TT legend John McGuinness to carry number 1 plate in 2011
Thursday 07 April 2011
TT
John McGuinness will lead away the action at the 2011 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy, carrying the number 1 plate in all five solo races.
It is an unfamiliar starting position for the 15-times TT winner, who is more usually seen chasing down rivals than being the man with a target on his back.
Honda TT Legends teammate Keith Amor will start from number 2, 10 seconds back on McGuinness, with Guy Martin, now riding for Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing, at number 3.
Ian Hutchinson will start form the number 4 position which, last year, saw him make history with victory in all five solo races.
Once again, entries for the TT were oversubscribed and the final line-up is set to produce some of the most hotly-contested races around the Mountain course – with at least a dozen riders capable of victory.
The field includes many factory-supported teams and 51 of the 80-strong rider line-up having already lapped the 37.7-mile course ta an average speed of more than 120mph.
McGuinness will be competing for the new Honda TT Legends team in the Dainese Superbike, Royal London 360 Superstock and PokerStars Senior, while he will ride for Padgetts Honda in the two Monster Energy Supersport Races. The Morecambe rider, who has achieved more 130mph-plus laps than any other rider at the TT, was forced to retire from the Superbike and Senior races last year. He will be more determined than ever to further establish his position on the outright winners list, where he lies second only to 26-times TT winner Joey Dunlop.
Scot Amor is joining McGuinness in the Honda TT Legends team and will ride KBMG Hondas in the Monster Energy Supersport races. Last year he further improved his Mountain Course reputation when he was drafted in to the HM Plant Honda team at the last minute.
With a near 130mph lap to his name, as well as four podiums, it’s easy to forget that the 39-year-old only made his TT debut in 2007.
Former Wilson Craig and Hydrex Honda rider Martin will be in the familiar black livery of TAS as he aims to finally secure that elusive first TT win.
The Lincolnshire star, who has recently stared in the six-part BBC1 TV series The Boat That Guy Built, already has nine podium finishes at the TT and was chasing victory in the 2010 Senior when he crashed heavily at Ballagarey.
Fortunately, the 29-year-old escaped serious injury and will return this year for another attempt to tame the Mountain, this time with the famous number 3 plate.
History man Hutchy was switched from Padgetts Hondas to Shaun Muir Racing-run factory Yamahas, the marquee which celebrates its 50th anniversary at this year’s TT.
The Bingley racer has spent the winter recovering from a serious leg fracture suffered while short circuit racing, but will be back to defend his 2010 TT Champion crown, once again starting from number 4.
The vastly experienced Yorkshire team Padgetts has secured seven-time TT winner Bruce Anstey, who has spent the last seven years at TAS Suzuki. His stunning victory at last year’s Ulster Grand Prix shows the Kiwi can still run with the best and joining forces with Clive Padgett could give Anstey the springboard he needs for Superbike glory in the Isle of Man. He will start all races at number 5.
Anstey’s former TAS teammate Cameron Donald has also switched to Honda machinery for the 2011 TT. The Australian will ride for Wilson Craig Racing as he bids to add to the two TT wins he scored in 2008.
The 33-year-old became the first man to lap at more than 131mph during practice for the 2009 TT, but just 24 hours later suffered a shoulder injury which forced him out for much of the season. Last year’s TT was part of Donald’s full return to competition, but he still managed a third in the Superbike TT. He will be aiming for a return to race-winning form in 2011 as he lines up at number 6 in the Dainese Superbike, Royal London 360 Superstock and Pokerstars Senior races.
Alongside Donald at Wilson Craig Racing will be William Dunlop, who will be hoping to make further strides forward. He will start in the top 10 for the two Supersport races, thanks to his recent strong results in the class, and 16th in the Superbike and Superstock classes.
Kawasaki has, arguably, its strongest ever line up at the TT, especially in the Superbike classes with Ryan Farquhar (7), Adrian Archibald (8), Michael Dunlop (9) and Conor Cummins (10) all riding the new ZX-10R.
Archibald is in the unique position of riding three different makes of bike – BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha.
Farquhar came agonisingly close to a third TT win in last year’s thrilling Superstock race and will be looking to go one better this year on the KMR Kawasaki/Manx Gas-backed machines.
The 35-year-old has been competing at the TT since 2002 and has two victories and eight further podiums.
Dunlop, one of only five men to have lapped at more than 130mph, has a great chance of securing a Superbike win on a bike built by Paul Bird’s World Superbike team. He will continue to ride for his own team, backed by loyal sponsor Street Sweep, and will again be Yamaha-mounted for the two Supersport Races.
It is a major achievement that popular Manxman Cummins is preparing to line-up for the TT just 12-months after suffering career-threatening injuries in the 2010 Senior TT.
He held a commanding lead in the Superbike race last year, before retiring with clutch problems, and was in contention for victory in the Senior when he crashed at the Verandah.
Despite extensive injuries and a long rehabilitation, Cummins will be back for McAdoo Racing, once again with the number 10 plate.
Kawasaki has further strength in depth with the evergreen Ian Lougher (Blackhorse Kawasaki) starting number 12 and Manxman Dan Kneen (Marks Bloom Racing). Kneen will start from 15 in the big bike races, but will be shuffled up the order in the Supersport races, starting from number 6 in recognition of his performance in 2010.
Bournemouth Kawasaki’s James Hillier (17) is also sure to be in the hunt for top 10 finishes this year.
Gary Johnson (East Coast Construction) has returned to Honda machinery and will start from 11th position on the grid, while Michael Rutter, who enjoyed a fine meeting 12 months ago despite a late change in machinery, starts at 14. The veteran who challenged for last year’s British Superbike Championship title, will be on board Ducatis this year, with his Rapid Solicitors/Batham’s team preparing purpose-built machines for the rigours of the Mountain Course.
Leading privateer Dan Stewart, who has taken sixth place for the last two years in the Senior TT, again has the number 13 plate for the 1000cc races. Other notable numbers in the Superbike class include the returning Mark Parrett (22), Steve Mercer (23), Ian Mackman (26) and Senior Manx Grand Prix winner Simon Fulton (53).
Leading newcomers include Simon Andrews (34), James Storrar (42), Dan Hegarty (60), Daniel Frear (62) and Dean Harrison (64).
The international challenge is also strong, with German Rico Penzkofer (Penz13.Com BMW) and Portuguese Luis Carreira (CD Racing) starting inside the top 20 at numbers 18 and 19 respectively, American ace Mark Miller back for the sixth consecutive year and San Diego’s Jeremy Toye returning for the first time since 2006.
Italian regular Stefano Bonetti goes at number 30 with Spain’s Antonio Maeso (37) and Czech republic rider Michal Dokoupil (44) adding to the international flavour.