Ivan Lintin will return to the Classic TT this month on-board a ZXR750cc Kawasaki in the four-lap Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Classic TT race.
The Lincolnshire rider’s machine has been provided by Seasoned Classic Racing exponent,Nigel Fitzsimmond, and was assembled in Germany by Lothar Kraus, of Kraus Racing, to a full World Superbike specification.
Kraus himself has a tremendous pedigree both on and off the track, having won the German IDM Championship in the early 1990s before becoming a crew chief in the World Supersport Championship.
Lintin rode the bike for the first time at the Pre-TT Classic meeting at Billown as well as having outings on it at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough.
Although the 31-year suffered a nasty spill at the latter in July, losing part of his ring finger as a result, he is still expected to be challenging for a podium finish.
Looking ahead to the event, Lintin said: “I’m really looking forward to the Classic TT and the bike that Nigel has put together should be as good as anything else out there. I’ve already had quite a lot of track time with the bike and know it well, and we’ll be pushing hard to see if we can get in and around the podium at the end of four laps.”
Last year, Fitzsimmonds’ team built two Kawasaki ZXR750’s with Dan Cooper riding one entered under the Team Russell & Collins banner which gave Kraus an insight into the requirements of both road racing and, of course, the rigours of the Mountain Course.
Fitzsimmonds has provided this year’s bike through his own Equals42 Ltd company but it will run in the colours of Lintin’s regular team, Devitt RC Express Racing.
The Superbike Classic TT race will take place on Monday, August 29 and is scheduled to get underway at 2pm.
Keep checking The Checkered Flag for all the latest news updates from this year’s Classic TT.
