presented by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company'. Scheduled for Monday 31st August, it will see fifteen Rotary Nortons appearing on the Mountain Course ridden by some of the original riders associated with the brand including Trevor Nation and Steve Spray as well as riders who will represent some of the other great names who rode the bikes including John McGuinness representing Hislop on the 588 NRS Norton. All of the bikes will also be on display throughout the four days of the Classic TT festival.

   Commenting at the team launch at the MCN London Motorcycle show yesterday William said:

   "With my father's history on the bike this was too good an opportunity to turn down. It was his favourite bike as it was a real challenge to ride and the Isle of Man will be a great place to race it. The Classic TT is now my favourite meeting of the year so I'm particularly excited to be on the Rotary Norton."

2. CAMERON DONALD TO RIDE FOR NORTON FACTORY TEAM AT 2015 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES

   Posted on 9:24am Tuesday 10th Feb 2015

   Norton Motorcycles can confirm that Cameron Donald has renewed his contract for the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, with the Australian ace lining up in the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT Races for Norton.

   Cameron, hailing from Warrandyte, near Melbourne, won the TT Newcomers Trophy in 2005 and really made his mark a year later when he took a stunning second place in the Senior TT. 2008 saw him claim a Superbike-Superstock double victory and then setting the first ever 131mph+ lap in practice for the 2009 meeting.

   He now has an impressive tally of ten podiums with his most recent coming in the 2013 Superbike Race when he took second place behind Michael Dunlop. With a fastest lap of 130.729mph, Cameron is also the eighth fastest rider ever to have lapped the 37 and ¾-mile.

   Norton have also renewed the services of both Mick Grant and Steve Plater to aid further development and progress of the SG3 Norton throughout 2015.

   Cameron has got the Norton factory approval to ride another class at the 2015 TT in order to keep bike fit and get maximum track time. An announcement is expected shortly on Cameron's chosen ride.

   Cameron Donald commented:
   "After a solid but frustrating 2014 where we made great progress with the bike but didn't show it's full potential we all agreed to keep the team together for 2015. Norton have pushed hard within the factory over winter, their engineering department have made many changes to SG3. With the enthusiasm and experience of the Norton team behind me and ex TT winners such as Mick Grant and Steve Plater involved again, we're all looking forward to a great TT. Norton is synonymous with the Isle of Man TT and I can't wait to ride the newly developed SG3 round the Mountain Course."

   Stuart Garner, CEO, Norton Motorcycles commented:
   "Cameron did a great job for us last year, both in riding talent and development work with the factory. The continuity a further year with the identical team cannot be under estimated. It's a huge ask to build a bike from scratch to compete against the world's best road racers, the world's best bikes at the world's toughest race! To do this we need world-class talent and in Cameron we have this. We also get a great brand ambassador for Norton, his support, feedback and presence within the team are hugely important to us, both as a company and a race team."

3. NORTHERN IRELAND'S GARETH KEYS IN LINE TO MAKE TT DEBUT

   Posted on 1:29pm Tuesday 3rd Feb 2015

   Highly promising Northern Ireland road racer Gareth Keys will make his debut at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   The 24-year old will contest the Monster Energy Supersport and Bike Nation Lightweight Races for the B&W Racing team, riding Honda and Kawasaki machinery respectively.

   Having spent his formative years on the national short circuit scene the Lisburn resident, nephew of former TT regular Trevor Keys, has enjoyed a considerable rise through the road racing ranks in the last two seasons. Highlights include strong results at the Ulster Grand Prix, where he won the 250cc category on his debut in 2013, the North West 200 and Oliver's Mount, Scarborough, where he took a race victory in 2014.

   In addition to the famous 250cc win at Dundrod in 2013, he also scored a notable ninth place finish in that year's Superstock Race, lapping the high speed 7.4-mile circuit at over 123mph during the Superbike race on the ex-Keith Amor BMW. He followed that up last year with a solid 15th in the Supersport Race.

   His North West 200 debut in 2014 saw him take tenth place in the Supertwin Race and he put in consistent performances throughout the season at Oliver's Mount including a first place in the Cock o' the North Superbike B final. He also took a pair of top ten finishes in the Superbike Races at the corresponding meeting.

   Keys took first and second places in the Cookstown 100 Superbike B Races in his native Northern Ireland with top six finishes in the Lightweight class at the Bush and Armoy Road Races.

   B&W Racing, run by Brain Hull, has considerable experience at the TT and the other International road races having worked with Scottish ace Keith Amor for a number of seasons, helping him to numerous race wins and podiums.

   Speaking about his forthcoming TT debut, Gareth said:

   "I am really excited about racing in the TT in 2015. It is the culmination of a long held dream and I am putting everything I have into making sure when I get to the event I am as well prepared as I can possibly be. I'm watching the on board laps constantly, playing the Playstation game and have made a number of trips across to the Island to try and increase my circuit knowledge. I am very grateful for the support I have had from the TT organisers with regards to my preparation and all of my sponsors who are putting so much into my TT effort."

4. TEAM MUGEN confirm participation at 2015 Isle of Man TT Races

   Posted on 10:03am Tuesday 3rd Feb 2015

   Japanese based Team Mugen (M-TEC Co., Ltd., Shin NAGAOSA, President) has confirmed that it will make a dual assault on the electric bike class at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   Mugen has confirmed that their team will again be represented in the SES TT Zero Race by twenty-one time TT Race winner John McGuinness and outright lap record holder, New Zealand's Bruce Anstey, who set the fastest ever lap around the Mountain Course, 132.298 mph (00:17:06.682), in last year's Superbike Race.

   Three qualifying sessions have been confirmed for this year's SES TT Zero Race on Friday 5th, Saturday 6th and Monday 8th June with race day on Wednesday 10th June.

   Team Mugen will participate with a machine named 'SHINDEN YON', which means "God of Electricity, number 4". The machine has been newly developed to improve on last year's 'Shinden San' model. 'SHINDEN YON' will be exhibited at the 2015 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight in March, 2015.

   The team made their TT debut in 2012, achieving a prestigious 104mph average lap speed in their debut season and at last year's meeting John McGuinness raised the outright lap record for the Zero class to 117.336mph, (19:17.3) becoming the first rider to break 20 minutes for an electric bike with his team-mate Bruce Anstey following him home in 115.048. To date the pair are the only riders to have lapped the course in a time of under 20 minutes.

   Akihiro Miyata, Mugen's team Director, commented:

   "The challenge of participating in the Isle of Man TT electric motorcycle races, which is a new discipline to us and completely different from our core strengths as a manufacturer and developer of high-speed internal combustion engines, started in 2012 as our unique project to foster young engineers and conduct developments in a new area.

   He continued:

   "We achieved our initial goal of 2014 which was to exceed an average speed of 115 mph (185 km/h) and in doing so captured the long-sought after victory, with a one-two finish for the team, in a time that beat the previous record lap record in the TT Zero Challenge class by more than one minute (00:19:17.3 lap)."

   Mugen's Satoshi Katsumata and Director Akihiro Miyata will represent the 'Shinden Yon' team on the Isle of Man.

5. Minister's outlook for 2015, an interview with Finance Director John Spellman, and more

   Posted on 4:35pm Friday 30th Jan 2015

   This month the Minister for Economic Development, Laurence Skelly MHK offered a confident outlook for the Isle of Man's economy in 2015. The Island performed well over 2014, with growth across key sectors and Minister Skelly was keen to highlight a renewed focus on regeneration and development in the Island's town centres.

   'There is a definite drive for investment and regeneration this year. The Government owns many strategic assets which can be better utilised to support entrepreneurship by private investors and developers. For example, Expressions of Interest are currently being invited for parties interested in developing areas around Douglas Quayside. Building on recent regeneration this site offers significant opportunities for the investor.

   'Developments such as these are essential for attracting new business to the Isle of Man. As the Island's economy continues to grow and diversify, it is important to seek out growth and development opportunities to ensure a sustainable future for the Island. 2014 was a good year for the economy, with continued growth of around 3% and unemployment falling by around one quarter, and the prospects for 2015 are looking just as positive. It is very important that we continue to drive forward skills development and training on the Island as well as creating more jobs in our established sectors and industries such as manufacturing and financial services.

   'We are also increasing our capabilities to engage with businesses from overseas and the UK regions. We have been particularly successful in engaging with China and closer to home with the North of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

   'We are undertaking significantly increased promotional activity this year on the advantages of doing business with the Isle of Man and are committed to maintaining our status as an International Business Centre in the heart of the British Isles.'