As the dust settles on Bruce Anstey’s stunning Classic TT Formula 1 victory aboard a 1994 YZR Yamaha 500cc grand prix bike fielded by Batley dealership Padgetts, spare a thought for the first (and only) British machine to take the chequered flag.
Veteran road racer Chris McGahan took his 1971 Triumph, an authentic Rob North-framed Miles Trident triple, to the line among 42 starters — the rest mounted on much more powerful and recent Japanese and Italian products. Amusingly, it was 23mph slower than Anstey’s missile on the opening lap but still managed a 100mph-plus circuit despite being exactly 23 years older.
McGahan and the Triumph, which achieved a third-place podium in last year’s Formula Classic race, finished in a very creditable 27th position with a race average of 102mph over three laps.