This year’s Isle of Man Classic TT presented by Bennetts will celebrate the life and career of Steve Hislop, one of the greatest British motorcycle racers of all time. Entitled ‘Back to the Future: The Hizzy Years’, this celebration will take place 30 years after Steve set the first ever 120mph lap around the TT Mountain Course, a speed that remains a benchmark for competitors three decades on.

August will see the career of the enigmatic Scottish rider recognised, with many of his most memorable racing machines taking to the 37.73-mile TT Course in a demonstration lap by some of his former team-mates, rivals and friends.

Heading the line-up will be four-time World Superbike Champion and three-time TT winner Carl Fogarty, who was both a team-mate and rival to Hislop- the duo enjoying numerous battles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Indeed, the hotly-contested 1992 Senior TT Race, which saw the lead change hands multiple times before Hislop prevailed by 4.4s, is widely acknowledged as the greatest TT Race of all time.

Fans’ favourite and British Superbike Championship legend Chris Walker will join Fogarty on the lap in his first appearance on the Mountain Course. Walker competed against Hislop for many years in the British Superbike Championship, and preceded him in the iconic Cadburys Boost Yamaha squad.

Current TT star Michael Rutter, who competed against Hislop in the British Superbike Championship and International Road Races for more than a decade, is another rider confirmed to take part.

Fellow Scots and TT winners Ian Simpson and Brian Morrison will be joining the celebration - the latter having also lapped at more than 120mph in that famous TT Race in 1989.

Another Scot, Stuart Easton, who not only hails from the same Hawick town as Hislop but was also his team-mate in Paul Bird’s Monstermob Ducati team in 2001 and 2002 will be on board one of his idol’s former machines, as well as double TT winner-turned TV pundit Steve Plater.

Hislop rode a variety of machinery during his career, with some of his most memorable bikes coming to the Island to go on display and be ridden. Included in that list will be the 350cc TZ Yamaha he rode to his first TT victory in 1987, the iconic ‘White Charger’ Rotary Norton from the 1992 Senior Race, and the Castrol Honda RC45 Honda he used to secure a double TT victory on in 1994.

Of course, Steve was equally adept on the short circuits and took three British Championships in total- two in the Superbike class and one in in the 250s. His 2002 title-winning Monstermob Ducati will feature in the celebrations and parade lap, along with the Red Bull Kawasaki, Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha, and Virgin Yamaha R1 he rode during the 1996, 1998 and 2003 seasons respectively.

Steve’s mother Margaret and his two sons Aaron and Connor will be attending the Classic TT and, as well as the on-track action, there will be a pop-up museum open to the public for the entire four-day event, showcasing all of Steve’s bikes and allowing race fans to get up close to the machinery ridden by one of the all-time TT legends.


Tickets for the 2019 Classic TT are now on sale via the Official iomttraces.com website including Official Grandstand Tickets, VIP Hospitality Experiences, and Official Entertainment Events including the Counterfeit Stones Classic TT Party Performance. You can stay up to date with all the latest Classic TT news by subscribing to the Official Isle of Man TT Races Newsletter.


Images courtesy of Double Red Photography.