MORE MCGUINNESS AT MGP

John McGuinness MBE will once again contest the Manx Grand Prix this year but for the first time in his career, the 23-time Isle of Man TT winner will compete in two races at the August event.

In addition to his regular 500cc Winfield Paton for the Carole Nash Classic Senior race, the Morecambe rider will also take part in the re-introduced 2 Wheeling Classics Classic Junior race riding a 350cc Steadplan Honda.

The now 52-year old, who enjoyed another strong TT campaign for Honda Racing UK earlier this year, has been a fixture at the Manx since 2013, firstly at the Classic TT and more latterly the Manx Grand Prix, riding Roger Winfield’s Paton on all occasions.

After retirements in their first three years, the partnership gelled in 2016 when McGuinness defeated Dean Harrison by 21.5s in the four-lap race also setting a new lap record of 113.342mph, a record which still stands today.

Forced to miss the 2017 meeting after a crash at the North West 200, he made an emotional return to racing at the 2018 event after 18 months out with injury, a more comfortable victory over Jamie Coward coming on this occasion. He then made it a hat-trick of wins over the similar Paton of Stefano Bonetti the following year.

That was the last time he won the Classic Senior race, forced out with machinery issues in 2022 and finishing second twelve months ago, so both he and Winfield will be keen to back to winning ways this year.

He’s sure to be a contender in the Classic Junior race on the K4 Honda, the three-lap race getting the race programme underway on Friday 23rd August.

If you want to see McGuinness and the rest of the MGP cohort this year, check out Duke Travel for packages from the UK and further afield, Horst Saiger for German Tours and the Isle of Man Steam Packet for race day day trips.