Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. MANX MOTOR CYCLE CLUB ANNOUNCES 2014 MANX GRAND PRIX RACE SCHEDULE

   Posted on 10:39am Thursday 21st Nov 2013

   The races form part of the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling, which also includes the Classic TT, the Classic and Two Day Trials and the VMCC's Festival of Jurby.

   The 2014 Manx Grand Prix starts with a week of qualifying from Saturday 16th August. The race schedule kicks off with the MGP Newcomers races on Monday 25th August followed by the Junior MGP and SuperTwin/Lightweight MGP races on Wednesday 27th August and culminates with the Senior MGP race on Friday 29th August.

   2013 saw some thrilling racing culminating in Michael Sweeney's thrilling last lap Junior MGP Race win when James Cowton retired with less than a mile to go from the chequered flag. There were also race wins for Michael Russell (SuperTwins) and Alistair Howarth (Lightweight) while Chris Dixon, Callum Collister and Ben Rea took the honours in the Newcomers A, B and C races respectively.

   Commenting on the change to the 2013 schedule Harvey Garton, Chairman, Manx Motor Cycle Club said: "It makes sense to switch the Newcomers Race to Monday which gives newcomers the opportunity to compete in Wednesday's Junior Race. It will also take some pressure out of a crowded race schedule."

   He continued: "We were very unfortunate with the weather for this year's meeting which resulted in us cancelling the Senior MGP and I'm keen that we remind everyone that we have the option to race on Saturday if racing is unable to take place on Friday. Hopefully competitors, fans and marshals will bear this in mind when making their travel arrangements as the Club is determined to do everything we can to run our blue riband race next year including taking up the option of racing on Saturday if we have to."

   Tickets for all race days are available via Duke Marketing from 10am on Saturday 23rd. Call 01624 640000 or on-line at www.shop.iomtt.com

2. TT Stars Head to NEC for Motorcycle Live to promote Isle of Man's 2014 Motorcycling events

   Posted on 11:19am Tuesday 19th Nov 2013

   Leading TT stars are heading to Motorcycle Live to promote the Isle of Man's 2014 motorcycling events calendar including the TT Races, the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling and the Southern 100.

   20-times Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness and 2013’s big winner Michael Dunlop will be leading a star-studded line-up which also includes Manxman Conor Cummins, fan favourite Bruce Anstey, SES TT Zero winner Michael Rutter and rising star James Hillier, who won his first TT race this year.

   John Holden and Andy Winkle, Ben and Tom Birchall, Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle and sixteen-time TT champion Dave Molyneux along with his passenger Patrick Farrance will be representing the Sidecars.

   The riders will be signing autographs and meeting fans on the high profile TT Paddock Experience stand and taking part in daily Q&As with TT commentator James Whitham on the Black Horse Stage in the British Eurosport Entertainment Zone. On Sunday 1 December, the TT will take over the stage, with four Q&A sessions and a special TT-themed edition of Fast Bikes Question of Bikes hosted by Steve Parrish.

   The Department of Economic Development has again developed the TT paddock themed stand which will feature a display of fabulous racing machines from the TT and Classic TT including Michael Dunlop’s Dainese Superbike Race winning Honda Superbike and his Motorsport merchandise Formula 1 Classic TT Race winning Suzuki. The stand will also have the iconic Senior TT Trophy and will show 2013 race highlights on a large screen.

   Members of the Department of Economic Development Motorsport team, representatives of the Isle of Man TT Marshals Association and official TT Travel Agency Regency Travel who will be promoting travel and accommodation, grandstand and VIP hospitality packages, will be manning the stand.

   This year's Motorcycle Live features two days dedicated to the Isle of Man’s flagship road racing festivals. Sunday 24 November will celebrate heritage event the Classic TT, while Sunday 1 December - 'Mad Sunday – TT Day' - will be devoted to the world’s most famous road race, the Isle of Man TT.

3. WILLIAM DUNLOP SIGNS FOR TYCO SUZUKI FOR 2014 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES CAMPAIGN

   Posted on 11:24am Wednesday 13th Nov 2013

   Tyco Suzuki has confirmed the signing of talented Ballymoney road racer William Dunlop for the 2014 season. The 28-year-old will ride alongside Lincolnshire's Guy Martin in next season's Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy as well as the other international road races - The North West 200, and The Ulster Grand Prix.

   Dunlop will also take in a selection of national road races during 2014, and will partner Guy Martin at the Southern 100 in July - aboard a full stable of GSX-R machinery decked out in Tyco Suzuki livery.

   Dunlop's 2013 TT campaign included joining the Superbike '130mph Club' at this year's and victory in the second Supersport race at the Ulster Grand Prix. He made his TT debut in 2006 and has two Monster Energy Supersport TT Race podiums, with third place finishes in 2012 and 2013.

   He is delighted at the prospect of joining his local Northern Ireland based team for 2014 and said "Now that I have it all signed off I'm pretty excited to be honest. I know how fast the Tyco Suzuki GSX-R600 is having followed Guy Martin this year at the Southern 100 and his results on the Superbike at the Ulster Grand Prix speak for themselves. I never expected to be riding for Hector and Philip this year but it just shows you what can happen in racing, and now that I am I can't wait to get started."

   Philip Neill - Team Manager: "We are very pleased to complete our road racing line-up for 2014. It was a fairly last minute agreement with William, but one that we are delighted to announce, and our goal is now to help him achieve his first Isle of Man TT victory in 2014. As well as the three internationals, we will also compete in a number of national events with him next season.

   "He's a very talented rider and I believe he's now at the right stage of his career to challenge for victories at all three internationals, and not just in the 600 class I might add, as he's also a very good Superbike rider."

   Paul Phillips, TT and Motorsport Manager, Isle of Man Government commented: "William was one of the riders that we highlighted in our 2007 young guns advertising campaign and he's clearly now come of age as a rider. This deal represents the next stage of his TT career and next year's TT could well be the year when he finally achieves his potential and is the next Dunlop to stand on the top step at the TT. I'm sure that this news will already add to the anticipation around TT2014."

4. Former Winner Ian Bell to make sensational return to Sure Sidecar TT Races in 2014

   Posted on 5:58am Wednesday 13th Nov 2013

   Former Isle of Man TT Sidecar Race winner Ian Bell is set to make a sensational return to the Mountain Course with confirmation that he will contest the 2014 event, adding further quality to what’s already the world's leading Sidecar race.

   The Bedlington motorcycle dealer, who will be competing on Yamaha machinery, last raced at the TT in 2004, a year after he won the opening 3-lap race with passenger Neil Carpenter, but a heavy practice spill at Hillberry resulted in arm and hand injuries and led to him retiring from all competition. However, he was soon back in the driving seat, this time with son Carl in the chair and they will now contest the two races to be held next June with Carl making his debut around the 37 and ¾ mile course.

   A former Southern 100 solo champion, Bell made the switch to three wheels in the mid 1990s and was an instant success at the TT where, with Craig Hallam in the chair, stunning finishes of fifth and sixth in 1995 saw him a deserved winner of the Peter Chapman Newcomers Trophy.

   Two years later, Bell and Carpenter took their first podium finish with third in the second race of 1997 and they went one place better in 1999 with second behind Rob Fisher. Over the next four years, Bell and Carpenter regularly challenged the likes of Dave Molyneux and Fisher for the race wins and they finally got to stand on the top step of the podium in the first race of 2003. Although its 11 years since he last contested the TT, Bell’s best lap of 110.81mph still makes him the 16th fastest driver of all time.

   Since returning to the sport in 2007, Ian and Carl have been regular front runners in the British F2 Championship taking the title in 2012 as well as becoming the Southern 100 Champions in 2009, which was Ian’s third three-wheel title around the Billown course following his successes in 1999 and 2000. The pair have also been regular winners at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough.

   Speaking about his comeback to the TT, Ian said: “I’ve been giving a TT comeback some consideration for quite some time and now it feels right with my son Carl having gained enough experience in the passenger’s seat for us to go and do a decent job there. We’ll go with no expectations other than to have fun and to see how we get on.”

5. John McGuinness helps to launch Honda's 2014 models‏

   Posted on 10:16am Thursday 7th Nov 2013

   Honda TT Legends rider John McGuinness has appeared with some of Honda's biggest racing stars in a presentation to launch the company's new model line-up for 2014.

   The 20-time Isle of Man TT winner joined Pata Honda World Superbike star Leon Haslam, 14-time World Trials Champion Toni Bou and 2013 FIM World Rally Champion Paulo Gonçalves in Milan in Italy on Monday night to ride the new models on to the stage in front of the world's motorcycle media.

   They were joined by three of Honda's racing stars of the future, European Junior Cup winner Jake Lewis, Honda 150 European champion Filippo Grigoletto and European Junior Cup rider Sabrina Paiuta.

   Honda's 2014 line-up includes six new models, with two 650cc machines featuring a new inline four-cyclinder engine, the new CTX1300 cruiser and the next evolution of the NC series.

   The range also features new directions for Honda's VFR800F and the CBR1000RR Fireblade which spearheads Honda's racing activities in World Superbike, the Isle of Man TT and World Endurance, including the famous Suzuka 8-Hour race in Japan.

   McGuinness rode an updated CBR1000RR Fireblade on to the Milan stage, while Haslam, who won this year's Suzuka 8-Hour race, brought on the new CBR1000RR Fireblade SP featuring Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes.