FAMILYMATTERS
IftherehaseverbeenamoreeagerlyawaitedIsleof ManTTeventthan2024’sI’lleatmyArai… OK,so2022wasverymuchlookedforwardto thankstothemissedtwoyearsduetotheCOVID-19 restrictionswhichweallendured,butfor2024we’re lookingforwardtowhatcouldbeararemomentin TThistory.
Tatmomentisthepossibilitythatwewillhaveanew holderofthetitle‘mostsuccessfulIsleofManTTrider ofall-time’evenifthenamewillbeverysimilarindeed. Lookingback,itseemedentrenchedinTTlorethat JoeyDunlophadbeenandperhapsalwayswouldbethe mostsuccessfulriderinthehistoryofthisgreatevent. HetookthebatonfromMikeHailwoodin1993whenhe wonhis15thTTintheUltraLightweight fttinglyahead ofbrotherRobert,bysome12seconds.
TereceptionJoeyreceivedonthatlastlap,beating Mike‘TeBike’s’record,whichitselfhadlastedformore thantwodecades,wasphenomenalandshowedthe lovethatthefanshadfor‘TeKingoftheMountain.’
Overthelastthreedecadesanumberofpeoplehave beenearmarkedtotakehiscrown,themostrecentof whomwasJohnMcGuinness,winnerof23TTraces…
Andnowwecouldbeonthecuspofanewdawn, withanewDunlop:Michael,sonofRobertwho currentlysitson25wins,justoneshortofUncle Joey’stotalof26.Itispossiblehecouldtaketwo wins(hewonfourracesin2023)tobecomethemost successfulTTriderofalltime.Butofcourse,hestillhas tobeatthelikesofPeterHickman–brilliantona‘big’ bikearoundtheIslandandnowon13winshimself. Andthenthere’sahostofriders,someup-and-coming andothersmakingbigchangesfor2024whowillbe hotontheirheels.Itpromisestobeanexcitingand intriguingeventoncemore…
AsIwritethis,we’rejustweeksawayfrom experiencingallthethrillsthattheIsleofManTTevent cangiveus,soit’sjustleftformetosay,asIsayevery yeartocompetitorsandvisitorsall:‘haveaterri fc, excitingandsafeTT!’
WELCOME
Bertie
008 FLASHBACK!
FeelthehistoryoftheIsleofManTTthroughtheseeightpagesof recollectionsfromsomeofthelegendarynamesthatresonate throughtheannalsofroad-racing.
016 MICHAELDUNLOP
Can2024betheyearweseeanew(ish)nameatthetopofthe all-timeIsleofManTTwinnerslist?Michaelscoredfourwinsin 2023andjusttwoin2024wouldseehimtakeawayUncleJoey’s ‘KingoftheMountain’title.
026 WHAT’STHESCOREIN‘24?#1
Tetoprunnersandridersinthebig-bikeclassesprofled–notjust thebignamesofDunlop,HickmanandHarrisonbutalsothe up-and-comerswhocouldprovideashockthisyear.
044 WHAT’STHESCOREIN‘24?#2
WecheckoutthetalentinthesmallerclassessuchasSupersport andSupertwinsthatwillbetacklingtheIsleofManTTcoursein 2024.
048 WHAT’STHESCOREIN‘24?#3
Bignewsfor2024isthatonehalfofthemostsuccessfulsidecarteam oflateisnomore:canBenBirchallwinwithoutpassenger/brother Tom?Weshallsee!
058 PATONS1-R
AlanCathcarttestsMichaelDunlop’svictoriousLightweight/ SupertwinmachinethePatonS1-R:canitwinagainin2024?
070 WHATCAMETOBEIN’23?
Wehaveaquicklookatwhathappenedatlastyear’sIsleofManTT races:eachracewasathriller!
076 CROSSWORD
WINDukeVideogoodiesandasignedanddedicatedcopyofIan Simpson’sautobiography–ifyoucansolveourTT-centriccrossword…
078 TTBRIDESMAIDS
Someofthebestridersaroundthe37.73mileIsleofMancoursehave neveractuallywonaTT!Whoaretheyandwhydidn’ttheyclimbthe topstep?
086 CARLFOGARTY
HemaybeknownmoreasaWorldSuperbiketitlewinner(four times)andKingoftheJungle(who’dwanttodothatmorethan once?)Buthe’sunderstandablyveryproudofhisTTracewinsand TTF1titlesisourCarl!
092 DEANHARRISON
It’sallchangeforthisformerSeniorTTwinnerin2024: IslandRacer askedDeanHarrisonabouthisswitchtoHonda,whattheCBR1000RR FirebladeisliketorideandifhethinkshecanbreaktheDunlop/ HickmanstrangleholdattheTT.
100 HONDARC45
Builttoreplacetheall-conqueringVFR750RRRC30,theRVF750/ RC45hadadifcultdebutattheIsleofManTTbutsoonbecamethe biketobeataroundtheTTcourseinthevarioussuperbikeclassesin thelate1990s.
CONTENTS YOUR ISLANDRACER |EDITION2024 ISLAND RACER | EDITION 2024 YOUR ISLANDRACER |EDITION2024
CONTENTS
108 DUNLOPDYNASTY
AsMichaelDunloptargetsUncleJoey’snumberofTTwins,we lookattheextendedDunlopdynasty–allofwhichwerehandy road-racersandsomewereTTwinnersintheirownright.
116 OFF-ROADATTHETT
It’snotjusttastyTarmacattheTT!Whentheroadsgetclosed, maybethesethreebikescouldhelpyougetaroundthegreen stufontheIsland?
126 THEKNOWLEDGE
Facts,fgures,laprecordsandallthedatafromracesandyears goneby.
146 WHAT’SONWHEN? What’sonandwhenit’sonduringtheTTeventin2024.
EDITOR: BERTIESIMMONDS
ARTEDITOR: CRAIGLAMB
ADMANAGER: CHARLIEOAKMAN
TT2024ISLANDRACER
PRODUCTIONEDITOR: DANSHARP
ISBN978-1-911703-43-3
SPECIALCONTRIBUTORS: PETEFARAGHER,BILLSNELLING/ TTRACEPICS,STUARTBARKER, PHILWAIN,DONMORLEY, ALANCATHCART,DAVEMANNING, GARYDCHAPMAN,BENRUMBOLD
PUBLISHER: STEVEO’HARA
ALLMATERIALCOPYRIGHTMORTONS MEDIAGROUPLIMITED,2024. ALLRIGHTSRESERVED.
PRINTEDBYWILLIAMGIBBONSANDSONS, WOLVERHAMPTON
PUBLISHINGDIRECTOR: DANSAVAGE
PUBLISHEDBY MORTONSMEDIAGROUPLIMITED, MEDIACENTRE,MORTONWAY, HORNCASTLE,LINCOLNSHIRE,LN96JR. TELEPHONE01507529529.
DISTRIBUTED
SEYMOURDISTRIBUTIONLIMITED,2EAST POULTRYAVENUE,LONDON,EC1A9PT
FORMORECOPIESOFISLANDRACER ORFORINFORMATION CALL01507529529 ORVISITWWW.ISLANDRACER.CO.UK
CONTENTS 6 Island Racer MOUNTAIN Monarch! onarch! PAGESOF AMAZING TTACTION THEBESTTTACTIONPASTANDPRESENT! DEANHARRISONINTERVIEW // THEDUNLOPDYNASTY // TTBRIDESMAIDS // HONDA’SRC45RECALLED // RIDINGOFF-ROADONTHEISLAND // WHO TOLOOKFORINTT24 // WHAT’SONWHEN // TTENCYCLOPEDIA // WIN DUKEVIDEOGOODIESANDSIGNEDBOOKSWITHOURTTCROSSWORD! SUPERTWIN: CANMICHAELDUNLOP BECOMETHENEW KINGOFTHE MOUNTAINAT THETT? CARLFOGARTY’STT WINSANDF1WORLD TITLES WERIDEMICHAELDUNLOP’S PATONS1-RTTWINNER THE BEST TT ACTION PAST AND PRESENT! FOGGYONTHE ISLAND!
BESTSEATSIN THEHOUSE...
Ifthere’sanythingbetterthanwatching realroad-racingaroundtheIsleofMan, inbrilliantsunshineandwithsomesupplies athand,we’veyettoexperienceit.
Ifthesun’soutandyou’reonagrassybank aroundthecourse–doubtlesswithacold boxfullofsomealcoholicandnon-alcoholic refreshmentandnibbles–thenyouknow you’reallsetforagoodfewhours.
Thisflashbackto1955andtheSenior500 Clubman’sTTistakenontheright-hander inOnchanVillageoppositetheManxArms Hotel.Triumph-mountedrider,IanAtkinson, hasalookofsteelydeterminationashe powerspastthegatheredcrowdonhis wayto2ndplaceintherace.TheBradford Clubriderwouldfinishtheracein1hour 23minutesand31secondstosetanaverage lapspeedof69.77mph.
MortonsArchivehasmanyshotsfrom thisvantagepointandinalmosteveryone you’llseeasmallcrowdofeageronlookers perchedinthedoorwayofTheBlueDragon CafeontheoldClypseCourse.
We’dsaythat–judgingbywhat’son offerinTheBlueDragononthisday–there probablywasn’tabetterplacetowatchthe raceactionfrom.You’dbewatchingracing lineswhilewatchingyourwaist-line…
WORDS: BERTIESIMMONDS PICS: MORTONSARCHIVE
FLASHBACK1955
PLAYINGTHEJOKER
DidlegendaryracerPhilReadhavealove-haterelationshipwiththeIsleofManorwasitjust TTracefansthathadalove-haterelationshipwith‘ThePrinceofSpeed’himself?
Thisshot,fromlegendarylensmanNickNicholls,showsPhilonhisYamaha125injovial moodashespotsthephotographerduringthe1966IsleofManTTraces.Philwasalegend–withoutdoubt–eightWorldChampionshipsand52GrandPrixvictoriesprovethatalone. ButthentherewerealsoeightIsleofManTTwins.Sadly,theseseemtobeovershadowed byhiscriticismofthecourseitself.
Intheearly1970sReadhadbeenoneofthemaincriticsofthecourse,whichultimately ledtotheracelosingitsstatusasaGrandPrixeventin1976.Maybethefansdidn’tseethe dangersthemselves–norputupwiththe-thenpoorfnancialsupportforracersgoingto theIsland.
TheultimateironywasthatPhilreturnedtotheTTandthe‘TTFormula’WorldChampionship in1977,ridingforHondaBritain,winningtheTT-F1race(andthe‘worldtitle’thatwentwithit) aswellastakingtheSeniorTTthatyearonaSuzukiRG500.
OfcoursesomefansclaimedReadywas‘onlyinitforthemoney’butwhat’swrongwith that?Ithadprovedhispointcompletely–afterall,there’snothingwrongwithfacingupto theuniquechallengesoftheTTcourseandbeingpaidhandsomelyforit…
FLASHBACK1966 WORDS: BERTIESIMMONDS PIC: MORTONSARCHIVE
