Words: John Watterson – Photographs: John Watterson, Peter Faragher, Louis Porter, Richard Radcliffe and Mike Quayle.
John McGuinness won his first Classic TT after four years of trying, the day after he had his maiden fall on the Mountain Course.
Roger Winfield’s Paton.
In his 20th year of racing on the 37.7-mile Snaefell circuit, John McGuinness slid off Roger Winfield’s Paton twin at Quarter Bridge when ‘scrubbing’ in a tyre for the following morning’s four-lapper.
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“I got a bit giddy and the front went away from me,” said the 44-year-old, who was unhurt in the tumble. “All I dented was my pride,” he added.
The bike suffered only superficial damage to the right-hand side and he rode back to the pits via the streets of Douglas, where the Winfield team straightened the bars and the race technicians gave the bike another check before McGuinness went back out on the course and set the quickest Senior 500cc lap of qualifying.
There were no such issues for the Morecambe man in the race, who led from the drop of the flag ceremoniously carried out by former GP and World Superbike star Pierfrancesco Chili.
Read more in the Nov/Dec issue of Classic Racer
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