Well, as I’ve said in previous columns, I never thought he’d take the plunge, but John McGuinness has signed with Norton to race at the TT. He must be on a nice package, and perhaps there’s a golden handshake from Honda too, but Norton’s Stuart Garner is very good at sorting things out, and somewhere along the line he’s obviously offered him a deal that works for him.
I hope John rides, but like he says, he doesn’t have a crystal ball and can’t tell the future. The will he/won’t he be fit enough debate will rage on, although John is quite adamant this is not a PR exercise and he’s keen to get racing again. It’s certainly a magnificent marketing coup, the best TT racer and an iconic British brand, though it could be a swansong for John too. Garner has already got loads of coverage from it so that’s a bit of a no-brainer, and even if John doesn’t ride he’ll be there, and with his experience can help Josh Brookes and the team.