For some race fans, John McGuinness MBE, or 'The Morecambe Missile' as he's known, is their king of the Mountain Course. Although he's not the winningest rider of all time, it's not hard to see why, to some, he's the GOAT. As of the time of writing, McGuinness has 23 IOM TT wins, 47 podiums, 25 fastest laps, 114 race starts, 95 finishes, and 25 fastest laps, and he was the first rider to break the 130 mph average speed record.
McGuinness has achieved all his accolades over the span of 30 years, and to celebrate his three decades of racing, Honda has cooked up something particularly special. The Japanese manufacturer, with which McGuinness has spent the majority of his career working, created a special livery to celebrate the rider's 30th TT anniversary. The design takes inspiration from the Paul Bird Motorsport RS250R a 24-year-old McGuinness made his TT debut on in 1996.
Photo by: MCN Throughout McGuinness's 30-year IOM TT racing career, he's piloted Yamahas, Ducatis, Triumphs, and had a stint on Norton that he'd probably like to forget about, but he has been aboard a Honda for the vast majority of his time as a TT rider.
Speaking about how Honda is honoring him and time with the manufacturer, McGuinness said, “I’ve said it before, but sometimes people forget how proud I am to be able to wear the number one plate and ride for the factory Honda race team. Back in 2013, I was lucky enough to pay tribute to Joey Dunlop wearing his paint and leathers, but to be here honouring my own career feels quite surreal. I’ll just go out and enjoy my racing like I always do, hit my spots and ride the best race I can.”
For many, McGuinness holds a special place not just because of how many races he has won, or how long he has raced for—no one over the age of 50 racing at the TT can hold a candle to McGuinness—but rather the energy he brings to the race. He's always wearing a smile.
Photo by: MCN McGuinness's joyful energy isn't lost on the fans or Honda Racing UK Team Principal, Neil Fletcher, who said, John’s performance in practice week at the TT races this year is vintage McGuinness. Always smiling, always with time for the huge line of fans that forms every time he stands still, and still fast and smooth as silk on track."
There aren't many, if any, current TT racers who deserve to be paid tribute to as much as McGuinness. Who knows how many more times we'll get to see this legend tackle the Mountain Course, but at least this year, we get to watch him do it aboard a bike that honors his illustrious career.
