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BTM TALK –JOHN MCGUINNESS AND JAMESWHITHAM


News


Left to right: James Whitham, John McGuinness and Steve Parrish (Gareth Tarr).


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nthusiasts for four-wheeled motor sport often lament the passing of some of the clas-


sic road races such as the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, but for two-wheeled fans road events still survive and none greater than the Isle of Man TT. So it was a delight to be able to welcome 23 times TT winner John McGuinness and fellow racer James Whitham for the latest of the Legends series of BTM Talks. Entitled ‘Conquering the Mountain – the Isle of Man TT’, the sell-out evening was hosted by another great character from the motorcycle world, Steve Parrish.


It started with a tribute to John Surtees who had died the previous week (10th March, the same day as Barry Sheene) and included film of his BTM Legends evening nearly two years previously. Surtees told a tale of going to Norton with the idea of a fairing to give a winning advantage. Yes, came the reply, it could work but if Surtees was a success he would earn more than a member of the Norton board of directors which would not be correct. “I wonder what happened to the British motorcycle industry...” pondered JS. The three-way conversation then started with John McGuinness’s preparation for the new season, which was a mixture of testing and pro- motion of his book, due for publication in May. Some testing was done at Castle Combe which is quite bumpy and the nearest thing to a road circuit. The new Honda bike has lots of electron- ics which are proving difficult to get used to. Later on McGuinness was to say that his main rivals for the new season would most likely be Mike Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson.


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Steve Parrish asked John when he was going to get fed up with falling off. McGuinness’s comment was that all crashes were individual. This led to a tale of a crash at 18 when John broke both collar bones limiting movement of both arms. His mother and girlfriend had to take turns to help him with “necessary” duties… toilet humour was never far away for much of the evening. Talk moved on to the TT and John’s 23 wins, second only to Joey Dunlop, and whether he harboured ambitions to break the record. John generously praised Dunlop saying that Joey was his hero and beating the record was not an obsession. Steve also discussed the 2007 Centenary TT event. At the time this was expected by some to be the last Isle of Man TT, but in fact had the reverse effect and the races are now bigger than ever. Later the question was raised of whether the TT’s current success could end up causing its demise. Steve disclosed that insurance was becoming difficult for the organis- ers and spectators were definitely not allowed on the outside of bends. It was suggested that the quieter Classic TT events were more enjoyable due to the relaxed atmosphere – many would express similar sentiments about the Le Mans 24- hour race and its classic equivalent. McGuinness also discussed his family and how their support is so important; he has a 16-year old son and an eight-year old daughter. All three riders went on to discuss the difficult effect racing has on one’s private life. James Whitham described it as a 24-hour-a-day obsession which was strange considering you rode for only an hour and a half each weekend. McGuinness stated that he didn’t know when he would give up as he was still a fan – he has 47 classic bikes, some of which were acquired as swaps for watches and, on one occasion, a Bentley Arnage! With three such characters the evening was liberally laced with their anecdotes and adven- tures. Steve, of course, is well known for his pranks, such as putting pepper in the air vents of a hire car in Australia and leaving the fan full on. That was the treatment for the unfortunate who left his car unlocked. On another occasion Barry Sheene discovered his Mercedes with broken glass and a brick on the driver’s seat, only to learn


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