130mph Man McGuinness Heads Strongest T.T. Entry for Years

Outright T.T. Lap Record holder, John McGuiness heads the strongest T.T. entry for years, as he aims to become the first man to lap the world famous Mountain Circuit at over 130mph.

The thirty two year old Morecambe rider will line up at this year’s event for the official Yamaha UK Aim Racing team, as favourite for honours, having scored three wins last year, as well as taking the outright lap record up to a staggering 127.68mph. To lap at over 130mph would mean finding another twenty seconds over 37 and ¾ miles, which sounds like a tall order, but may be required when considering the level of competition at this year’s event.

TAS Suzuki field Adrian Archibald and Bruce Anstey, whilst DMRR Honda Racing have Ian Lougher and Richard Britton in their colours. Add in MSS Discovery Kawasaki star, Ryan Farquhar and McGuinness’ team mate for the event at Yamaha, Jason Griffiths, and you have the recipe for some frantic action without adding in any of the privateer teams and riders nor the latest batch of newcomers to the event.

The Vitrans/Ten Kate Honda team make a welcome debut at the T.T. supporting up and coming Irishman Martin Finnegan, whilst Uel Duncan Racing will field T.T. 2004 sensation Guy Martin, and the returning multi Irish Champion Darran Lindsay. Chesterfield Motorcycle Centre make a welcome return to the T.T. having missed out since they won the 2000 Production Race with David Jefferies, this time with Chris Heath as their rider, whilst Ireland’s CD Racing try for success with leading British Supersport competitor Rob Frost. Another Irish team looking for success will be JD’s Racing with the up and coming Ray Porter and Ken Doherty at the helm, along with team boss John Donnan whilst British Superstock Championship regular Ian Hutchinson returns to the T.T. with Ian Lougher’s former team, Mark Johns Motors Honda.

Other leading privateers include Mark Parrett, Ian Armstrong, David Bell, Carl Rennie, Nigel Davies, Roy Richardson and Phil Stewart whilst the local charge is led by veteran Paul Hunt, the third place finisher in last year’s Senior Race, Gary Carswell, two time 125cc T.T. winner Chris Palmer and former Manx Grand Prix winner and third place finisher in last year’s 125cc race Nigel Beattie. Several of last year’s leading Manx Grand Prix riders have also made the jump up to the T.T. for 2005 including 2004 winners Davy Morgan and Dean Silvester and front runners Kenneth McCrea, Liam Quinn, Keith Stewart and David Coughlan.

Giving the event a truly international feel a total of sixteen countries are represented at T.T. 2005, and leading the overseas invasion will be former double winner Shaun Harris from New Zealand. Others to look out for include Japan’s Jun Maeda, Frenchman Bruno Bonhuil and Stefano Bonetti from Italy. There are also several highly rated newcomers from overseas taking part in this year’s event headed by German superstar Markus Barth, two time Macau Grand Prix winner Cameron Donald from Australia, French World Endurance aces Amaury Baratin, Emmanuel Cheron and Serge Nuques, leading Belgian rider Michael Weynard and multi Swedish Superbike Champion Christer Miinin.

Rider recruitment has been one of the major success stories for the new look T.T. and joining the foreign stars on the entry list will be leading British riders Gus Scott, Les Shand and Paul Shoesmith.

Local ace Dave Molyneux leads the Sidecar entry along with passenger Daniel Sayle as they set their sights on a repeat of last year’s meeting, where they won both races and broke the sidecar lap record.

They will receive stiff opposition from the likes of Nick Crowe and Darren Hope, Steve Norbury and Scott Parnell, Roy Hanks and Dave Wells and the returning Gary Horspole and Mark Cox. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on former World Sidecar Champions Klaus Klaffenbock and Christian Parzer who caused a sensation last year with a last minute entry. Having never seen the track before the first practice session Klaffenbock’s pedigree shone through and, but for a bit more luck, a top ten finish could well have been achieved. The Austrian’s will certainly feature in the top ten in 2005 and top five finish cannot be ruled out.

Speaking about the entry for this year’s races, T.T. Clerk of the Course Neil Hanson commented:

“The standard of the entry for this year’s event is staggering, and it goes some way to prove that the changes we have made to both the event structure and the personnel involved, have been well received. Never in my time as Clerk of the Course has the quality of the entry been so high and I am certain that the spectators can look forward to some close racing at record breaking speeds. I would like to pay tribute to the work carried out by Paul Phillips and Richard Quayle as Rider Recruitment Officers, who have made great progress in a very short space of time by introducing some of these excellent riders to the event. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the competitors a safe and successful 2005 T.T. and I look forward to seeing them and working with them all in just over seven weeks from now.”

David Cretney MHK, Minister for the Department of Tourism and Leisure on the Isle of Man added:

“The Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure along with the Manx Motor Cycle Club have worked harder than ever before to improve the racing side of the T.T. Festival and, hopefully, with the quality on show at this year’s event we are starting to see the benefit of this hard work. The racing is, and always will be, the foundation the T.T. Festival is built on and whilst in the past we may have been found wanting in certain areas, we believe we have addressed these areas and the T.T. is back to where it belongs as the most unique, challenging and exciting road race anywhere in the world. We will continue to make changes going forward so that the competitors want to return year after year to take up the challenge the Mountain Circuit offers and, in the meantime, I would like to wish them all the best of luck for T.T. 2005.”

Special guests for TT Festival The Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure is pleased to be playing host to a number of leading motor cycling celebrities during the course of T.T. 2005.

The reigning British Superbike Champion, Rizla Suzuki’s John Reynolds and former three times BSB champion and Grand Prix star Niall McKenzie will visit the Island during race week and they will both take part in the Parade Lap on Senior Race Day.

Joining them will be former T.T. winner, Michael Rutter, who currently rides for the works HM Plant Honda squad. Rutter who actually won the T.T. in 1998, will also take part in the Parade Lap, and has recently gone on record as having said he would contemplate a racing return to the T.T. in 2006.

Another famous name visiting the Isle of Man T.T. Races is tuning legend Gerrit Ten Kate, who will be on the Island to assist the Vitrans/Ten Kate Honda squad and their rider, Irishman Martin Finnegan. Ten Kate has already built an engine for a T.T. winner, with Jim Moodie using one of the Dutchman’s engines to take victory in the 1999 Junior T.T. Race, and will be hoping for a similar result this time with Finnegan.

Also visiting the T.T. this year will be actor Charley Boorman, who partnered best friend Ewan McGregor in an around the world motorcycle ride last year, and featured in the massively popular TV Documentary Series, The Long Way Round. Charley will also visit during race week, as a guest of Motor Cycle News.

TT 2005 More Entertainment, World Class! Powersport specialists Duke have this year been appointed by the Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure to professionally organise the T.T. 2005 entertainment. It will be the greatest collection of entertainments and shows ever seen at a T.T. Festival, and add still more excitement to what will be a new-look T.T. with its revised race formats.

Entertainment is centred on the Promenade, for a full eight days and nights, with the 31m² T.T.-TV . ‘Big Screen’ next to the famous Bushy’s tent, and a 220 metre section of Promenade used for a wide range of stunts, shows, live cameras and activities, timetabled every evening. There are plans for a grandstand with reserved and family seating, and also a kids’ entertainment area in the Villiers Square. In the performance arena, safety considerations will be paramount, without restricting the viewing, using professional standard water-filled and foam bollard units as well as the normal crowd barriers.

Ten acts or features are already booked or planned to appear on the Prom, including Humberto Ribeiro, the current World Stunt Riding Champion, from Portugal, and Russ Swift, probably the best car stunt driver around, holder of two Official World Records. On Race Days, winners will appear on the Big Screen Stage and then travel in ‘motorcade’ to the Villa Marina prizegiving.

In addition to a full programme every evening from Friday to Wednesday, Thursday will feature a ‘Classic Bike’ event with some very rare machines, and Friday will see the finale the ‘2005 T.T. Street Party on the Prom’ with live bands, big screen live cameras, fireworks and all the atmosphere needed for a great finale to the T.T. Festival.

Away from the Prom, there will be the Red Arrows display on Tuesday, Honda Day at Peel on Mad Sunday, Honda Powerboats, SuperMoto and fireworks in Ramsey on Tuesday, biker track days and karting at Jurby, Steve Colley, Russ Swift, fireworks and a band in Port Erin on Monday, the WKD Café at Colours, the new PS2 T.T. Superbikes game, and all the usual T.T.-T.V. feeds to Island pubs. There are also plans to feed live pictures from Creg ny Baa and the Grandstand to the Big Screen and the internet.

For more information contact Peter Duke, or Gavin Smith at Duke Marketing: E: [email protected], T: 01624 640013, F: 01624 640001

T.T. Race Sponsors announced The Manx Government’s Department of Tourism and Leisure has announced that negotiations have been completed in respect of four major sponsorships for this year’s T.T. Races. All the companies involved have sponsored events at the meeting previously.

Tourism Minister David Cretney said:

“These are Isle of Man-based organisations which are maintaining their association with the T.T. It shows not only the commitment of all areas of Manx life to the races but reinforces our belief that the T.T. is a highly marketable commodity. We thank them for their continued involvement and assure our sponsors that we appreciate the role they are playing in the continued success of the T.T.”

The Hilton Hotel and Casino is sponsoring the two sidecar events, both of which are over three laps. Sidecar Race A is on the opening race day of the meeting, Saturday 4th June, followed by Race B on Wednesday 8th June.

Saturday’s six lap Superbike event is sponsored by Duke Marketing while Scottish Life International gives its name to the Superstock Race over three laps on the Monday. Fourth sponsor to be confirmed is the Steam Packet Company, which is supporting the four lap Supersport Junior B Race on the Wednesday.

Mr Cretney confirmed that discussions were continuing regarding sponsorship for the two remaining events the Supersport Race A on Monday and the Senior TT which brings down the curtain on the 2005 T.T. Meeting on the Friday.

Paddock improvements in hand for T.T. 2005 Several improvements to the T.T. Paddock are well underway ahead of this year’s event, which the organisers hope will make the competitors’ stay over T.T. fortnight more enjoyable.

Former T.T. winner Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle is assisting the Manx Motor Cycle Club with the layout of the paddock, where the hope is to maximise the available space and organise the area efficiently.

Among the improvements being put in place the grassed area of the Parc Ferme area is being tarmac-ed ahead of this year’s event whilst roller road will be laid in the day field for the duration of the event. Several television screens will be put in position at different locations around the Grandstand in time for this year’s event also, relaying the timing information to the race teams and the general public.

The Organisers are also pleased to be welcoming back to the T.T. Paddock, Phoenix Distribution’s Arai Helmets service centre who will operate from behind the Grandstand. Phoenix are the UK’s biggest supplier of motor cycle clothing and accessories and it is estimated that over 80% of T.T. competitors choose Arai helmets, so their presence will be welcomed by a large majority of the paddock. This initiative follows Mr Cretney’s request to Mr Brouwer, Managing Director of Arai Europe for an Arai presence at the T.T. Mr Brouwer will be on the Island during this year’s T.T. and will be meeting with the Minister to discuss Arai’s future involvement.

Joining Arai will be K-Tech Suspension, who bring their service centre to the T.T. for the first time. K-Tech operate from all the British Superbike Championship rounds and are a most welcome addition to the Paddock. K-Tech are the sole importers of Showa and Tecnoflex and are suppliers of such leading brands as Ohlins, Kayaba, Mazzochi and WP. They will be offering competitors service and support on forks, steering dampers and shock absorbers.

Speaking about the changes to the Paddock area, T.T. Clerk of the Course, Neil Hanson, commented:

“The Paddock area has for a long time been a bone of contention for some riders, and the organisers are doing everything they can to make their stay in the Paddock as pleasurable as possible. The Department of Tourism and Leisure has invested a considerable sum of money to make these changes possible. Paddock safety always has to be the main priority and feel that the changes being made will improve the Paddock considerably. This is something the organisers are going to continue working on, and hope to see further improvements in the years to come. We are also delighted to see Arai Helmets and K-Tech Suspension attending the event this year with their service centres. The service they both provide will be an invaluable one for the competitors and hopefully they will be made to feel welcome and return in the years ahead.”

TT Chat Show 2005 Following the success of T.T. Chat Show 2004, the event returns for 2005, and the organisers are promising an even bigger show this time around.

Organised by T.T. Rider Liaison Officers Paul Phillips and Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle along with Manx Radio T.T.’s Chris Kinley, the 2004 Chat Show featured top riders like Ian Lougher, Adrian Archibald, Ryan Farquhar and Dave Molyneux, and raised over £5,000 for charity.

The year’s line up includes the likes of John McGuinness, Gus Scott, Guy Martin, Martin Finnegan and some of those already mentioned, taking to the Villa Marina stage for a second year in a row. The public will be invited to ask the riders their own questions again, so if you have ever wanted to know what your favourite rider thinks on a particular subject, this is your chance to find out. The rider’s involved will also be signing autographs and posing for pictures after the Chat Show so bring your camera!

This year the evening will also feature for the first time ‘They Think it’s all a Question of T.T!’ hosted by ‘Milky’ Quayle and featuring some of your favourite T.T. personalities, as you have never seen them before!

The night will also feature the chance to win a pillion lap with outright T.T. lap record holder and six times T.T. winner John McGuinness, whilst there will also be an auction for a lap of the Mountain Circuit on board the Greenlight Television Helicopter during an actual race!

T.T. Chat Show 2005 takes place on Thursday June the 2nd at the Villa Marina, Douglas, with doors opening at 7:30 pm for an 8:00 pm start. Tickets are priced £4 and will be available from the Villa Marina Box Office shortly. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Joey Dunlop Foundation Isle of Man Ltd.

Red Arrows confirmed for three displays during T.T. Race Week Acknowledged as one of the world’s premier aerobatic teams, The Red Arrows are the public face of the Royal Air Force, existing to demonstrate the professional excellence of the RAF and promote recruitment to the RAF.

This year they return to the Isle of Man during T.T. Race Week for three aerobatic displays. They will perform over Ramsey at 3:00 pm on Tuesday the 7th June before moving onto Douglas at 6:30 pm on the same day. They will then return on Thursday the 9th of June at 6:30 pm for a display over Peel in the west of the Island.

TT Classic Nostalgia Weekend June 10th 12th, 2005 “The Magic of Italy Spectacular” At least 14 former T.T. winners will be participating in the TT Classic Nostalgia Weekend 2005. As entries closed on April 7th 2005 the organisers had received 200 applications to take part in this event which is rapidly establishing its place at the forefront of classic motorcycle “things to do!”

Heading the field will be 10 times T.T. winner and winner of 15 world titles, Giacomo Agostini on a 3 cylinder MV. Another 10 times T.T. winner, sidecar competitor Rob Fisher, returns to the Island as does 9 times T.T. winner Charlie Williams, this year’s T.T. Riders’ Association President 8 times winner Tony Rutter, 7 times winner Mick Grant, 6 times winner Jim Redman and double T.T. winners Hugh Anderson on the NZ Britten, Con Law together with Cecil Sandford and Bill Lomas who had a double victory 50 years ago in the Junior and Lightweight. Both riders will be helping with the awards presentations together with the Classic Riders T.T. Forum at the Villa Marina on Saturday 11th June. Star riders with one T.T. victory each Michael Rutter, John Kidson, Tommy Robb and Nick Jefferies on Mike Hailwood’s 1978 T.T. winning Sports Motorcycles Ducati will also thrill the crowds.

A group of 30 motorcycles and riders are making the journey from Italy along with a number of individual entrants of very special Italian machines. In total it is thought that this exotic collection of motorcycles is worth many millions of pounds and includes the following: 1956 MV 500 Four, 1960 MV 250 Twin, 1969 MV 500 Triple, 1970 MV 350 Six, 1971 MV 500 Triple, 1973 MV 500 Four, Moto Guzzi 500 Singles from 1925 and 1949. A 250 Single 1930, a 350 Single from 1956 and a 1957 Moto Guzzi 500 V Eight, a 1932 175cc Benelli, 250cc Single Benellis from 1946 and 1951 and 500cc Benelli Four Cylinder Machines from 1970 and 1971. Gileras are represented with 500 Singles from 1948, 1952 and 1957. A 1939 500 Single Bianchi, 1957 175cc Single Mondial and a 1963 250 Single Moto Morini from Ducati, a 1964 250cc Four, a 1958 125cc Single and a 1964 350cc Single. Paton is represented by two 500cc Twins from 1968 and 1975 and AER Macchi a 408cc Single from 1969, a 500cc Four from 1974 and a 250cc Twin from 1976.

This wonderful collection is expected to attract great attention by Classic enthusiasts and other notable Italian machines including, Sammy Miller’s 1957 500 GP Gilera, Terry Grotefield’s 250 Four Benelli Provini Replica from 1964. John Kidson riding the ex-Arthur Wheeler 349 Moto Guzzi from 1953, John Davis on a 998cc Magni Moto Guzzi, Mal Wheeler on the Paton GP500 and Tourism Minister David Cretney on a 862cc Magni MV Augusta from 1975, together with a number of other spectacular bikes.

The cavalcade will head south to the Southern 100 course on Saturday June 11th and parade laps will take place as part of the Steam Packet National Road Race Programme.

On Saturday evening Charlie Williams will chair two panels of Classic TT Stars in the Villa Marina where fans can meet the stars, listen to their stories of the history of the T.T, obtain autographs and have photographs taken with the T.T. stars. Tickets priced at £5 will be on sale very soon at the Villa Marina.

Finally, after a leisurely Sunday morning in Douglas, a Concours D’Elegance will take place at lunchtime in the grounds of the Villa Marina when everyone will be very welcome.

TT Top Entertainment The Villa Marina will be hosting Robert Plant & The Strange Sensations on the 3rd and 4th June and Ray Davies on the 7th June. Although terms have been agreed, this is subject to contract. A further release will be issued when contracts have been signed and tickets will go on sale in due course. For further details contact the Villa Marina Box Office on 01624.694555.

Manx Radio Re Brand Radio T.T. Manx Radio, the Isle of Man’s national broadcaster, has rebranded its event radio station to Manx Radio T.T. The move has been made to ensure that Radio T.T. is seen as a Manx Radio product in future. Manx Radio T.T. 2005 will commence at 06:00 on 28th May on the AM1368 Island wide service.

During the festival Manx Radio T.T. will cover HONDA day at Peel, The Pre T.T. Classic in Castletown, Ramsey Sprint and Classic bike meeting in Castletown and the Steam Packet races. The Manx Radio T.T. radio car will be touring the Island every day looking at the festival from the perspective of the visiting fans. The station will cover all the races and practises with a world-class team of commentators.

Manx Radio T.T. will be broadcasting its acclaimed chat shows from the Villa Marina both morning and evenings, putting the station at the heart of the action. Another first for 2005 will be 24 hour broadcasting to keep the fans entertained both day and night.

The presenter line up for Manx Radio T.T. 2005 is Ashley Bentley, Mark Burrows, Chris Williams, Ben Hartley, Dan Davis, Alex Brindley, Mike Buttell and Andy Mitchell.

Manx Radio was the first commercial radio station to start broadcasting in the British Isles. In 2004 it celebrated its 40th Anniversary, serving the Isle of Man as both a commercial and Public Service Broadcaster.

TT 2005 to be shown on BBC Grandstand

As Greenlight Television reaches its tenth anniversary the occasion becomes a double celebration with the news that the BBC has confirmed that highlights from this year’s races will be given a one-hour slot in its flagship sports programme Grandstand on BBC1, Sunday June 12th with coverage provisionally scheduled to start at 11.30 am.

Over the past ten years the TT has received tremendous support from BBC Northern Ireland, and nightly programmes during race week have attracted enormous audiences. These programmes will once again be a central plank of this year’s television coverage, and the addition of a national slot is recognition of the TT’s unique character.

Belinda Rogerson, BBC’s Series Producer, Motorsport, said ‘The BBC are delighted to have the Isle of Man TT back on Grandstand. It is a unique event with a long and distinguished history, and it is a welcome addition to our motorsport portfolio, alongside our coverage of MotoGP.’

The news has also been welcomed by the Isle of Man Government. Tourism Minister David Cretney said he was “absolutely delighted that the greatest road races in the world will be shown on Grandstand”.

In addition to the UK, TT television coverage this year will continue to reach global audiences in Asia, Africa, the USA, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.