John Chapman Racing will have a considerable presence once more at the 2017 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts with the Lincolnshire-based outfit fielding Dan Kneen and Ivan Lintin on RS250 Honda’s in the Dunlop Lightweight TT Classic Race and Welsh legend Ian Lougher on an MV Agusta in the Bennetts Senior TT Classic Race.

The ten-time TT winner was due to ride Chapman’s 500cc MV Agusta triple in 2016 only for problems in practice to rule him out of the four-lap race. The Italian manufacturer has, of course, great pedigree in the race with Dean Harrison taking a similar machine to victory in 2015 and second twelve months ago.

Chapman has been committed to the MV marque for many years, and is now hoping it is his team’s turn to taste glory. Ezio and Maurizio Mascheroni built the MV Agusta for the 2016 Classic TT with Enrico Sironi from HRT, the company who made major contributions to MV Agusta’s new 675 F3 Supersport machine.

The bike Lougher will ride is a perfect copy of the three-cylinder MV Agusta GP 500 that last contested GPs in 1974. Sironi was a member of the legendary MV Agusta technical team back then and still has copies of the original drawings.

Lougher won the Senior Classic TT Race in 2014 on a Paton despite incurring a pit lane speeding penalty and lapped at an impressive 111.523mph whilst he also took second in 2015, fighting his way through the field from eighth after picking up another speeding infringement.

Chapman’s immaculate RS250 Honda’s have been entrusted to local ace Kneen and double Lightweight TT winner Lintin with both expected to be amongst the front runners in the four-lap race, which will be held on Bank Holiday Monday.

Lintin’s first season on the Irish roads in 2008 saw him enjoy considerable success on Billy McKinstry’s 250cc TZ Yamaha and at the Manx Grand Prix too so his two-stroke pedigree means he cannot be ruled out of the equation come race day.

Braddan’s Kneen rode one of Chapman’s machines in last year’s Lightweight Classic TT and, fresh from his maiden TT podium in June, he’s keen to make a greater impression this time around particularly with brother Ryan aiming for his second class win.

Team owner John Chapman commented:

“The Classic TT is the main event of our year and we are coming with three great lads for 2017. Ian Lougher is a legend and we have worked hard to rectify the problems we had with the MV Agusta last year and the bike is running really well. Dan and Ivan are two of the best young riders at the TT at the moment and will do a good job for us with the 250 Honda’s in the Lightweight Race. With the three riders we have, we are looking towards podium finishes for all of them.”

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