John McGuinness said he never gets tired of being directed into the winners enclosure on the Isle of Man after the TT legend won Monday’s Historic Senior Classic TT.

McGuinness returned to the top step in a special year for the Morecambe man, who is marking the 30th anniversary of his TT debut in 1996.

The 23-time TT winner won by 28.872s on the Winfield Paton from Banbridge man Shaun Anderson (Beugger Paton) – his fourth victory in the class.

Mike Browne lost out in the battle for second place with a problem on the Peter Lodge Racing Norton, which caused him to roll off over the Mountain on the final lap as he nursed the machine home for third, 27.363s behind Anderson on corrected time.

placeholder image — John McGuinness won the Historic Senior Classic TT on the Winfield Paton on Monday. (Photo by Callum Staley/Pacemaker Press)

McGuinness – who set the fastest lap at 113.028mph from a standing start – said: “I love that feeling, getting waved into the winners enclosure.

“The bike was flying and it was bouncing off the limiter in top. Up the Mountain, it was pulling and pulling lovely.

“It was beautiful conditions out there and everybody cheered me around on that last lap there, and I really appreciated it.

“I wanted to take my hand off to wave but you know what it’s like, I wanted to get to the end. But it’s very much appreciated, the support I get over the years.

“I’ve got to thank Roger [Winfield] and his team, they’ve worked hard with this bike. I’ve broke down a few times, won on it a few times, and we’ve had a bit of bad luck with it, but when it’s going it’s awesome to ride,” he told Manx Radio.

“It was a lovely three laps out on the Mountain course – I love it and I wish I was 24 and not 54! The bike really never missed a beat all week, I don’t what to say – I’ve been in here a few times before but it’s so nice to be in here.

“You don’t realise how much work there is and these guys, they never stop tinkering. Roger deserves this, and his wife.

“My dad is here as well and my dad and my mum put me on a bike when I was three years old, so if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be stood here in the winners enclosure.

“Thirty years and still winning the odd race, eh?”

Runner-up Anderson, who edged out McGuinness to win the race in 2024, said it was a “dream” to be back on the podium.

“I’m just over the moon. We had an absolute disaster last year so to be back here, after a disastrous practice week for all sorts of reasons,” he said.

“We just took it steady at the start and fed our way in because we only got one lap in practice on it and thought it was close enough for the race.

“It was easy away and I thought I must be doing something right because I caught Dean [Harrison] on the run to Ramsey.

“To stand on the podium with Mike Browne, the form that he’s on, and John McGuinness in his 30th year is a dream come true.

“For a boy that started off at the 2010 Manx, thinking we might never see in here again after a second place as a newcomer, it’s unreal.”

Browne managed to seal third despite an issue with the Norton on the third and last lap.

“We changed the bike for the race so it was little bit different on the first lap and it took me a bit to get going,” he said.

“On the second lap I got the head down, I knew John was away and we’d be battling for second or third, we got it going good and my pit board was P2.

“But coming over the Mountain I ran into a few problems just as I came to the Mountain Mile, and I got upped out of the seat once or twice and I wasn’t sure what it was, if it was oil or the back wheel locking up.

“I just tried to nurse it home as slow as I could and it’s the nature of the game with these bikes, you’re riding them with the problems.”

Baz Furber (Martin Ireland Racing Honda 500), Will Loder (Minnovation Racing Seeley) and Harley Rushton (Chris Hughes Racing by Ted Woof Matchless) completed the top six in the 113.19-mile race.

Australian rider David Johnson crashed at Glen Helen on the first lap and was airlifted to Noble’s Hospital with suspected leg injuries.