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Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

  1. The Bootleg Beatles set to headline Classic TT Party

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    The world’s premier Beatles tribute act ‘The Bootleg Beatles’ are bringing their remarkable four-part show to the Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts. Tickets go on sale on Thursday for this exclusive appearance in the TT VIP Hospitality Suite on Saturday 25th August.

    In a near forty year career The Bootleg Beatles have played to packed audiences worldwide, headlined Glastonbury’s acoustic stage, supported Oasis at Earls Court and Knebworth and shared stages with the likes of David Bowie, Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Manic Street Preachers and Iggy Pop.

    The Bootleg Beatles were formed from the original cast of London’s West End multi-media stage show ‘Beatlemania’ and have become an institution with their note-perfect recreation of the hits from the world’s most famous songbook. Every tiny detail is meticulously covered from costumes to authentic period instruments; from their witty ‘Liverpudlian’ banter to their ‘inflection perfect’ vocal mimicry. But it’s not only their sound that is so authentic but also their uncanny resemblance to the original Fab Four.

    The show features distinct eras that encompass some of the most definitive moments in rock history and many of its most memorable songs – from the early days of Beatlemania, the Shea Stadium appearance and the psychedelic phase, including mini orchestral accompaniment to recreate the distinctive sound, through to the White album, Abbey Road and the final rooftop appearance at Saville Row.

    Tickets, priced at £40, for the Bootleg Beatles at the Classic TT Party will go on sale from 9am on Thursday 16th August via iomtt.com or via our sales hotline on (00 44) (0) 1624 640011. 

  2. TT hero Dean Harrison to make two stroke debut with LayLaw Racing at 2018 Classic TT Races

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    Classic Racing specialists Laylaw Racing will again field two riders in this year’s Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT race at the 2018 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts.  

    10-time TT winner Ian Lougher will line up for the team for the fourth consecutive year, but the Southern Ireland based team has made a major statement of intent by adding one of the stars of this year’s TT Races, Dean Harrison to their line-up.

    The Bradford rider is a three-time winner at the Classic TT with victories in the 2013 Formula Classic, 2015 Bennetts Senior and 2017 RST Superbike Races with the latter seeing him lap in excess of 127mph. However, 2018 will see him contest the Lightweight race for the first time and he will make his first competitive outing in the class on a 250cc TZ Yamaha.

    Winner of the second Supersport Race at this year’s TT which he followed up by finishing runner up in the PokerStars Senior TT, the 29-year old is sure to be among the race favourites, particularly riding the immaculate machines fielded by Southern Ireland’s Eddie Laycock and Gerry Lawlor for Laylaw Racing.

    Laycock, himself a double TT winner with victory in the 1987 Junior and 1989 Supersport 400cc Races, and Lawlor will also field a second, identically-prepared TZ 250cc Yamaha for Lougher. The Welsh veteran won the corresponding Lightweight Classic TT race in 2014.

    The ten-time TT winner has had to give second best to Bruce Anstey in each of the last two years, finishing runner-up twice but with the Kiwi sadly absent in 2018 due to illness, Lougher will have high hopes of another Classic TT victory,  especially having lapped at 117.742mph twelve months ago.

    Classic TT Grandstand tickets are available now starting from as little at £5 with race day tickets priced at £30. VIP experiences, tickets for the Classic TT Party on Saturday 25th August and the RST Classic TT Heroes Dinner on Sunday 26th August are all available to buy now at iomtt.com or via our sales hotline on (00 44) (0) 1624 640011.

  3. James Hillier and Joey Thompson go back to the future with Oxford Team Ducati

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    Oxford Products and Celeres Racing have, for the second year running, teamed up to campaign their Ducati 888 machines in the RST Superbike Classic TT Race at the 2018 Isle of Man Classic TT presented by Bennetts.  

    TT star James Hillier will again be riding the Celeres Racing Ducati 888 hoping for success this time. The campaign continues the celebration of 25 years since Trevor Nation, Robert Dunlop and Mark Farmer rode the Oxford Products liveried Ducatis, back in 1992/3.

    This year, Hillier will be joined by Yorkshireman Joey Thompson. Thompson comes to the Classic TT for the first time, competing in only his second year on the roads. Riding a Paton in the Bennetts Lightweight TT this year, he achieved a very creditable 5th place so is confident of a good placing at the Classic.

    ‘I have been riding bikes since I was 4 years old, first competing in motocross and then riding at BSB in the support classes for the last 7 years. I have really clicked with competing on the roads and I am so proud that I have been given this opportunity to ride the Oxford Team Ducati’, said Thompson.

    Hillier will once again run race number 5 with Thompson using 20.

    Both Ducati 888 machines were built by Stafford Evans of Celeres Racing. The first bike competed in the 2016 Superbike F1 Classic TT Race. Wearing Ducati red, the bike was ridden to 11th place by Dave Hewson, with a best lap of 115.769mph.  Last year James Hiller rode it in Oxford colours and after a 122mph lap in practice, he was confident of something special, only to be side-lined by an errant stone on the second lap of the race.

    Team owner Stafford Evans is optimistic for a good result this year. 

    ‘It’s a real honour to once again represent the Oxford brand at the Classic TT. We didn’t have the best of luck last year but we have doubled our efforts in 2018 to get a podium result, which is very achievable. Giving Joey an opportunity is very exciting – he’s a real star of the future and at only 20 years old, has a great future in front of him’.

    Hillier is no stranger to the TT Mountain Course having visited the rostrum several times. These include a Lightweight TT win in 2013 and a 2nd place in the F1 Classic TT in 2014 as well as two 3rd places in this year’s RST Superbike and Monster Energy SuperSport TTs. 

    Joey’s credentials include his 5th place in the Lightweight TT, and the 2017 International Lightweight Championship (250) held at Oliver’s Mount.

    Classic TT Grandstand tickets are available now starting from as little at £5 with race day tickets priced at £30. VIP experiences, tickets for the Classic TT Party on Saturday 25th August and the RST Classic TT Heroes Dinner on Sunday 26th August are all available to buy now at iomtt.com or via our sales hotline on (00 44) (0) 1624 640011.

  4. Stunning collection of Honda RC30s assembled as 30th anniversary of the all-conquering V4 is celebrated at the Classic TT

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    The thirtieth anniversary of the RC30 Honda, one of the most iconic motorcycles of its generation, will be celebrated at this year’s Isle of Man Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts with a stunning collection of the machines being assembled in a pop up museum in the heart of the Classic TT Paddock. And over 30 RC30 Honda’s will take to the Mountain Course on Monday 27th August as well in the Classic Racer Magazine Classic TT Lap of Honour.

    The RC30 is inextricably linked to the history of the Isle of Man TT Races and made its mark from the outset in the 1988 Formula One TT Race which Joey Dunlop won on an early version of the bike, setting an outright lap record in the process.

    The bike was actually released in Japan in 1987 but only came to Europe in 1988 and made an instant impact when Fred Merkel won the inaugural Superbike World championship riders and manufacturers title, which he repeated the following year. 

    Many of the bikes that will be on the Isle of Man for the celebration were ridden by some of the greatest names in the sport including 26-time TT Race winner Joey Dunlop, Steve Hislop, Phillip McCallen, Carl Fogarty and Freddie Spencer. 

    Other machines include bikes that Nick Jefferies, Steve Ward, Johnny Rea, Alan Bennallick, Kenny Irons and Australian Mal Campbell all raced successfully on during their careers at prestigious meetings around the world.  Five factory NLOB RC30’s, formerly ridden by Dunlop, Fogarty, McCallen and Jefferies in either Castrol or Silkolene colours and Hislop’s 1988 Production RC30 Honda will also feature.

    Steve Ward’s machines from 1988 and 1993 will be part of the paddock display. The Leeds rider achieved third place finishes in both the Formula One and Senior Races in the latter year, while the GT Motorcycles RC30 regularly campaigned by Alan Bennallick is another Honda RC30 that will form part of the celebrations.

    Spencer’s Two Brothers Racing Honda RC30 that the triple World Champion rode in the AMA Superbike Championship is also in the exhibition.

    In addition a number of RC30’s ridden in the World Endurance Championship will be on display including the 1989 Dholda Honda, an ex-Mal Campbell Moriwaki machine, also from 1989, that the Australian took to third in that year’s Suzuka 8-Hour and the Team Bike and That’s Racing machines that won and finished on the podium respectively at the Le Mans 24 Hour race as well as taking podium finishes elsewhere.

    The free to enter Honda RC30 30th Anniversary Pop Up Museum curated by the Honda RC30 Owners Club, will be open from Friday 24th to Monday 27th August in the Classic TT Paddock .

    Classic TT Grandstand tickets are available now starting from as little at £5 with race day tickets priced at £30. VIP experiences, tickets for the Classic TT Party on Saturday 25th August and the RST Classic TT Heroes Dinner on Sunday 26th August are all available to buy now at iomtt.com or via our sales hotline on (00 44) (0) 1624 640011.

  5. Flitwick Motorcycles step up Classic TT presence

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    Perennial Classic TT contenders Flitwick Motorcycles look set to continue their assault on the podium at the 2018 Classic TT presented by Bennetts, with three riders and an ever expanding stable of top quality classic racing machines.

    Regular rider Olie Linsdell looks set for a busy fortnight with entries in the Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race, the Locate.im Junior Classic TT Race and the RST Superbike Classic TT Races for Team Flitwick. Once again Enfield mounted for the opening Senior Race, the 2013 winner is confident that he can challenge for the podium as he arrives at the event injury free for the first time in four years.

    Olie will be joined in the Senior Race by Classic racing specialist Chris Swallow on a similar specification Enfield, this time housed in a Seeley chassis. No stranger to the podium himself the team is confident that Chris will be right in the mix on the Flitwick machine. As long as parts availability allows, a third Flitwick Enfield will also start this race, as 2017 newcomer David Linsdell looks to campaign the original Seeley Enfield that team owner Steve Linsdell rode to 2nd place in his 1981 Newcomers Manx Grand Prix.

    For the Superbike Race Olie will ride the hub-center steered Yamaha GTS based machine that was campaigned so successfully by Steve Linsdell throughout the 1990’s. As the bike has not been used in anger for so long, the team are looking at 2018 as a development year, but are confident that the unique machine will put on a solid display while once again exciting fans around the Mountain Course.

    For Monday's Junior Race the team will field two machines, with both Linsdell brothers down to compete in the smaller capacity event. Olie will look to challenge for the win on a top-spec TAB framed Honda 350 twin in a class where he always feels at home, while David will ride a single cylinder 350 Ducati as he looks to improve on his 2017 performance.

    The Team would like to thank the continued support of sponsors Steve Bond, John and Olaug of SMV and Meryn Hackett, whose support is greatly appreciated.

    Team owner Steve Linsdell says:

    "Flitwick Motorcycles have supported the Classic TT since the beginning and having stepped back from modern racing, it has firmly established itself as the main event of our season. Having had a few years plagued by injury I wanted to have a real push to get us back to where we know we should be. Olie is back to full fitness and having Chris on board is a real boost as he knows how to ride a classic bike fast around the mountain course.”

    He continued:

    “It’s been a struggle with so many bikes to prepare, but I am confident that I can give both riders the tools for the job. Olie did 140mph through Sulby last year on my Bullet, so a 110mph lap is certainly not out of the question! I’m also looking forward to having two bikes from my past out and competing again – the 500 Enfield I did my newcomers race on that David will ride as long as I can make enough parts and my Hub Centre Steered Yamaha special that Olie will ride in the Classic Superbike race. It’s been a while, so it will be good to see them back where they belong!"


    Classic TT Grandstand tickets are available now starting from as little at £5 with race day tickets priced at £30. VIP experiences, tickets for the Classic TT Party on Saturday 25th August and the RST Classic TT Heroes Dinner on Sunday 26th August are all available to buy now at iomtt.com or via our sales hotline on (00 44) (0) 1624 640011.