23-time TT winner John McGuinness has signed to ride for the Norton factory team in the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior races at this year’s event.

McGuinness joins 2015 British Superbike Champion Josh Brookes in a two-man team using the latest specification Norton ’SG7’ machines, derived from the firm’s flagship V4 RR road bike.

McGuinness last won a Superbike class race in 2015, winning the PokerStars Senior TT, which also saw him breaking the outright lap record with a lap of 132.701mph, which remains his fastest lap around the Mountain Course.

He achieved podiums in both the 2016 RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT but missed last year’s TT race meeting because of serious injuries sustained in the North West 200, which he is still recovering from.

However, he expects to be back to full fitness in time for his TT debut with Norton this June.

McGuinness has enjoyed a remarkable TT career and is second only to Joey Dunlop in outright TT victories and is rightly considered as one of the all-time greats.

He has stood on the TT podium a record 46 times from 78 race finishes and is confident that more success is just around the corner now he has teamed up with this iconic British brand.

Talking about the news of his Norton signing McGuinness commented:

’I didn’t want to end my career due to an injury, but the truth is I didn’t know whether I would be able to come back as I didn’t know how fit I was going to be. Right now, things are going well. I feel a lot sharper and my head is in gear and ready to go. The plan is to get the external fixator cage off my leg by the end of this month and after that we can start working towards getting bike fit and testing.’

More in Thursday’s Manx Independent.