Iconic Italian brand MV Agusta will be compete in the Isle of Man TT Races in 2012, campaigned by the World Performance Racing team.
MV Agustas have won 34 TT races and taken 61 podiums between 1952 and 1972.The first race win came in the 1952 Ultra-Lightweight race, won by Cecil Sandford, whilst the last was the 1972 Senior won by Giacomo Agostini. While Agostini is the most successful MV Agusta rider at the TT with 10 wins to his name, some of the greatest names in the event’s history have also raced on MVs including John Surtees (6 wins), Carlo Ubbiali (5 wins), Mike Hailwood (4 wins) and Tarquinio Provini (3 wins). Other race winners have included Gary Hocking (2 wins) while John Hartle, Bill Lomas, Cecil Sandford and Les Graham have also stood on the top step.
The late Martin Finnegan was the last high profile rider to campaign an MV Agusta at the TT, finishing 4th in the 2007 Superstock TT race, lapping at 125.685mph.
Neil Haslam, Team Boss, World Performance Racing commented: “World Performance Racing represents a passion for motorcycle racing and the desire to bring MV Agusta, the iconic motorcycle brand with a unique heritage, to the celebrated Isle of Man TT races in 2012. We aim to restore MV Agusta back to winning ways and ensure that the 2012 TT will be another chapter in this great Italian’s brand’s history.”
Paul Phillips, TT and Motorsport Development Manager, added: “MV Agusta is one of the truly iconic names in the TT’s history and I’m sure many fans will be eager to see the much anticipated return of a factory supported outfit. I’m really pleased that we will see yet another factory backed outfit at next year’s TT and it is further confirmation of the event’s growing strength and appeal.”
WPR is a family run business based in Chesterfield who, in association with Chorley-based Moto GB, will be taking the new MV Agusta F3 and F4 machines to compete at the TT next year.