7 things you need to know ahead of this year’s Isle of Man TT

1. John McGuinness is out
The event’s second-most successful rider John McGuinness has been ruled out of this year's event following a horror high-speed crash during qualifying at the 2017 North West 200. A mechanical issue meant the new-for-2017 Honda Fireblade’s engine didn’t shut off when the 45-year old closed the throttle and the crash resulted in a badly broken leg, four cracked vertebrae as well as three broken ribs for the 23-time TT winner. According to a statement from Honda, McGuinness will be confined to a body cast for at least six weeks to aid the repair of his broken vertebrae. “I’m not going to lie,” he said from his hospital bed. “Missing the TT this year is going to hurt, but I will be watching and keeping an eye on everything! Good luck to all the lads heading out there; if I am able to head over then of course I will be there, but at the moment everything is day-by-day and I just have to do what I can to recover and get better. It’s going to be a long road ahead.”

2. Guy Martin is back
After sitting out the 2016 Isle of Man TT, the most successful TT rider to have never claimed victory at the hallowed circuit is back to try again in 2017. It wasn’t an easy decision for the popular Lincolnshire rider, he said, revealing that he initially declined Honda’s offer to partner McGuinness for the 2017 Roads season because he couldn’t decide. It was cycling home after work when, after thinking about his boss’ encouragement to return, he changed his mind. “I went home after work and I said to me missus, ‘you know what I’m going to do? She thought it was going to be some big thing like move to Zimbabwe or something, and I said: 'no, I’m gonna go an’ ride that bloody Honda'." However, with the team yet to rule out mechanical malfunction as the cause of McGuinness’ whopper off at the North West 200, the confidence and clear head required to push for a TT win just might not be with Martin this year. His best chance of a win will come in the Zero TT where he’s set to ride the dominant Mugen machine. And with McGuinness sidelined, there’s a very good chance he’ll be celebrating his first TT victory.

3. An Aussie is leading the way!
After years of TT legend McGuinness leading the field off the line with the No. 1 plate, this year it’ll be Australian rider David Johnson on board Norton machinery away first at Glencrutchery Road for the Superbike and Senior TTs. It’s a move that the 33-year-old South Australian describes as an honour that’s not without its pressures, but with 28 TT starts under his belt and a best finish of fourth place, he’s up for the challenge. Last year, Johnson became the fastest bloke around the 37.75-mile circuit on Norton-branded machinery putting in a 128.32mph last year. With an improved bike, Johnson will be looking to improve on his personal best lap of 131.595mph, set during the 2015 event. Johnson will team alongside fellow Aussie and British superbike star Josh Brookes who makes his return to the island after a two-year hiatus.

4. There’s a storm brewing
In 2016, a bitter rivalry formed between the quietly spoken 14-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson and the rather outspoken 13-time TT winner Michael Dunlop. There were accusations of cheating, flared tempers and disqualifications, so this year even the organiser is getting in on the brouhaha. It's printed two different cover sleeves for the official program in a bid to draw spectators in on it, too, by making them choose between the two when purchasing the race program. Hutchy brushed it off during the event’s official launch, saying there’ll always be rivalry in racing, though Dunlop was more direct, following up with: “There’ll be no one pushing me harder than I will,” he said. “I know what the costs are and I’m willing to push it that extra step to get to the next level.”

5. Hutchy wants a big-bike win
The 14-time TT winner hasn’t won a Superbike or Senior TT since his record-setting week in 2010 when he became the first guy to win five TTs in a week and he wants that to change in 2017. So much so that he’s reverted back to Dunlop tyres for this year’s event, switching from his long association with Metzeler. It turns out Aussie Cam Donald was the last bloke to win a Superbike TT on non-Dunlop rubber back in 2008 and Hutchy, who said he’s happy with both his bike and Tyco BMW team, said he needed to make other changes in order to change his Senior and Superbike fortunes. Following the recent North West 200, he said: “We spent a lot of time this week working on set-up, having changed tyre manufacturer for the roads, but from the opening practice session to the final race, we have made giant strides – which leaves us in good shape now heading to the Isle of Man TT.”

6. Michael Dunlop is out to prove it’s the rider, not the bike
Signing with a new team for 2017 in Bennetts Suzuki, Dunlop says he’s out to prove that it’s not the bike he’s riding but his talent that has given him so much success around the Mountain Course. Speaking at the event’s official launch, he said: “I’ve been through a few [manufacturers] and I’ve won on them all. It went from you had to be on a Honda to win TTs so when I won they said oh, it’s because he’s on a Honda. Then I won on BM[W] and they were like he won on a BM cos it was the fastest bike in the country. And it’s now onto another bike, so I’ll change onto a different manufacturer and, you know, I’ll prove that it’s sometimes there’s no point just having a good horse, you need the jockey.” And with a couple of top-five results from his shakedown test at the recent North West 200, there’s no reason to doubt him.

7. There are a few rookies to keep an eye on
Three riders will be duking it out for the 2017 Newcomers Trophy at the Isle of Man TT this year. British Supersport star Joey Thompson, at just 18 years of age, will be one of the youngest riders to leave the historic start line at the end of the month. Riding for TT veteran Ian Lougher’s Team ILR squad, Thompson has been following Manx local and TT winner Milky Quayle around the Mountain Course to familiarise himself for what will be his first true road race. The two other rookies, 20-year-old Adam McLean (MSS Kawasaki) and 25-year-old Paul Jordan (Site Sealants Kawasaki), both hail from Northern Ireland and both have previous road racing experience campaigning in the likes of the Ulster GP and the North West 200.