Motorbike legend hits 180 mph on runway

Legendary motorcycle racer John McGuinness pelted across the runway yesterday reaching speeds of 180 mph, hailing the experience as “amazing”.
Mr McGuinness, who is the second most successful TT rider of all time, performed the stunt as part of a sponsorship deal with Gibraltar-based gaming company BetVictor.
“It was really wide, and really hot,” Mr McGuinness said of the experience which drew a crowd of racing enthusiasts to the barrier.
“The cross wind was strong and [it was] hard to keep the bike in a straight line, as it has a tendency to lift it from the front,” he told the Chronicle.
He added: “It was an amazing experience and great to spend time with the team at RAF Gibraltar.”
Mr McGuinness has clocked up a staggering 23 wins at the Isle of Man TT over the course of his racing career.
In 2007 he became the first man to break through the 130 mph average barrier and then the 131 mph barrier in an official race, pushing it up to 131.578 mph in 2009.
In the 2015 Senior race, he won the race and set a new outright lap record of 132.701 mph.

Photo: Tim Hammond