FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 14 | Page 23

Photos courtesy of Morecambe’s John McGuinness has proven himself time and again to be not only one of the finest road racers of his generation, but an undoubted all-timer in the most dangerous form of racing. But with enough records in the TT that they named a corner after him, at the age of 44, what keeps him coming back for more?....................................... Monster Energy S O, JOHN, YOU’VE pretty much achieved everything possible in road racing. Does the fire still burn as brightly for you as it did say five years ago? Are you still enjoying your racing? Yes, it’s definitely sti ll burning very brightly. It’s funny, last year when I won the Senior (TT race) I really did have a fire in my belly to go out there and do the business. Winning that race was very special. I still want to win, and still want to succeed here at the Isle of Man and be competitive. But at the same time, I want to enjoy myself and look after myself while I’m racing. There’s no reason to ride around here (the Isle of Man) if you’re not still passionate and you’ve got to be sharp and positive to do that! You were being written off last year during TT week. By your standards the results had been average but you bounced back on the Friday to win the blue-riband event - the Senior TT. It was nothing short of spectacular. Did things just click on the day or was it the desire to prove to everyone that you are still the fastest guy on the island? It was a combination of a lot of things last year, I think. We had a few issues in the run up to the Senior and I just needed to get my head into the right place. I spent the day with my family on Thursday. I just sat out on the grass without a bike in sight. I felt completely fresh on Friday morning. I really knew I had my work cut out. u FreestyleXtreme.com | 23