John McGuinness, 20-time Isle of Man TT winner and North West 200 legend, will be the headline performer at the 2014 Castle Combe Grand National festival, Bike Sports News has reported.
McGuinness will ride the 296cc Honda Six, a bike previously ridden by British Grand Prix racer Mike ‘the bike’ Hailwood. John will be accompanied on the track by Steve Parrish on the 500cc Honda Four, the bike ridden by McGuinness during the Hailwood tribute at the Classic TT in 2013.
Castle Combe Circuit’s two-day motorbike meeting is expected to be very exciting this year. The organiser of the event, NG Road Racing Club, says the weekend schedule features almost every solo class, including the British Historic Championship, which returns after a two year break. The classic event theme will also include the Classic and Specials Parade organised in collaboration with the TT Riders Association, so attendees should be prepared to see some special riders and bikes as well.
The key moment of the event will be the display of Hailwood’s Hondas with McGuinness riding the Honda 296cc six cylinder motorcycle and Parrish riding the 500cc Honda for the very first time.
Castle Combe’s Rodney Gooch remembers Hailwood riding the two bikes back in the 1960s, and says that seeing the same motorbike at the Castle Combe circuit will be one of the major highlights in his long involvement with the circuit. It is a great achievement and Castle Combe is grateful to Neil Tuxworth of Honda Racing and Ron Mullen, who owns the 500cc Four, Gooch added.