The inaugural Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts is set to open with a sensational line up in the Bennetts 500cc Classic Race. The stunning combination of leading modern day TT greats will do battle with the established Classic racing stars on an amazing array of machinery. With multiple TT and Manx GP winners and world-class teams from across the globe the 92 strong entry is set to rival that of any modern day event on the 2013 International road racing calendar.

The Bennetts 500cc Race will see the second round in the captivating battles between current King of the Mountain John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop, the man who dominated this year's TT Races meeting with four victories.

The duo are set to relive their TT battles from June as they go to head to head in the opening event of race week on Saturday August 24th, with McGuinness riding the Team Winfield Italian Paton machine, previously taken to numerous race wins by Ryan Farquhar, and Dunlop on board a Norton from the Molnar Manx stable that will run in the colours of his own MD Racing Team. McGuinness and Dunlop retain their TT starting positions of 3 and 6 respectively.

Chris Palmer in the 2012 500cc Classic

However, they won’t have it all their own way with no less than 8 out of the first 10 starters from the PokerStars Senior TT Race in the entry including Cameron Donald and Bruce Anstey who fly the Australian and New Zealand flags once more. The antipodean duo be riding for Ripley Land (Matchless) and McIntosh Racing / Mobil 1 (Norton) respectively.

Other TT Race stars include Guy Martin, who will also be Norton-mounted, riding for Team Molnar Manx whilst Gary Johnson lines up on the fabulous Lincs Lifting Ltd MV Agusta.and Manxman Conor Cummins has appropriately elected to ride Tony Dunnell’s Manx Norton. James Hillier and William Dunlop have both chosen Honda machinery with Hillier campaigning the CSC Racing Honda and Dunlop on the Davies Motorsport Honda.

Works Norton TT riders Ian Mackman and Daniel Hegarty give the British manufacturer further, and official, representation as does the ever-improving Dan Cooper who partners Martin in Team Molnar Manx with 2013 TT Privateers Champion Lee Johnston lining up in the same Lincs Lifting Ltd colours as Johnson, this time on a 500cc Norton.

Ten-time TT Race winner Ian Lougher may have announced his retirement from TT competition but he’ll be back in action on the 37 and ¾-mile Mountain Course, riding the same 500cc Royal Enfield that Steve Linsdell has excelled on while Jamie Coward (Craven Norton), Davy Morgan (CSC Racing Honda), Stephen Thompson (Ron Todd Matchless) and Mark Parrett (500cc BSA Gold Star) add to the current crop of leading TT racers competing in the 500cc Classic Race.
 

Chris Swallow on the 500cc Norton during MGP 2012

However, the race is also packed with some of the very best Classic racers currently competing and not only will they be trying to upstage the TT riders, they have every chance of taking victory with their extensive experience of racing Classic machines.

Leading the field off at number 1 will be Olie Linsdell on Giovanni Cabassi’s Paton with multiple Manx Grand Prix winner Roy Richardson going at number 8 on the FCL/Martin Bullock Manxsport Aermacchi. Ten seconds behind him will be Chris Palmer on Richard Shelton’s super quick Matchless with Alan Oversby lining up on a second Davies Motorsport Honda, this time at number 14.

Chris Swallow (NG Wooderson BSA), Wattie Brown (Hans George-Stutz Norton), Chris McGahan (Atherstone Accident Repair Centre Matchless), Paul Coward (Werner Molders Honda), Mark Herbertson (Alan Hermiston Matchless) and Allan Brew (Luviair / Mike and Dawn Jacobs Matchless) are all more than capable of finishing inside the top six whilst Nigel Moore, Dave Madsen Mygdal, Doug Snow, Bob Owen, Bob Price and Bruno Leroy add further quality to what undoubtedly represents the best Classic race entry ever assembled.