McGuinness heads to Australia for Phillip Island Classic

John McGuinness in action at last year's Phillip Island Classic. Picture: Russell Colvin

John McGuinness will be in action Down Under this weekend.

The Morecambe Missile will be part of the UK team hoping to retain their title at the International Island Classic at Phillip Island, Australia from January 27 to 29.

The event sees teams from Ireland, the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the UK battle it out on classic bikes with the Brits looking for a hat-trick of victories having broken the hosts’ stranglehold in 2015.

As they did the double last year McGuinness also finished fifth in the individual standings.

This year the Isle of Man TT great will be joined by Peter Hickman, Jeremy McWilliams, Alex Sinclair, Michael Neeves, Conor Cummins, Glen Richards, James Hillier and Craig Ditchburn on the nine-strong UK team.

As ever they will be backed by Sussex classic enthusiast Roger Winfield at the Island Classic.

Every year Winfield ships bikes and spares over to Australia and then a massive crew arrives in town to fettle the machines with McGuinness aboard a Harris Honda this year.