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TT Legends confirm attendance for Centenary celebrations - World Class list of former heroes to attend TT 2007
The 2007 Isle of Man TT Races are less than six months away and work behind the scenes continues to carry on at a relentless pace. With the races celebrating their 100th birthday, the organisers are pulling out all the stops to ensure the Island plays host to some of the finest names ever to have competed on the famous 37¾ mile circuit.
Some of the most iconic riders from TT history will be appearing throughout race week and many of them will re-live their golden days as they take to the Mountain Course once more. They will be riding legendary machines from Honda, Yamaha, MV Agusta, Suzuki, Benelli, Kawasaki, Norton and BMW and many of them will be aboard the machines that gave them some of their finest days. Never before has such an array of world class stars been assembled and among those already confirmed are:
Giacomo Agostini
10 TT wins, 15 times World Champion, 122 GP wins
Dieter Braun
1970 125cc TT winner, 2 time World Champion
Roger Burnett
1986 Senior TT winner
Kel Carruthers
2 TT wins, 1969 250cc World Champion, 7 GP wins
Rod Coleman NZ
1954 Junior TT winner
Graeme Crosby
3 TT wins, 2 time World F1 Champion
Robert Dunlop
5 TT wins, most NW200 wins ever
Geoff Duke OBE
6 TT wins, 6 times World Champion, 33 GP wins
Carl Fogarty MBE
3 TT wins, 7 times World Champion, most successful World Superbike rider ever
Stuart Graham
1967 50cc TT winner, 2 GP wins
Mick Grant
7 TT wins, 2 GP wins
Ron Haslam
1982 Formula One TT winner, 2 time World Champion
Dennis Ireland
1982 Classic TT winner, 1 GP win
Mitsuo Itoh
1963 50cc TT winner, only Japanese winner in TT history
Dave Leach
4 TT wins
Phillip McCallen
11 TT wins, only man to win 4 TT races in a week
Chas Mortimer
7 TT wins, 7 GP wins, runner-up 1973 125cc GP Championship, 3rd 1976 350cc GP Championship
Phil Read MBE
7 TT wins, 8 times World Champion, 52 GP wins, one of only two men to be 125cc, 250cc and 500cc World Champion
Jim Redman MBE
6 TT wins, 6 times World Champion, 45 GP wins
Brian Reid
5 TT wins, 2 times World Champion
Tony Rutter
8 TT wins, 4 times World F2 Champion, 2 GP wins
Ian Simpson
3 TT wins
Barry Smith
4 times TT winner, 4 GP wins, 2 times World F3 Champion
John Surtees MBE
6 TT wins, 7 times World Champion, 38 GP wins, only man to have been World Champion on both 2 and 4 wheels
Carlo Ubbiali
5 TT wins, 9 times World Champion, 39 GP wins
Charlie Williams
8 TT wins, 1980 F2 World Champion, 3 GP wins
Other riders set to appear at various stages over race week include Michelle Duff, Iain Duffus, Marc Flynn, Alan Jackson, Nick Jefferies, John Kidson, Ray Knight, Jan Kostwinder, Brian Morrison, Mat Oxley, Steve Parrish, Frank Perris, Richard Quayle, Johnny Rea, Tommy Robb, Heinz Rosner, Frank Whiteway, Barry Woodland and Stan Woods. This is only just the beginning though and more World Class riders are being confirmed each and every week as the lure of the Island pulls even more.
It's not just the solo riders that are well represented either as some of the greatest sidecar drivers ever to have graced the Mountain Circuit will be in attendance. Already confirmed as participating in the celebrations are:
Geoff Bell
2 TT wins
Mick Boddice
9 TT wins
Max Deubel
3 TT wins, 4 times World Champion, 12 GP wins
Rob Fisher
10 TT wins
Dick Greasley
2 TT wins, runner up 1979 World Championship
Trevor Ireson
4 TT wins
Dave Molyneux
11 TT wins, fastest sidecar driver ever at 116.04mph
Nigel Rollason
1986 Sidecar race 2 winner, one of only two men ever to have won on the Mountain Course on both 2 and 3 wheels. The late Freddie Dixon - 1923 sidecar (Douglas) and
1927 Junior (HRD) was the other 'double' victor.
Steve Webster MBE
10 times World Sidecar Champion
The major events where the personalities will be appearing all take place during TT fortnight are:-
1907 TT Re-enactment
St Johns Course, 28th June
TT Concours D’Elegance
Castletown Square – 3rd June
TT Centenary Parade
TT Mountain Circuit – 4th June
TT Day of Champions
TT Grandstand - 7th June
TT Centenary Dinner
Villa Marina – 7th June
TT Parade of Champions
TT Mountain Circuit – 8th June
Most of the activity will be centred around the Grandstand and the paddock giving members of the public the opportunity to get close to their heroes and meet some of the most successful men in motorcycling history.
Speaking about the nostalgia events being planned for the Centenary TT, TT and Motorsport Development Manager Paul Phillips said:
"TT fans quite rightly have huge expectations about the centenary and we hope that the line up will excite both young and old fans. It has been quite a challenge to track down the ex riders and the classic machines, but it has been a fascinating experience and the enthusiasm for the TT that still exists amongst these heroes is amazing."
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