Guy Martin will contest TT 2015’s two Supersport races on a Smiths 675cc Triumph Daytona.
Martin, who will ride for Tyco BMW in the event’s big bike races, will be joined in Smiths Racing Team colours by Dave Johnson who is spearheading the Gloucester-based team’s TT effort on both BMW and Triumph machinery.
Having sensationally won on their TT debut in 2014, taking the opening Supersport victory with Gary Johnson, it’s his Australian namesake that has been chosen to contest the main solo races for the team.
The 31-year-old from Adelaide, who made his TT debut in 2010 and last year achieved his best result of fourth place in the Superstock race and also recording a best lap at over 125.5mph will ride a Smiths BMW in the Superbike, Senior and Superstock races as well as the Smiths 675cc Triumph Daytona in the two, four-lap Monster Energy Supersport races.
There he’ll be joined by the charismatic 33-year-old Martin who has enjoyed an illustrious TT career to date and will ride a British-built bike in competition around the 37.75 mile course for the first time.
Martin added: ‘I wanted the best tool for the job in the Supersport TTs so I rang Rebecca [Smith] and we ended up doing a deal. I reckon the Triumph is the bike to be on and I remember Gary Johnson passing me on the Sulby Straight on the Smiths Triumph last year. Alan and Rebecca are proper people who run a fantastic team and to win on their debut last year says a lot about them.’
Practice for this summer’s TT starts on Saturday, May 30 with the Superbike Race and Sure Sidecar Race 1 on Saturday, June 6. Monday, June 8 sees the RL360 Superstock Race and Monster Energy Supersport Race 1 with Wednesday, June 10 hosting the Sure Sidecar Race 2, Monster Energy Supersport Race 2 and SES TT Zero. Friday, June 12 sees the Bike Nation Lightweight and PokerStars Senior TT Race to round off the two weeks of action.
More in Tuesday’s Examiner.