Island Racer Magazine 2024 **FREE 12 PAGE PREVIEW**

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!’

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.

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.

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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

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…