NEWS

MCGUINNESS NUMBER ONE FOR CLASSIC SENIOR

There’s a familiar look to the start list for the 2022 Bremont Classic Senior Race, with John McGuinness MBE once again leading the charge towards Bray Hill on Roger Winfield’s 500cc Paton.

With three Classic TT wins on the bike since 2016, the 23-time TT winner is hot favourite to add another trophy to the mantlepiece, but there’s a healthy field of youth and experience looking to take the fight to McGuinness on a mix of exotic Italian, Japanese, German and, of course, British machinery.

With McGuinness away at number 1, it’s then James Hillier on his CSC Racing starting ten seconds behind. Good friend and 2-time Classic TT winner Lee Johnston follows at number 3.

Hillier, Johnston, and team mate Dominic Herbertson are each riding the Yamaha TX500 developed by Davies Motorsport. The Burton upon Trent-based team have been putting in plenty of work to get the bike - which features an 8-valve air-cooled engine similar to the historically quick Patons - ready for the rigours of the Mountain Course, and the trio are ones to watch.

Michael Rutter is set to start at number 4 although his machinery has yet to be confirmed, but Jamie Coward has no concerns on that front as he lines up at number 5 on Ted Woof’s rapid Craven Manx Norton once more where he’ll again be chasing victory after a few close calls in recent years.

Michael Dunlop is back on the Senior Classic entry at his usual number 6 but for the first time he’ll have an MD Racing Paton at his disposal and will more than fancy his chances of toppling McGuinness. It’s a mouth-watering contest that is sure to entertain the fans.

Twenty seconds after him comes the evergreen Ian Lougher who’ll be hoping for some better fortune than he’s experienced in recent years on John Chapman’s MV Agusta, whilst Michael Sweeney starts at number 9 on a second CSC Racing Honda.

The Paton challenge is further strengthened with Stefano Bonetti at number 10, who impressed with a second-place finish to McGuinness in 2019, and Pierre-Yves Bian who starts at number 12.

Sandwiched in between them will be classic racing stalwart Alan Oversby on Martin Ireland’s 500 Honda and, as rapid as ever, he’s at least another potential podium finisher.

A gap at 13 means it’s then Mike Browne away at 14 on the Peter Grantham Lodge 500 Norton, ahead of a trio of 500 Hondas for Rob Hodson (Ruthless Racing), Derek Sheils (Greenall Racing) and Phil Harvey (CSC Racing).

Rising star Nathan Harrison (18) has also opted for a smaller capacity 350cc Honda K4 courtesy of the Quayside Tyre & Service Centre, and it’s Adam McLean and Michael Russell who complete the top twenty – the latter once more riding the 500cc Izzard Racing Norton.