Norton confirm TT plans and Classic TT entry
British Motorcycle manufacturer Norton, winner of the first Isle of Man TT in 1907, has confirmed it will enter two 500cc Manx Nortons in the Isle of Man Classic TT Races.
The Classic TT takes place for the first time this year at the end of August and celebrates the history and tradition of one of the World’s oldest and most prestigious motorcycle races.
The iconic marquee will be represented in the 500cc Classic TT Race, scheduled for Saturday 24th August 2013, by the factory’s TT stars Ian Mackman and Dan Hegarty.
Mackman rode the Norton SG1 at last year's TT Race meeting, and was the first man to qualify a Norton for the Senior in 20 years although the race was cancelled.
Hegarty made his TT debut in 2010 and clocked a 121.73mph lap on a Supersport bike in 2012.
Norton boss Stuart Garner says, although the brand has a huge history at the TT he’s not putting too much pressure on his team: ‘we are all looking forward to going to the Classic TT [to] just relax and unwind a bit. We felt that Norton had to have a factory presence at the event in its first year and we look forward to putting on a show and entertaining the fans.’
The TT itself is a different matter and, after the frustrations of 2012, Stuart is looking to really get to grips with the event.
Both Hegarty and Mackman line-up for the Donington Park-based factory at the 2013 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy on the all-new Norton SG2.
Powered by an Aprillia-derived V4 and featuring a top-of-the-range ISR braking set-up, Ohlins semi-active suspension and an all-new chassis with redesigned swingarm, Norton has also worked to improve aerodynamics, increase the fuel capacity and have introduced an F1 derived engine management package.
Norton qualified their SG1 racer for the 2012 Senior (the first time a Norton had been on the start list for 20 years) only for the race to be cancelled due to bad weather conditions. Garner says that’s only made him more determined:
‘Our experiences at the TT to date have stood us in good stead and the data we've gained from the two campaigns has helped us to make significant improvements. It was hugely frustrating not to have the bike on the grid when last year's Senior TT was cancelled but that