Surtees to be celebrated at Classic TT
60 years on from his final Isle of Man TT appearance, motorsport legend John Surtees will be the centre of the celebrations at this year’s Classic TT.
The only person in history to win world championships on two and four wheels will have his career recognised with a celebration lap featuring his former bikes that will be ridden by TT stars past and present plus special guests connected to Surtees.
60 years on from his final Isle of Man TT appearance, motorsport legend John Surtees will be the centre of the celebrations at this year’s Classic TT.
The only person in history to win world championships on two and four wheels will have his career recognised with a celebration lap featuring his former bikes that will be ridden by TT stars past and present plus special guests connected to Surtees.
In 1960 Surtees won his sixth and final Isle of Man TT race when he claimed victory in the Senior TT. Across his career Surtees won seven motorcycle world titles, including consecutive 350cc and 500cc doubles in 1958, 1959 and 1960, before moving into four wheels when he went on to win the 1964 Formula 1 world crown with Ferrari.
Surtees’ 1960 MV Agusta that he rode to victory in the world championship and Senior TT will take centre stage for the celebration lap and also feature in a one-off display in the Classic TT Paddock along with a number of other iconic machines from the Surtees family collection.
Other bikes included are his 1949 Vincent Grey Flash that he won his first race on, while his time riding Nortons is also reflected with three bikes from the family collection – an F Norton 500cc Experimental Prototype, a 1959 Manx Norton and a 1953 Works Norton.
John McGuinness, Mick Grant, Paul Hollywood, Steve Parrish and Steve Plater will all take part in the Surtees celebration lap. Surtees passed away aged 83 in 2017.
The 2020 Classic TT takes place between August 22-31.
