Giacomo Agostini, Geoff Duke, Jimmy Guthrie, Mike Hailwood and Joey Dunlop all have corners named after them at the iconic Isle of Man Mountain Course, and now so will John McGuinness and Dave Molyneux.
The newly named course points comes as the Isle of Man Government has redesigned and replaced the existing directional boards and mile markers around the 37¾ mile course and the new signs that are named after famous TT riders also feature some individual artwork that reflects the rider’s iconography.
‘McGuinness’s’ is at ‘Shoughlaigue’ which is the fast run down from Handley’s Corner before the top of Barregarrow and will be indicated by John’s infamous voodoo artwork that has adorned his helmets for many years, while Molyneux’s’ corner is the fast right-hander at the end of Cronk-y-Voddy straight and will be be represented by the Island’s three legs.
John McGuinness has 19 race victories to his name, including two last year.
He is also the outright lap record holder with a lap of (131.
578mph) which he set in the 2009 meeting, while Isle of Man born Dave Molyneux has won sixteen sidecar races including winning both sidecar races in 2012 with his current passenger Patrick Farrance.
Speaking about the honour, McGuiness said: “It’s an absolute honour and I was pretty speechless when the organisers told me about the idea.
It’s the most famous circuit in the world and you grow up watching the greats who go on to have corners named after them and now I‘m sitting here with a corner named after me, it doesn’t get much better than that.
I was close to tears when I was standing by the sign today and what’s particularly nice is that it breaks a tradition and honours a current rider.
The corner I chose is one that always gives me a special thrill when I ride my bike through it.
You never see many people watching there and some people might not even have given it much thought but it’s part of the course I love to ride through.
It’s a high speed, 6th gear corner, and probably 180 mph on a Superbike, which, when you go through it in a car, you wouldn’t think would be possible.
It’s a fantastic sequence of bends and the last left opens up lovely so you can get a good run down to Barregarrow.
It’s a bit of a childhood dream to have part of the course named after you and for generations to come it will always be called McGuinness’s.
”The original signs that have now been replaced, will be available on the auction site ebay together with other memorabilia including the iconic mile markers and the instantly recognisable yellow Shell fuel fillers used up until the mid 1980’s.
All funds raised from the sale of the items are invested back into the costs associated with running the event.