Various stars of the Isle of Man TT will in September swap the roads of Ellan Vannin for the equally noteworthy surroundings of the Goodwood Revival, racing on historic bikes in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy. Goodwood has confirmed that the winners of Monday’s Superbike and Supersport TT races will both be on the grid at this year’s celebrated historic racing event, which is taking place on September 13-15, on the Goodwood Motor Circuit near Chichester, just off the UK’s southern coast. The Revival is particularly distinguished by that, in order to achieve a complete step-back-in-time experience, competitors and spectators alike are encouraged to dress in period clothing.
The rider line-up at this year’s Revival will be led Peter Hickman, who has just taken victory in the Isle of Man’s Superbike TT on a BMW S1000RR; at Goodwood he’ll swap the machine for a Manx Norton. Hickman is the fastest to lap the Snaefell Mountain Course, doing so at an eye-watering average of 135.452mph. He will be joined at Goodwood by Lee Johnston, who took a narrow maiden TT victory in the rain-shortened Supersport contest. Johnstone will be aboard the Black Eagle Racing team’s MV Agusta—a bike he is familiar with, having taken it to the podium twice at August’s Classic TT.
Hickman’s closest rival over the past two years, Dean Harrison, will also be taking part, in his case for the first time, competing aboard a Fred Walmsley-prepared Matchless G50. Harrison and Hickman last year were central to one of the most thrilling Senior TTs in recent memory, with the former leading for the majority of the race, before Hickman snatched the win in the last few miles of the final lap. Harrison finished runner-up to Hickman once again in this year’s opening Superbike encounter.
Another rider making his Goodwood Revival debut will be Manxman Conor Cummins. While Cummins is yet to win at his home circuit, he has visited the podium on numerous occasions, most recently by completing the top three in the Superbike TT in the latest event. James Hillier meanwhile will return to Goodwood this September after a strong showing at last year’s Revival, where he got a podium result. Having finished runner-up to Johnston on Monday in the Supersport TT, Hillier will be hoping he can continue his recent run of form, which included winning the Superstock class at Northern Ireland’s North West 200 last month.
The various podium finishers from this week’s TT will also be joined on the Goodwood Revival grid at the by two Isle of Man legends, 23-time TT-winner John McGuinness (pictured above) and 18-time winner Michael Dunlop, of the legendary Dunlop Dynasty. The pair will ride a Matchless G50 and Manx Norton respectively. Both have enjoyed strong results at Goodwood previously, with McGuinness taking overall victory in 2016. Dunlop, meanwhile, almost took the spoils alongside his brother William the following year, but engine trouble put an end to their blistering pace. Saturday tickets and three-day passes for this year’s Revival have already sold out in record time; tickets for Sunday and Friday as well as hospitality packages remain available.
Images courtesy of Goodwood Motor Circuit
