Past Manx GP winners line up to celebrate 90th Anniversary
Tuesday 16 April: Organised by the Manx Motor Cycle Club past winners of the Manx Grand Prix are set to take a lap of the Mountain Course.
Past winners of the Manx Grand Prix
organised by the Manx Motor Cycle Club are set to take part in a lap of
the world famous Mountain Course as part of the 90th anniversary
celebrations of the unique races which were first run on Thursday 20th
September 1923.
Nearly fifty past winners have so far entered the lap which will
take place on Wednesday 28th August between the Newcomers Race and the
Junior Manx Grand Prix.
Over the years since the first race in 1923, won by Les Randles many
winners have gone on to win one or more TT Races, become British and
World Champions.
Phillip McCallen wrote his name into the Manx Grand Prix record
books when he became the first competitor to win a Newcomers race and a
Manx Grand Prix race in the same week in 1988, taking the honours in the
Newcomers Lightweight on the Monday morning and Lightweight Manx on the
Friday morning.
The Portadown rider went on to win 11 TT races in ten years between
1989 and 1999, including four in a week in 1996, a record that was only
bettered in 2010 by Yorkshireman Ian Hutchinson who had commenced his
Mountain Course career in 2003 in the MMCC Newcomers Senior race, taking
the chequered flag in the process.
Another Yorkshireman Nick Jefferies first entered the Lightweight
‘Manx’ in 1975 finishing in sixth place and rode each year, winning the
Senior Manx Grand Prix in 1983. Moving to the TT he eventually took the
Senior TT laurel wreaths in 1993.
Winning one race during the Manx Grand Prix is a major achievement,
completing ‘the double’ is magnificent and so far six of the elite band
of men are taking part in the celebration lap, the aforementioned
Phillip McCallen, Dave Milling (1991 Junior & Lightweight MGP), Tony
Duncan (1995 Junior & Lightweight MGP), Martin Sharpe (1999
Newcomers Lightweight and Ultra-Lightweight MGP), Craig Atkinson (2006
Junior & Senior MGP) and Olie Linsdell (2007 Newcomers Lightweight
& Ultra-Lightweight MGP).
Ernie Washer, winner of the 1958 Senior Manx Grand Prix is so far the earliest winner taking part in the lap.
Local winners include Gary Carswell (1997 Senior MGP) who will be
reunited with the Wilson & Collins Kawasaki for the occasion, Gary
Radcliffe (1985), Junior MGP), Mike Kneen (1980 Junior MGP) Norman Kneen
(2003 Ultra-Lightweight MGP & 2004 Classic Lightweight) and Derek
Whalley (2004 Classic Senior).
In addition to the PastWinners Celebration lap, all past winners
will be present in Pit Lane on Thursday 29th August as part of a "Meet
theWinners Day”.
Could any Past Winners who have not already received an invitation
to attend the 90th Anniversary from the Manx Motor Cycle Club, contact
the club so they can be included in the celebrations.
Full details will be available on the MMCC Official website:
www.manxgrandprix.org.