The Isle of Man TT->ke3446 is currently in full swing, even though one of the most eagerly anticipated events has yet to get started. That event would be the TT Zero Challenge, a speed trial of sorts featuring motorcycles powered entirely by the electrical variety. The event will begin on Wednesday morning, June 10, 2015, but as early as now, favorite John McGuinness is already waking waves after shattering the existing record with an average speed around one the track of 118.056 mph.

McGuinness’ qualifying time didn’t just clip past the previous record of 117.366 mph, it was an emphatic record lap that now sets the stage for what could be one of the most exciting races of the entire event. Not surprisingly, McGuinness’ record-setting qualifying run came on the back of the Team Mugen-powered Shinden Yon, the noteworthy successor to the Shinden San, the bike that McGuinness used to set the record in the 2014 staging of the TT Zero Challenge.

Needless to say, all eyes will be on McGuinness and teammate Bruce Anstey when they make their flying laps around the Snaefell Mountain when the TT Zero Challenge kicks off at 10:45 am local time on Wednesday, June 10, 2015. The attention both riders will get is warranted for obvious reasons.

But they won’t be the only riders people will be watching during the event. Perennial fan favorite and all-around character Guy Martin will also take part in the TT Zero Challenge for Victory Racing as a late substitute to William Dunlop, who was forced to withdraw from the event after sustaining injuries when he crashed during a practice run earlier in the week. Martin isn’t expected to challenge the two Mugen riders, but his involvement will surely increase the interest in the event, even though the mere prospect of both Mugen riders playing yoyo with the lap record is more than enough reason to tune in to the race.

Continue reading to read more about John McGuinness’ record-setting lap time in the qualifying round of the TT Zero Challenge.

Why it matters

Nobody needs to sell me on the idea of watching John McGuinness and Bruce Anstey lay waste to the lap record at the Isle of Man TT’s Zero TT Challenge. I’m already on board with it and I’ll be sure to stay up in the middle of the night just to watch how the two teammates ride their respective Shinden Yon electric race bikes to TT Zero Challenge immortality.

I’m also intrigued about the prospect of watching Guy Martin compete in the race. Martin, for all of his quirks, is one of the most captivating motorcycle riders in the world today. He doesn’t have the hardware and accolades of a guy like Valentino Rossi, but when it comes to being a character on and off a bike, there’s nobody quite like this man. That’s one other thing to watch out for at the TT Zero Challenge.

Another thing is the fight among the three student teams that will all compete in the race. None of these teams are expected to challenge the riders at the top, but it’s going to be interesting how they compare against each other. Based on the qualifying round, it appears that the University of Nottingham has the best package of the three or at least slightly better than the entry from the Brunei University. The wild card in this equation is the Kingston University, which has yet to register an official time. Nobody knows how Kingston’s going to fare so add that up as another point of intrigue as we get closer and closer to the start of the TT Zero Challenge.

For what it’s worth, my money is on McGuinness to once again set a new record during the actual race. I don’t know if he can pull off a 120-mph lap, but seeing as how quick and agile the Shinden Yon is, I’m not putting it past him - or Anstey, for that matter - to break that remarkable threshold.