JUNIOR 600

The Junior 600 race is new to the 2026 Classic TT schedule and will evoke memories of the past as it will see some iconic machines from the 1990s tackle the Mountain Course once more.

Solely for pre-injection Supersport 600cc machines, the class will see legendary manufacturers and brands made famous by the likes of Steve Hislop, Phillip McCallen, Ian Simpson, Iain Duffus and Jim Moodie line up on Glencrutchery Road once more.

The iconic Honda CBR600F was, arguably, the bike to beat during the 90’s with the riders above all tasting victory but Yamaha also tasted success towards the end of the decade with the first incarnation of their Yamaha YZF-R6. Both machines will no doubt be well to the fore amongst this year’s Junior 600 Classic TT entry.

The Honda and Yamaha will, most likely, be the machine of choice in the Junior 600 race, just as it was in the 1990s, but those years also saw Kawasaki and Suzuki have their moments so expect them to feature again at the Classic TT too.

The Kawasaki ZX-6R and Suzuki GSX-R 600 may not have been the machine of choice, but they were still formidable around the Mountain Course and will so again at the Classic TT, riders such as Nigel Davies and Mark Flynn having their moments thirty years ago.

The pre-injection rules mean the Ducati 748, that started to appear in the World Supersport Championship in 1997, won’t be eligible and instead the Junior 600 Classic TT race will be the sole domain of the Japanese manufacturers. It’s sure to be one of the most exciting races on the 2026 porgramme.