The TT’s biggest names
17 May 2023
SHARE:
As RL360 celebrates 21 years of TT sponsorship this year, we’ve been reflecting on all of the elements that make the TT an iconic event. There’s the famous Mountain Course stretching over 37.73 mile of public roads, there are the dedicated fans who return year after year to sit on the hedges and watch their heroes fly by. And, of course, there are the thrill-seeking riders themselves, who hit speeds of 200mph plus in pursuit of their dreams. Here, we take a look at some of the biggest names to have competed in what we believe is the most exciting motorcycle race on earth.
Giacomo Agostini
Agostini may well lay the claim to being the coolest motorcycle racer of all time. With a brilliant 10 wins on the TT course Ago, as he is known to generations of fans, also won 15 world titles. The famous Ago’s Leap at the bottom of Bray Hill is named after this Italian legend.
Geoff Duke
The 6 time TT winner and 6 time world champion is without question one of the all time greats. Like Joey Dunlop, Mike Hailwood, Ago, McGuinness and Dave Molyneux (see below), the highly popular Isle of Man-based two-wheeled hero has a spot on the course named after him.
Joey Dunlop
The quiet man from Ballymoney holds the all-time record for most number of wins at the TT – 26. His death at a race in Estonia in 2000 shocked the world but the family name is still synonymous with the dangerous and thrilling sport of road racing.
Mike Hailwood
Mike the Bike is not just a TT - but a worldwide motorsport – icon. Winner of 14 TTs, he will be forever remembered for making the greatest comeback ever on the Mountain Course, winning a further 2 races after having been retired from TT racing for several years.
Steve Hislop
The Flying Haggis, as he was sometimes known, won a fantastic 11 TT races during a career which also saw him win British titles on short circuits. His life was tragically cut short when he died in a helicopter accident in 2003. A statue of the Scot, who lived in the Isle of Man, looks out across Douglas Bay from Onchan Head.
Ian Hutchinson
In 2010 Ian Hutchinson did the seemingly impossible – he won 5 solo TT races in one week. Later that year he suffered an horrific injury during a short circuit race. With strength and determination he battled himself back to fitness and into contention again. But after suffering a stroke earlier this year he won’t be on the startline in June.
John McGuinness
The Morecambe Missile has won a staggering 20 TTs and is aiming to add to his tally this year. A popular rider, McGuinness was the first to break the 130mph lap barrier at the Centenary event in 2007.
Dave Molyneux
Manxman Molyneux has had a spectacular career on the Mountain Course, having collected more TT wins than any other sidecar racer. As long as he’s on the start line, he’s a force to be reckoned with capable of notching up yet another win to add to his already impressive 17.
Michael Dunlop
As Joey’s nephew and part of the famous Dunlop dynasty, Michael Dunlop had a lot to live up to from an early age. It was clear from the start, however, that this wasn’t going to phase him, he was his own man and more than up to the job. Having won an astounding 21 races since he took his first TT win in 2009, he has already secured his place in history.
Peter Hickman
Lincolnshire man Hicky is the current outright TT lap record holder (16m 42.778s, 135.452 mph). Since his TT debut in 2014, it has been clear the TT was his event. Perhaps the Isle of Man was in his blood, since his father Dave won at the Manx Grand Prix in 1977? With an impressive nine TT race wins under his belt, three of those in the RL360 Superstock Race, who would bet against him again this year?