Island Racer Magazine 2024 **FREE 12 PAGE PREVIEW**

WELCOME

FAMILY MATTERS If there has ever been a more eagerly awaited Isle of Man TT event than 2024’s I’ll eat my Arai…

OK, so 2022 was very much looked forward to thanks to the missed two years due to the COVID-19 restrictions which we all endured, but for 2024 we’re looking forward to what could be a rare moment in TT history.

That moment is the possibility that we will have a new holder of the title ‘most successful Isle of Man TT rider of all-time’ even if the name will be very similar indeed.

Looking back, it seemed entrenched in TT lore that Joey Dunlop had been and perhaps always would be the most successful rider in the history of this great event.

He took the baton from Mike Hailwood in 1993 when he won his 15th TT in the Ultra Lightweight fittingly ahead of brother Robert, by some 12 seconds.

The reception Joey received on that last lap, beating Mike ‘The Bike’s’ record, which itself had lasted for more than two decades, was phenomenal and showed the love that the fans had for ‘The King of the Mountain.’

Over the last three decades a number of people have been earmarked to take his crown, the most recent of whom was John McGuinness, winner of 23 TT races…

And now we could be on the cusp of a new dawn, with a new Dunlop: Michael, son of Robert who currently sits on 25 wins, just one short of Uncle Joey’s total of 26. It is possible he could take two wins (he won four races in 2023) to become the most successful TT rider of all time. But of course, he still has to beat the likes of Peter Hickman – brilliant on a ‘big’ bike around the Island and now on 13 wins himself.

And then there’s a host of riders, some up-and-coming and others making big changes for 2024 who will be hot on their heels. It promises to be an exciting and intriguing event once more…

As I write this, we’re just weeks away from experiencing all the thrills that the Isle of Man TT event can give us, so it’s just left for me to say, as I say every year to competitors and visitors all: ‘have a terrific, exciting and safe TT!’

Bertie

CONTENTS

YOUR ISLAND RACER | EDITION 2024 008 FLASHBACK!

Feel the history of the Isle of Man TT through these eight pages of recollections from some of the legendary names that resonate through the annals of road-racing.

016 MICHAEL DUNLOP

Can 2024 be the year we see a new(ish) name at the top of the all-time Isle of Man TT winners list? Michael scored four wins in 2023 and just two in 2024 would see him take away Uncle Joey’s ‘King of the Mountain’ title.

026 WHAT’S THE SCORE IN ‘24? #1

The top runners and riders in the big-bike classes profiled – not just the big names of Dunlop, Hickman and Harrison but also the up-and-comers who could provide a shock this year.

044 WHAT’S THE SCORE IN ‘24? #2

We check out the talent in the smaller classes such as Supersport and Supertwins that will be tackling the Isle of Man TT course in 2024.

048 WHAT’S THE SCORE IN ‘24? #3

Big news for 2024 is that one half of the most successful sidecar team of late is no more: can Ben Birchall win without passenger/brother Tom? We shall see!

058 PATON S1-R

Alan Cathcart tests Michael Dunlop’s victorious Lightweight/ Supertwin machine the Paton S1-R: can it win again in 2024?

070 WHAT CAME TO BE IN ’23?

We have a quick look at what happened at last year’s Isle of Man TT races: each race was a thriller!

076 CROSSWORD

WIN Duke Video goodies and a signed and dedicated copy of Ian Simpson’s autobiography – if you can solve our TT-centric crossword…

078 TT BRIDESMAIDS

Some of the best riders around the 37.73 mile Isle of Man course have never actually won a TT! Who are they and why didn’t they climb the top step?

086 CARL FOGARTY

He may be known more as a World Superbike title winner (four times) and King of the Jungle (who’d want to do that more than once?) But he’s understandably very proud of his TT race wins and TT F1 titles is our Carl!

092 DEAN HARRISON

It’s all change for this former Senior TT winner in 2024: Island Racer asked Dean Harrison about his switch to Honda, what the CBR1000RR Fireblade is like to ride and if he thinks he can break the Dunlop/ Hickman stranglehold at the TT.

100 HONDA RC45

Built to replace the all-conquering VFR750RR RC30, the RVF750/ RC45 had a difficult debut at the Isle of Man TT but soon became the bike to beat around the TT course in the various superbike classes in the late 1990s.

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

108 DUNLOP DYNASTY

As Michael Dunlop targets Uncle Joey’s number of TT wins, we look at the extended Dunlop dynasty – all of which were handy road-racers and some were TT winners in their own right.

116 OFF-ROAD AT THE TT

It’s not just tasty Tarmac at the TT! When the roads get closed, maybe these three bikes could help you get around the green stuff on the Island?

126 THE KNOWLEDGE

Facts, figures, lap records and all the data from races and years gone by.

146 WHAT’S ON WHEN?

What’s on and when it’s on during the TT event in 2024.

THE BEST TT ACTION PAST AND PRESENT! PAGES OF AMAZING TT ACTION

MOUNTAIN

EDITOR: BERTIE SIMMONDS ART EDITOR: CRAIG LAMB

FOGGYON THE ISLAND! CARL FOGARTY’S TT WINS AND F1 WORLD TITLES

Monarch!

M onarch!

CAN MICHAEL DUNLOP BECOME THE NEW KING OF THE MOUNTAIN AT THE TT?

AD MANAGER: CHARLIE OAKMAN PRODUCTION EDITOR: DAN SHARP SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS: PETE FARAGHER, BILL SNELLING/ TT RACE PICS, STUART BARKER, PHIL WAIN, DON MORLEY, ALAN CATHCART, DAVE MANNING, GARY D CHAPMAN, BEN RUMBOLD PUBLISHER: STEVE O’HARA PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: DAN SAVAGE

DUNLOP’S SUPERTWIN: WEPATONRIDES1-RMICHAEL TT WINNER DEAN HARRISON INTERVIEW // THE DUNLOP DYNASTY // TT BRIDESMAIDS // HONDA’S RC45 RECALLED // RIDING OFF-ROAD ON THE ISLAND // WHO TO LOOK FOR IN TT 24 // WHAT’S ON WHEN // TT ENCYCLOPEDIA // WIN DUKE VIDEO GOODIES AND SIGNED BOOKS WITH OUR TT CROSSWORD!

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TT 2024 ISLAND RACER ISBN 978-1-911703-43-3 ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT MORTONS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED, 2024.

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FLASHBACK 1955

BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE...

If there’s anything better than watching real road-racing around the Isle of Man, in brilliant sunshine and with some supplies at hand, we’ve yet to experience it.

If the sun’s out and you’re on a grassy bank around the course – doubtless with a cold box full of some alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshment and nibbles – then you know you’re all set for a good few hours.

This flashback to 1955 and the Senior 500 Clubman’s TT is taken on the right-hander in Onchan Village opposite the Manx Arms Hotel. Triumph-mounted rider, Ian Atkinson, has a look of steely determination as he powers past the gathered crowd on his way to 2nd place in the race. The Bradford Club rider would finish the race in 1 hour 23 minutes and 31 seconds to set an average lap speed of 69.77mph.

Mortons Archive has many shots from this vantage point and in almost every one you’ll see a small crowd of eager onlookers perched in the doorway of The Blue Dragon Cafe on the old Clypse Course.

We’d say that – judging by what’s on offer in The Blue Dragon on this day – there probably wasn’t a better place to watch the race action from. You’d be watching racing lines while watching your waist-line…

WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PICS: MORTONS ARCHIVE

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PLAYING THE JOKER Did legendary racer Phil Read have a love-hate relationship with the Isle of Man or was it just TT race fans that had a love-hate relationship with‘The Prince of Speed’himself?

This shot, from legendary lensman Nick Nicholls, shows Phil on his Yamaha 125 in jovial mood as he spots the photographer during the 1966 Isle of Man TT races. Phil was a legend – without doubt – eight World Championships and 52 Grand Prix victories prove that alone.

But then there were also eight Isle of Man TT wins. Sadly, these seem to be overshadowed by his criticism of the course itself.

In the early 1970s Read had been one of the main critics of the course, which ultimately led to the race losing its status as a Grand Prix event in 1976. Maybe the fans didn’t see the dangers themselves – nor put up with the-then poor financial support for racers going to the Island.

The ultimate irony was that Phil returned to the TT and the‘TT Formula’ World Championship in 1977, riding for Honda Britain, winning the TT-F1 race (and the‘world title’that went with it) as well as taking the Senior TT that year on a Suzuki RG500.

Of course some fans claimed Ready was‘only in it for the money’but what’s wrong with that? It had proved his point completely – after all, there’s nothing wrong with facing up to the unique challenges of the TT course and being paid handsomely for it…

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FLASHBACK 1966

WORDS: BERTIE SIMMONDS PIC: MORTONS ARCHIVE

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