By Bob McIntyre’s quite remarkable feat of becoming the first rider to lap the Mountain Course at over 100 mph, was celebrated in style yesterday as modern day great Michael Dunlop completed a tribute lap in honour of the three times TT winner.
Sixty years on from the landmark lap speed of 101.12 mph, 15 times TT winner Dunlop piloting a replica Gilera with a nigh on identical colour scheme/design to the one piloted by the legendary Scotsman, wowed the large crowds over for day one of Classic TT race action.
Photo’s by Nick Wheeler
Lapping at over 100.5 mph, the Mountain Course lap record holder stated via his Twitter page, what an honour it had been to replicate one of the most iconic moments of TT history. He said:
“What an honour today was hard to do it justice but I gave it a full go and done a lap of 100.5 mph, great to see people’s faces listening to it.”
When you compare machines like the Gilera of 1957 compared to present day mounts such as the Senior TT winning Bennetts Suzuki, it goes to show just how much machinery has changed in 60 years on the most famous road racing circuit in the world.
One can only imagine how hard Bob McIntyre will have had to have rode sixty years ago, to lap in excess of 100 mph.
His achievement back then not only quite rightly places him amongst the TT’s all time greats, but also overall in the greatest achievements in the history of motorcycle racing.
Words by Stevie Rial
