2022 Manx GP Guide, TV Schedule, Timetable and Classes

2022 Manx GP Guide Schedule TV Times_06

History of the Manx Grand Prix
Manx Grand Prix Classes
Manx GP - Qualifying Schedule
Manx GP - Race Schedule
Manx GP – TV Coverage
Manx GP - Radio Coverage
Manx Radio Player
Manx GP - Riders
Manx GP - Ones to Watch
What's happening at the Manx Fan Zone?
Classic Superbike - Rules and History
Ducati 916/955 or Honda RC45? We ask the experts
VIDEO - Rider Diaries

As wereported in January,a ‘new look’ Manx Grand Prix event for 2022 has been announced by The Manx Motor Cycle Club and Isle of Man Department for Enterprise.

The Classic TT title has been dropped and the races preciously run under that banner will now form part of the revised Manx GP, starting this August across the traditional Bank Holiday weekend.

Five races for classic machinery and modern-day bikes will be spread across the Bank Holiday weekend with qualifying sessions taking place for a week beforehand.

History of the Manx GP

At 99 years old, the Manx Grand Prix has long been a part of the road racing landscape, essentially serving a dual purpose as many riders use the event to learn the course and get races under their belt prior to stepping up to the Isle of Man TT Races whilst others simply fulfil their dream of competing on the Mountain Course.

Of course, many riders have also gone directly to the TT – Mike Hailwood, Joey Dunlop and John McGuinness amongst them – but the list of riders who’ve stepped up the TT after competing at the Manx is rich in both quality and quantity.

The idea of a second event on the Isle of Man was first mooted in 1921 with a request made by the Manx Motor Cycle Club to hold a one-lap race for amateurs during that year’s TT Races. It was immediately dismissed by the ACU, but the MMCC weren’t put off easily and whilst defining who or what an amateur was caused lengthy discussion, by 1923 approval had been granted.

That year’s event, titled the Manx Amateur Road Races (MARC), saw a single 5-lap race take place with the bulk of the entry made up of 500cc machines. Len Randles was the overall winner with Kenneth Twemlow in second also the first 350cc to finish.

Randles repeated his victory the following year, but Twemlow immediately moved to the TT in 1924, winning the Junior race at his very first attempt and so becoming the very first rider to win at the Manx and then the TT. He wouldn’t be the last.

At the time there was nothing stopping competitors from entering both the TT and the Manx but that eventually changed with race winners no longer eligible to compete. For them, the options were simple; either move up to the TT or cease competing on the Mountain Course.

That ruling proved to be a good incentive for riders and ultimately laid the foundations for the Manx Grand Prix, which replaced the MARC title in 1930, being a breeding ground for TT stars of tomorrow.

The races have been going ever since, continuing to be held on their traditional dates, usually spanning the end of August and early September. The 'MGP' or 'Manx' (as it is more commonly known) is considered to be the amateur rider's alternative to the Isle of Man TT Races, also acting as a steppingstone for those who eventually want to compete at the TT.

Early winners at the Manx included Tim Hunt (1927), Harold Daniell (1933), Freddie Frith (1935) and Maurice Cann (1937) and all four would go on to win at the Isle of Man TT. The legendary Geoff Duke became one of the most famous riders to win at both events. Indeed, in the space of 12 months, he won the 1949 Clubmans TT, the 1949 Senior Manx GP and, as a works Norton rider, the 1950 Senior TT!!

Bob McIntyre and Phil Read were two of the next high-profile riders to win at both meetings, McIntyre’s win in the 1952 Junior Manx GP followed five years later by victory in the Senior and Junior TT races, the former seeing him set the first ever 100mph lap of the Mountain Course.

Read didn’t have to wait five years and, like Twemlow, won the TT at his very first attempt. Having made his Manx GP debut as a 19-year-old in 1958, he won the 1960 Senior and a year later, claimed the number one spot in the Junior TT race.

Of course, back then, the TT was part of the World Championship so for a rider to win at the Manx and then become both a TT and Grand Prix winner more than showed the value of riders learning their Mountain Course trade at the September event. It may have been dubbed the ‘Amateur TT, but the riders it was producing most certainly weren’t.

No one was able to match Read’s feat for 21 years when Norman Brown won the 1981 Newcomers Junior Manx GP and then the Senior TT the following year, but the twenty years in between saw the conveyor belt of talent emerging from the Manx continue.

The list of names is too long to list but Alex George, Phil Mellor, Steve Ward, Bob Jackson, Rob McElnea, Geoff Johnson and Con Law were other names to emerge from the Manx GP in the 1970s whilst the advent of the Newcomers race in 1978 further helped both the development and emergence of Mountain Course talent.

The 1980s saw no slowing down in that trend and the Newcomers races over the years produced many a future star, multiple TT winners Mellor, Robert Dunlop, Steve Hislop, Ian Lougher, Phillip McCallen, Carl Fogarty and Adrian Archibald amongst them.

Indeed, the top three in the 1983 Junior Newcomers race was Dunlop, Hislop and Lougher, the trio going on to become TT greats. Between them, the trio would take a staggering 26 TT wins and 62 podiums.

Fogarty’s victory came in the 1985 Lightweight Newcomers race with McCallen winning the same race three years later with Ian Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop also starting their Mountain Course journey at the Manx. The duo won Newcomers races in 2003 and 2006 respectively before embarking on stellar TT careers.

The number of races and classes at the Manx has changed over the years but one area where it has always differed from the TT is that it has never catered for sidecars whilst although marketed as a separate event, the advent of the Classic TT in 2013 injected more enthusiasm into the Manx as many race fans attended both events.

Although now under the full guise of the Manx GP, the Classic races are considered the best of their kind in the world. And whilst the Manx GP doesn’t quite have the status it once did – when race winners could move on to the TT and be immediately challenging for leader board places – it remains the pinnacle for many club racers around the UK.

With the sport changing considerably over the years, the gulf between the Manx and the TT has undoubtedly widened and whilst many riders continue to step up to the TT after contesting the Manx. it’s now harder than ever for them to make an impression at the sport’s premier event.

然而,内森•哈里森的表演在202年2 TT – when the 2019 Junior-Senior MGP winner finished tenth in the Senor and lapped at more than 128mph – clearly highlighted the continued relevance, and importance, of the Manx GP.

It's also unique as, to date, it’s the only event where a female competitor has won a solo race held on the Mountain Course, Manx woman Carolyn Sells taking victory in the 2009 Ultra Lightweight race.

Manx Grand Prix 2022 Classes

  • 年代enior Manx Grand Prix (For Supersport machines)
  • Junior Manx Grand Prix (For Supertwin machines)
  • Lightweight Manx Grand Prix (For GP250cc and Moto 3 machines)
  • 年代enior Classic Manx Grand Prix (For Classic machines up to 500cc)
  • 年代uperbike Classic Manx Grand Prix (For Classic Superbike machines)

2022 Manx GP Guide Schedule TV Times_08

2022 Manx GP Qualifying Schedule

年代UNDAY 21 AUGUST 2022

13:30

Newcomers (speed-controlled laps)

13:45 to 15:25

年代enior / Classic Superbike

下午15:30至17.05

Junior/ Senior Classic / Lightweight

MONDAY 22 AUGUST 2022

18:20 to 19.05

年代enior / Classic Superbike

19.10 – 20.00

初级/高级Classic / Lightweight

TUESDAY 23 AUGUST 2022

18:20 to 19.05

年代enior / Classic Superbike

19.10 – 20.00

初级/高级Classic / Lightweight

WEDNESDAY 24 AUGUST 2022

18:20 to 19.05

年代enior / Classic Superbike

19.10 – 20.00

初级/高级Classic / Lightweight

AFTERNOON CONTINGENCY SESSION*

13.30 – 14.40

年代enior / Classic Superbike

14.45 – 15.50

初级/高级Classic/ Lightweight

THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2022

18:20 to 19.05

年代enior / Classic Superbike

19.10 – 20.00

初级/高级Classic / Lightweight

AFTERNOON CONTINGENCY SESSION*

13.30 – 14.40

年代enior / Classic Superbike

14.45 – 15.50

初级/高级Classic/ Lightweight6

2022 Manx GP Race Schedule

FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2022

13:00 to 13.50

年代enior / Classic Superbike

14.40

Lightweight Race (4 laps)

EVENING CONTINGENCY SESSION*

18.30

Lightweight Race (4 Laps)

年代ATURDAY 27 AUGUST 2022

11.30

Warm Up Lap for all Competitors (1 lap)

12.45

年代enior Classic Race (4 laps)

15.15

Junior MGP Race (4 laps)

年代UNDAY 28 AUGUST 2022

Afternoon Contingency Session*

MONDAY 29 AUGUST 2022

10:15

Warm Up Lap for all Competitors (1 lap)

11.30

年代enior Race (4 Laps)

14.15

Classic Superbike Race (4 laps)

*Afternoon Contingency Sessions will only run if sessions earlier in the week have not taken place.In the event of Contingency Sessions not being required, evening practice sessions will be run.

Manx Grand Prix 2022 – TV Coverage

For 2022 the Manx Grand Prix will be shown free-to-air onITV4with two dedicated highlights packages in the days following the races, and a new look presenting team bringing all the action from the five races.

Grace Webb, Cameron Donald, and Dave Moore will host the coverage, giving all the insights from the paddock.

Thursday 1st年代eptember 2022

Highlights Show – Part 1

ITV4

21:00 – 22:00

Friday 2nd年代eptember 2022

Highlights Show – Part 2

ITV4

21:00 – 22:00

Manx Grand Prix 2022 - Radio Coverage

The 2022 Manx Grand Prix will be broadcast live, and uninterrupted, on Manx Radio with a new look presenting team partnering for the first time.

Chris Boyde and Chris Kinley will lead the commentary from the TT grandstand, with racers David Johnson and Bennetts ambassador Lee Johnston joining the pair for the Junior and Senior MGP races.

Back for the Manx Grand Prix will be commentary points at Glen Helen and Ramsey Hairpin, with Dave Christian and Rob Pritchard taking on the commentary duties respectively whilst Chris Kinley will double up by occupying his regular role in the parc fermé and on the grid.

Do I have to be on the Isle of Man to listen to Manx Radio?

No, not at all. Thanks to the wonders of modern streaming, you can listen to Manx Radio's streams anywhere in the world. We've made it even easier to find by embedding the Manx Radio streaming service right into the page.

Just click on the player below to hear their service. If you want to keep up with all the latest news while you're out and about you can also download the Manx Radio App for bothAppleandAndroid.

Manx Radio Player

2022 Manx GP Guide Schedule TV Times_04

Manx Grand Prix 2022 - Riders

Mylchreests Group Senior Manx GP Race – Start Order

No

Rider

Bike - Team

1

年代tephen Smith

Kawasaki - Alasdair Cowan Racing

2

Daniel Ingham

Yamaha - Russel Brook/Brook Built

3

Dean Osborne

Honda - TC Racing

4

Victor Lopez Santos

Honda - Xecretia Road Racing Team

5

Andrew Fisher

Yamaha - Fisher Racing

6

Tom Robinson

Kawasaki

7

David McConnachy

Triumph - Peter Dobson Racing

8

Marc Colvin

年代uzuki -RC Racing

9

Francesco Curinga

Yamaha

10

Jamie Williams

Honda - NCE Racing

11

TBA

12

Chris Cook

Kawasaki

13

Michael Rees

Kawasaki - Rapidgrid

14

Arnie Shelton

Kawasaki

15

年代amuel Mousley

Honda - Gwrhyd Specialist Stone Quarry

16

Dennis Booth

Kawasaki

17

Radley Hughes

Kawasaki - Royal Air Force Motorsports

18

Gaz Evans

Honda

19

年代haun Evans

Kawasaki

20

Emmett Burke

年代uzuki - Hertmx.com

Manx Grand Prix Supporters' Junior Manx GP Race – Start Order

No

Rider

Bike - Team

1

Francesco Curinga

Paton

2

Chris Moore

Kawasaki - Dafabet/RC Express

3

Daniel Ingham

Aprilia - Castings Technology

4

TBA

5

Victor Lopez Santos

Aprilia - Xecretia Road Racing Team

6

Jamie Williams

Kawasaki - Steadplan Group

7

Michael Rees

Kawasaki - GT Superbikes

8

Paul Wardell

Kawasaki - Bee Lighting/AC Commercials

9

Marc Colvin

Kawasaki - CBG Contractors Ltd

10

Ben Rea

Kawasaki - Heattech Racing

11

TBA

12

Jim Barnett

年代uzuki - Synergia Coaching/Team Meerkat

13

TBA

14

Nigel Rea

Kawasaki

15

TBA

16

Michael Mace

Kawasaki - Phil Bancroft

17

David Brook

Aprilia - Guildford Audio by Brook Motorsport

18

TBA

19

Jack Fowler

Kawasaki - Jackson & Copeland Lettings

Dunlop Lightweight Manx GP Race – Start Order

No

Rider

Bike - Team

1

Dominic Herbertson

Honda - John Chapman Racing

2

Ian Lougher

Yamaha - Laylaw Racing

3

Lee Johnston

Honda - Ashcourt Racing

4

迈克尔·斯威尼

Honda - John Chapman Racing

5

-----

6

Michael Dunlop

Honda - MD Racing

7

Mike Browne

Yamaha - Laylaw Racing

8

Adam McLean

Yamaha - Laylaw Racing

9

James Hind

Yamaha - Dennis Trollope

10

James Hillier

Yamaha

11

Phil Harvey

Honda - CSC Racing

12

Dan Sayle

Honda

13

-----

14

Pierre-Yves Bian

Yamaha - Martimotos Racing

15

Chris Moore

Yamaha - Outhwaite Plant

16

Rhys Hardisty

Yamaha - Wilson and Wilding

17

Dave Hewson

Yamaha - Chris Barratt Transport

18

Peter Boast

Honda - John Chapman Racing

19

Richard Parker

Honda - John Chapman Racing

20

Will Loder

Yamaha - CKS Precision

Bremont Senior Classic Race – Start Order

No

Rider

Bike - Team

1

John McGuinness

500 Paton - Team Winfield

2

James Hillier

500 Yamaha - CSC Racing

3

Lee Johnston

500 Yamaha - Davies Motorsport

4

Michael Rutter

TBC - Bathams Ales

5

Jamie Coward

500 Norton - Ted Woof/Craven Manx

6

Michael Dunlop

500 Paton - MD Racing

7

Dominic Herbertson

500 Yamaha - Davies Motorsport

8

Ian Lougher

500 MV Agusta - John Chapman

9

迈克尔·斯威尼

500 Honda - CSC Racing/IMS Racing

10

斯特凡诺伯内蒂

500 Paton - Peter Beugger Racing

11

Alan Oversby

500 Honda - Martin Ireland

12

Pierre-Yves Bian

500 Paton - Paton VAS

13

-----

14

Mike Browne

500 Norton - Peter Grantham Lodge

15

Rob Hodson

500 Honda - Ruthless Racing

16

Derek Sheils

500 Honda - Greenall Racing

17

Phil Harvey

500 Honda - CSC Racing

18

Nathan Harrison

350 Honda - Quayside Tyre Centre

19

Adam McLean

TBC

20

Michael Russell

500 Norton - Izzard Racing

RST Classic Superbike - Start Order

No

Rider

Bike - Team

1

David Johnson

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Alasdair Cowan

2

Paul Jordan

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Mistral Racing

3

Jamie Coward

Kawasaki ZXR750 - KTS Racing

4

Michael Rutter

年代uzuki XR69 - Bathams Racing

5

Derek Sheils

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Greenall Racing

6

Michael Dunlop

年代uzuki GSX-R750 - Team Classic Suzuki

7

Gary Johnson

TBC

8

Phillip Crowe

年代uzuki XR69 - Team Classic Suzuki

9

Rob Hodson

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Greenall Racing

10

Ryan Kneen

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Herheim Racing

11

迈克尔·斯威尼

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Mistral Racing

12

Dominic Herbertson

Kawasaki ZXR750 - TBC

13

Lee Johnston

Honda RC45 - Ashcourt Racing

14

年代am West

年代uzuki XR69 - Team York Suzuki

15

Nathan Harrison

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Greenall Racing

16

Craig Neve

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Alasdair Cowan

17

Mike Browne

Kawasaki ZXR750 - Alasdair Cowan

18

TBA

19

Richard Wilson

Norton WRS588 - WizNorton Racing

20

Ian Lougher

Ducati 851 - Team CK Racing

Dan Ingham (106) and Victor Santos Lopez (1)

年代enior Race – Ones to watch

With 750cc manufacture having all but disappeared, the four-lap Senior race now has a maximum capacity of 600cc and will be a straight contest for Supersport machines – and with three riders on the entry who’ve previously lapped at more than 120mph, it promises to be a closely fought affair with Stephen Smith, Daniel Ingham and Dean Osborne arguably the men to beat.

Having made his debut in 2013, Liverpool’s Smith has had a steady rise through the ranks at the Manx, but it all began to click in 2017 when he took 11th and 12th in the Junior and Senior races and a year later, he improved those results to sixth and ninth with his first 118mph+ laps.

The now 36-year-old converted his form into a maiden podium in 2019 when he claimed a fine second in the Junior, just 3.9s behind race winner Nathan Harrison. He also recorded his first 120mph+ lap of the Mountain Course with a speed of 120.892mph.

年代mith had been due to compete at this year’s TT with support from the Penz13.com team, only for financial restrictions to cause him to pull out but the silver lining was a tie up with the highly respected Alasdair Cowan Racing for the Manx. Riding their Kawasaki ZX-6R, Smith will be keen to make the most of the opportunity and deliver a race winning performance.

One of his main rivals has to be the man starting ten seconds behind him, Daniel Ingham. With a fastest lap of 120.469mph, Ingham has previously campaigned a 750cc Suzuki in the Senior Manx GP but switches to a Russell Brook/Brook Built 600cc YZF-R6 Yamaha this time around.

The Leicestershire rider made his debut in 2016 and, like Smith, also has a podium to his name, with third on a 400cc Honda in the 2018 Ultra-Lightweight race. Fifth in the 2019 Senior, the versatile 29-year-old now has the experience to challenge for the win.

That’s a feeling Osborne has already experienced, having won the 2014 Newcomers race, and after tasting TT life in 2019, he’s back at the Manx. Riding for the highly experienced TC Racing – who can count Cameron Donald and David Johnson amongst their former riders – he’ll be aiming to improve upon the second and third place finishes he took in the 2018 Junior and 2017 Senior races respectively.His best lap currently stands at 120.709mph.

Victor Lopez Santos leads the overseas challenge on his Xecretia Road Racing Team Yamaha and after crashing during practice in 2019 he’ll be looking to get back to the form that saw him finish fourth in the 2017 Lightweight race and lap at 119.793mph on his way to eighth in the following year’s Senior.

The victory may be out of reach for Arnie Shelton but he’s established himself as a rising star at the Manx, going from a newcomer in 2018 to eighth and tenth in the Senior and Junior races just a year later. Having already lapped well in excess of 118mph, the former British 125cc/Supersport Championship runner could well be the surprise package in 2022.

Andrea Majola (69), Francesco Curinga (9) and Jamie Williams (92)

Junior Manx Grand Prix – Ones to watch

Like the Senior, it’s all change in the Junior race where, instead of Supersport 600cc machines in action, it’s now the home of the Supertwins with the rules perfectly aligned to those seen at the TT

如果最近的表现的话,这也是race that gives the overseas contingent their best chance of success with Italian Francesco Curiniga, Switzerland’s Andrea Majola and Spain’s Victor Lopez Santos all potential race winners.

Curinga took a brace of seconds in the 2019 Lightweight races – the previous race where Supertwin rules were in force – lapping at more than 115mph, speeds which would put him on the edge of the top ten at the TT. Curinga, a regular in the European Hill Climb Championship, has a rapid Paton at his disposal again so will be a tough combination to beat.

One of his main challengers will be Spain’s Lopez Santos who took fourth in the 2017 Lightweight race before retiring when challenging for a podium a year later. A crash early in practice week put him out of the 2019 meeting and he’ll be eager to right the wrongs this time around. With a near 120mph lap on a Supersport machine, his potential is clear so it will be interesting to see if he can challenge for the win on his Aprilia.

Compared to Curinga and Lopez Santos, Majola is a lot less experienced but clearly a rider with lots of road racing potential given his performances of 2019. Forced to retire on the opening lap of the Newcomers race, he bounced back superbly with a near 112mph lap on his Paton to take an excellent fourth in the second Lightweight race. If he maintains that progression later this month, the Swiss-based rider will rise even further up the leader board.

Another rider worth keeping an eye on is Jamie Williams, the Manxman returning to the event for the first time since 2017. He finished in a fine third in that year’s Junior race before lapping at 119.939mph on his way to finishing fifth in the Senior.

He has limited form on a Supertwin machine, but he’s previously lapped at more than 112mph and with the KTS Racing powered by Steadplan Kawasaki at his disposal – the team who took Jamie Coward to second in the 2019 Lightweight TT – he must be considered a major threat.

Winning will be no easy task for anyone though as the race will be fiercely fought and, arguably, the closest of the week with a whole host of riders set to challenge for the win including Daniel Ingham (Castings Technology Racing) who rides one of the new Aprilia RS660cc machines.

What else can you do at the Manx GP?

For fans making their way to the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, not only is there the racing action to keep you enthralled, but theres also FREE access to the Fan Park.

Nestled in the Paddock, adjacent to the Grandstand, the Fan Park will keep you entertained on rest days and during any time away from the racing.

Open daily from 09:00, the Fan Park promises to deliver a schedule of free entertainment including live music, a resident DJ, competitions, chat shows and much more.

Music fans will be able to enjoy the hits of Green Day as the number one Tribute Act – Dookie take to the main stage. On Saturday 27thAugust 22, Noasis, the definitive tribute band to Manchester's legendary super group Oasis, will continue the line-up, delivering anevening of rock and roll.

On the penultimate evening of the Manx Grand Prix, Hats Off to Led Zeppelin will be storming the stage, and last but not least, The Bon Jovi Experience will close the proceedings on Monday 29th August 22.

As well as a full schedule of entertainment, the Fan Park provides fans with a range of street food, while the Fan Park’s official bar, The Trackside, will keep you watered.

Fan Park at a glance

  • Open daily 09:00am to 11:00pm
  • Nine days of free-to-access entertainment
  • Live radio commentary played throughout the Fan Park
  • 年代treet food & Trackside bar
  • Chat shows hosted by Chris Pritchard (Co-host of The TT Podcast).
  • 年代ignings, games & competitions
  • Big screen action – TT/Classic TT and MGP replays plus films daily
  • Live British Superbike coverage on Eurosport in the Trackside bar
  • Dunlop Stronger for Longer competition over the Bank Holiday weekend
  • Live DJ every night in addition to Live Music during the Bank Holiday weekend
  • 现场音乐所有银行假日的周末
  • Regular bus service & taxi rank

Manx Grand Prix Fan Park Bank Holiday Live Music Line-up:

Main Stage at 9pm

  • Dookie – Greenday live, 9pm, Friday 26th August
  • Noasis live, 9pm, Saturday 27th August
  • Hats off to Led Zeplin, 9pm, Sunday 28th August
  • The Bon Jovi Experience, 9pm, Monday 29th August

Live Acoustic Performances at 6pm

  • Mae Challis, Friday 26th August
  • 年代teven Nash, Saturday 27th August
  • Tiger Boom, Sunday 28th August
  • Jamie Blackburn, Monday 29th August

2022 Manx GP Guide Schedule TV Times_07

Classic Superbike - Rules and History

The Manx GP has traditionally been a stepping-stone for amateur road racers before taking on the Isle of Man TT races proper. Many of today’s TT stars learned their trade at the Manx, with Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson and Ryan Farquhar all winners around the 37 ¾-mile Mountain course in their formative racing years.

Now revised and refreshed, this year’s Manx GP takes a similar format to the Classic TT, which has now been deleted from the calendar, with many of the TT’s star riders taking part in a shortened, nine-day festival centred over the Bank Holiday weekend of August 27, 28 and 29.

Renamed the Manx Grand Prix 2022, the Manx (as most people call it) will follow a similar pattern to the old Classic TT. New and highly skilled amateur riders will compete in the Senior (Supersport) and Junior (Supertwin) with a raft of TT top guns joining in for three classic events: the Lightweight, Senior and Superbike.

The Lightweight classic features two-stroke 250cc and Moto3 machines, with Dominic Herbertson riding the immaculate John Chapman Racing/Davies Motorsport Honda at number 1, followed by Ian Lougher and Lee Johnston also both on two-stroke machines. The Senior, for bikes up to 500cc, sees genuine TT legend John McGuinness MBE starting at number 1 on the Roger Winfield 500cc Paton followed by TT winners James Hillier and Johnston.

但最令人兴奋的改变在今年的事件is to the eligibility rules for the classic Superbike class. Since the first Classic TT in 2013, the Superbike class was open to machinery produced up to 1993, but now that deadline has been extended to 1997. This means a plethora of exciting bikes can now be considered by the race teams, including Suzuki’s GSX-R750 SRAD, Kawasaki’s ZX-7R, Ducati’s legendary 916/955, and the unmistakable Honda RC45 V4.

These rule changes have made a significant splash in the Irish Sea as teams and riders now have a much wider choice of tantalisingly good bikes. Do they stay with what they know with proven up-to-1993 winners like the brutish Suzuki XR69 and Kawasaki’s ZXR750, which took victory at the last event with Davo Johnson? Or do they develop a new bike?

Helpfully, the history books give an indication of what to expect. In 1994 Honda launched the legendary RC45, which replaced the RC30 and which had huge success at the TT. The RC45 carried on this winning tradition, dominating the TT by winning every Senior and Formula One race (now called the Superbike race) between 1994 and 1998. Only a rule change for 1999 that allowed 1000cc bikes to race at the TT curtailed its relentless win-record at the Island.

The list of riders who took victory was star-studded indeed: Steve Hislop did the double in 1994. In 1995 it was Joey Dunlop and Phil McCallen. It was McCallen in 1996 and the same in 1997. Scotsman Ian Simpson did the double in 1998.

At the same time, Ducati was dominating the World Superbikes with Carl Fogarty, himself no stranger to the TT, but very few opted for the Ducati 916 and 955 on the roads. Simon Beck and Iain Duffus made it on to the podium in 1995. Michael Rutter took a podium in 1996 for Ducati while Bob Jackson took a podium in 1997 and 1998 on the McAdoo Kawasaki ZX-7R. But, during this this golden era of racing, if you wanted to be truly competitive there was only one real option – the Honda RC45.

No surprise then that Ashcourt Racing has chosen the Honda RC45 route, with Lee Johnston taking the helm of an immaculately prepared V4. Lee has already had a taste of the race bike around the Oliver’s Mount road circuit and the bike is being prepared by RC45 specialists, Rev It Red.

But while Team Classic Suzuki is preparing a GSX-R 750 SRAD for 21-time TT winner Michael Dunlop, the top 20 or so entries predominantly feature proven pre-93 machinery, with only a handful of Ducatis, including Ian Lougher on a Ducati 851, set to feature. Nonetheless, this year’s racing is set to be more exciting than ever, with the history books saying the Honda RC45 is the bike to have, but the proven Kawasaki ZXR750 will be hard to beat.

Ducati 916/955 or Honda RC45? We ask the experts.

Interview: Iain Duffus

Iain Duffus finished second at the TT on a factory Ducati 955 in 1995 and also raced for the legendary VM Racing team on a Honda RC45. He knows what we can expect from both at the Manx Grand Prix 2022.

“The Ducati was a good bike but didn’t like the TT because it was fragile. I was leading the F1 race but came into Parliament Square and there was oil pissing out. It didn’t like the big jumps, so you had to be steady over the big ones. In the Senior in 95 I came into the pits for fuel on lap four 4 They told me to just pin it, it held together, and we finished second, behind Joey.

“Those Ducatis were definitely special though. I particularly liked the way you could go to the factory in Italy and buy a factory bike, built to your spec. Mine was built using WSBK Foggy parts.

“The Honda was fast but didn’t handle, especially the early models. We all crashed and highsided in the early days. They were all on the front with nothing on the rear, and not that stable. The later bikes, the one I rode with V+M were much better, and so fast. They were rocket ships. Honda spent the most money, had the best riders, and the RC45 was quick, but the early bikes were not the best handling.”

面试:乔nny Barton

TT rider liaison rider Johnny Barton made his TT debut in 1990 and has raced an array of Ducati’s at the Island and is still racing at the TT today in the lightweight class.

“My old man was a Ducati fan so we bought a 916, simple as that. It handled like a dream, had lots of torque so you could short-shift and have an easier time. There was no getting away from the fact it was fragile. We never went to the factory for a bike, but we did have a trick 996SPS, which we converted to a race bike.

“The Ducati outhandled the RC45, especially the early models which did not look stable. But ,like the Ducati, the RC45 was very expensive, so most of the smaller privateer teams like myself went for a Kawasaki or Yamaha. But I loved my Ducati, I did my first ever 120mph lap on a 916.”

VIDEO - Rider Diaries

Nathan Harrison Manx Grand Prix diaries - Day 1

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders, and after the first night of practice Nathan Harrison gave us his thoughts on proceedings, and what it's like to ride a classic bike around the Isle Of Man TT course.

Dom Herbertson Manx Grand Prix diaries - Day 1

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders, and after the first night of practice Dominic Herbertson gave us his thoughts on proceedings, and what he and his teams are doing ahead of night two of practice on Tuesday, after Monday's session was cancelled due to poor weather.

Nathan Harrison Manx Grand Prix Diaries - Day 2

Manxman Nathan Harrison caught up with BikeSocial following the third night of practice at the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, for the latest edition of his video diaries.

Dom Herbertson Manx Grand Prix Diaries - Day 2

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders, and after the second night of practice Dominic Herbertson, and his Dad, gave us their thoughts on proceedings... and what they were having for tea!

John McGuinness Manx Grand Prix video diary - Day 5 (practice update)

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

Nathan Harrison Manx Grand Prix diary - Day 4 & 5

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

Lee Johnston Manx Grand Prix video diary - Day 5 (practice update)

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

Dom Herbertson ManxGP video diaries - Day 4/5

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

Lee Johnston Manx GP video diaries - He's a winner!

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

John McGuinness Manx Grand Prix video diaries - The bike's broken

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

Nathan Harrison Manx Grand Prix video diaries - Day 6

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

Nathan Harrison Manx Grand Prix video diaries - He got SECOND!

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.

Lee Johnston Manx Grand Prix Video Diaries - The RC45 finished!

Over the course of the 2022 Manx Grand Prix, BikeSocial will be catching up with our supported riders and getting their take on the racing, the atmosphere and, of course, how they are coping with the ever changing Manx weather.