Mad Mac!

Phillip McCallen 11 TT wins

Phillip McCallen had an all-action style – even when racing on the dangerous road circuits of the Isle of Man, the North West 200 and the Ulster Grand Prix.

With nicknames like ‘SuperMac’ and ‘The Portadown Flyer’ you knew he was going to be quick, but his style was all hunched over the front of the bike, with elbows well and truly out.

It’s not a surprise then that McCallen started out like many racers do – by going way too fast on the roads! He recalls: “It was 1984 when I realised I was doing some bloody stupid things on the road. Unfortunately that continued while I was racing: I hit a dry stone wall in a Ford Fiesta XR2 at 80mph and injured my leg!”

McCallen would go racing then, and he immediately scooped an unprecedented double win in the Lightweight Newcomers and Lightweight classes in 1988.The following year he went to theTT proper, coming home in 15th in the Formula 1 and 7th in the Ultra-Lightweight and 17th in the Senior. He became a professional racer in 1990 and would win a total of 11 TT races.

He just missed out on a first win in 1991, coming 2nd in the Junior and 3rd in the Senior races. His first TT win came in 1992, on a

Castrol Honda RC30 in the Formula 1 race, against such greats as Steve Hislop and Joey Dunlop – both of whom tipped McCallen for greatness.

Mainly linked with Honda through his decade-long road-racing career, he was also a front-runner in the British Supersport 600 series, as well as internationally in the 600cc Thunderbike class. Honda used him as a test rider in the development of the Honda CBR900RR FireBlade, a machine he would race to success in the reborn ProductionTT races in 1996 and 1997.

In 1996 he would take four race wins during race week – a feat which stood until Ian Hutchinson took five wins during 2010. In May 1998 he broke his back riding his Honda CBR600F atThruxton and switched toYamaha for 1999. He’d finish 3rd in the Production Race on aYZF-R1 and 7th in the Junior on an R6 – all this despite carrying more injuries, this time a torn shoulder blade muscle. This would be his lastTT.

Since then he’s devoted his time to building up a successful motorcycle business in Lisburn, near Belfast.

Want to read more about the fascinating history of the Isle of ManTT races?Then pick up a copy of Island Racer 2023, on sale April 20.