John McGuinness ready to hit ground running at Isle of Man TT

John McGuinnness is hoping to pick up from where he left off at this year's Isle of Man TT.
John McGuinness celebrates after winning the Senior TT in 2015.John McGuinness celebrates after winning the Senior TT in 2015.
John McGuinness celebrates after winning the Senior TT in 2015.

The Morecambe Missile stormed to victory in the blue riband Senior TT 12 months ago and is ready for action again on his 20th year flying around the TT course.

The 44-year-old, second in the all-time list with 23 TT wins, will again be in action for Honda Racing in the Superbike races, Preston-based Jackson Racing in Supersport outings, his own EMC and BetVictor-backed team in the Superstock and Mugen Honda in the electric TT Zero.

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McGuinness said: “If I can pick up from where I left off last year we’ll be alright.

“I’m just going to hit the ground running.

“Fingers crossed we get a bit of decent weather and we can get stuck into the programme.

“The big bike is where all the kudos is, the Jackson 600 is cool with the local team and there’s my own Superstock team which I’m dead proud of.

“The electric bike is just getting bigger and moving on leaps and bounds, it’s just 
unbelievable.

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“I can’t put in to words how special that bike is, it’s unreal.

“It’s all poised, it’s all calm and in place.

“It’s just about getting on the Isle of Man and doing what we do.”

McGuinness has had a packed schedule in 2016 meaning he feels more than ready to go, racing in Australia and Le Mans while also doing some testing out in Spain.

He said: “It’s all good, preparation has gone really well.

“We’ve done a lot of mileage before the TT, we haven’t really stopped.

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“I feel strong, feel fit, don’t look great, but nothing really changes there!

“The head’s focused though and in gear. It’s all gelling well.”

He may have been racing all over the world but the TT great’s year is all geared towards his two weeks on the Isle of Man.

McGuinness said: “I’m picking and choosing my races now and trying to keep my nose clean and push for the TT.

“The diary’s full but it does all gear around the TT.

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“There’s a huge build-up for two weeks and after that it’s gone for another year.

“I put my heart and soul into that see what it brings and after that I’ll enjoy my year.”

The festival gets underway with the opening practice sessions this Saturday, May 28.

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