The Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure is pleased to be playing host to a number of leading motor cycling celebrities during the course of T.T. 2005.

The reigning British Superbike Champion, Rizla Suzuki’s John Reynolds and former three times BSB champion and Grand Prix star Niall McKenzie will visit the Island during race week and they will both take part in the Parade Lap on Senior Race Day.

Joining them will be former T.T. winner, Michael Rutter, who currently rides for the works HM Plant Honda squad. Rutter who actually won the T.T. in 1998, will also take part in the Parade Lap, and has recently gone on record as having said he would contemplate a racing return to the T.T. in 2006.

Another famous name visiting the Isle of Man T.T. Races is tuning legend Gerrit Ten Kate, who will be on the Island to assist the Vitrans/Ten Kate Honda squad and their rider, Irishman Martin Finnegan. Ten Kate has already built an engine for a T.T. winner, with Jim Moodie using one of the Dutchman’s engines to take victory in the 1999 Junior T.T. Race, and will be hoping for a similar result this time with Finnegan.

Also visiting the T.T. this year will be actor Charley Boorman, who partnered best friend Ewan McGregor in an around the world motorcycle ride last year, and featured in the massively popular TV Documentary Series, The Long Way Round. Charley will also visit during race week, as a guest of Motor Cycle News.

TT 2005 – More Entertainment, World Class!

Powersport specialists Duke have this year been appointed by the Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure to professionally organise the T.T. 2005 entertainment. It will be the greatest collection of entertainments and shows ever seen at a T.T. Festival, and add still more excitement to what will be a new-look T.T. with its revised race formats.

Entertainment is centred on the Promenade, for a full eight days and nights, with the 31m² T.T.-TV . ‘Big Screen’ next to the famous Bushy’s tent, and a 220 metre section of Promenade used for a wide range of stunts, shows, live cameras and activities, timetabled every evening. There are plans for a grandstand with reserved and family seating, and also a kids’ entertainment area in the Villiers Square. In the performance arena, safety considerations will be paramount, without restricting the viewing, using professional standard water-filled and foam bollard units as well as the normal crowd barriers.

Ten acts or features are already booked or planned to appear on the Prom, including Humberto Ribeiro, the current World Stunt Riding Champion, from Portugal, and Russ Swift, probably the best car stunt driver around, holder of two Official World Records. On Race Days, winners will appear on the Big Screen Stage and then travel in motorcade to the Villa Marina prizegiving.

In addition to a full programme every evening from Friday to Wednesday, Thursday will feature a ‘Classic Bike’ event with some very rare machines, and Friday will see the finale – the ‘2005 T.T. Street Party on the Prom’ – with live bands, big screen live cameras, fireworks and all the atmosphere needed for a great finale to the T.T. Festival.

Away from the Prom, there will be the Red Arrows display on Tuesday, Honda Day at Peel on Mad Sunday, Honda Powerboats, SuperMoto and fireworks in Ramsey on Tuesday, biker track days and karting at Jurby, Steve Colley, Russ Swift, fireworks and a band in Port Erin on Monday, the WKD Café at Colours, the new PS2 T.T. Superbikes game, and all the usual T.T.-T.V. feeds to Island pubs. There are also plans to feed live pictures from Creg ny Baa and the Grandstand to the Big Screen and the internet.