John McGuinnes🔯s has pღlenty of highlights in his legendary career to look back upon, and the journey isn’t over yet.

Only Joey Dunlop and Michael Dunlop have won more races at the Isle of Man TT than McGuinness’ tally of 2ꦬ3.

But a▨ battle with Joey D⛎unlop at the 1996 North West 200 is a memory to savour for McGuinness.

“If you asked me to pick one standout mom꧅ent in the past 30 years at the NW200 it would be iꦅn 1996,” he told  earlier this year.

“After two years of learning the track and 🍸weighing the job 🐻up, I found myself in the leading group of the 250cc race when the flag dropped.

“That was a defining moment for me, a moment when I thought I could do alright a꧒t road racing because a lot of the 250cc greats were there including Joey Dunlop, Phillip McCallen, Phelim Owens, Robbie Milton, Callum Ramsay, Woolsey Coulter, and Owen McNally.

“I’d gone from struggling on bikes that weren’t the most competitive to dicing with Joey Du♓nlop.”

Two years earlier, ridin𒐪g a 250cc Yamaha, McGuinness debuted at the North West 200 but fꦅailed to finish either race due to mechanical problems.

In 1997, a year after his memor🍸able breakthrough performance, he claimed his first podium after finishing behind Callum Ramsey.

In 2000, he won in the two-stroke class for the first time. McGuꦺinness has won six times at the North West 200.

Earlier this year he♈ competed again at the event, nowౠ aged 52, celebrating a 30-year milestone since his debut.

“I always wanted to do the North W🐼est,” he reminisced.

“I had been competing in the British championships but I wanted to be a road race♏r.

“I’d read all the books, listened to the stories and my mates Lee Pullan, Mick Lofthouse and David Jefferies, wereꦦ all doing it.

“It seemed the natur൩al thing to do and I was offered a free boat and 🌌a free entry to race in 1994 which now, in this day and age, is unheard of.”

McGuinness and his future wife “rounded up a few tins of 🌼beans and soup and set off in the van”.

But he explained: “My Dad, who was🌄 my mechanic, 𒆙didn’t want me to go road racing and he refused to come with us.

“I didn’t have a clue what I was lettin♑g myself 🌸in for really…”

The rest, as they say, is history.