BACK IN BUSINESS: HILLIER TO RACE 1000CC TT WITH MUC-OFF RACING
James Hillier will contest the 1000cc races at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races as originally planned, after securing last-minute deals and machinery. An eleventh-hour partnership will see Hillier now ride under the Muc-Off Racing banner.
WTF and OMG Racing boss Alan Gardner - for whom Hillier was due to ride for - is still supplying James with 2 x 2024 model Honda Fireblades for the Superbike and Superstock classes with the 40-year-old subsequently enlisting the services of three of his original team members for the TT fortnight.
2024 was Hillier’s first time on Honda machinery, but as expected, he again achieved top-class results with fourth taken in the Milwaukee Senior race, whilst a brace of fifths was taken in the RST Superbike and RL360 Superstock races.
This bold move sees Hillier - one of the most consistent and respected riders in road racing - sporting the iconic Muc-Off pink and black across his helmet, leathers, and bikes.
Commenting on the news, Hillier said:
“Given the situation I found myself in a few weeks ago, it’s worked pretty well,” said Hillier. “I struggled to believe it when I received the news from Alan, and it took a while for it all to sink in. Missing the TT was not an option so I soon got to work assessing all options just to see what competitive options I had.”
“Alan and Paul (Curran) from WTF have been very supportive and once I knew the Hondas would be made available, I started filling in the gaps, such as funding, logistics, team members, and the like. The bike and the mechanics are the key components so having my crew chief Alan and mechanics Dale and Jon on board is a huge asset.
“It’s been difficult trying to piece it all together but Muc-Off stepping in has saved the day to be honest, it’s really taken the pressure off, I can now focus on the riding. The bike and set-up is going to look awesome and I can’t wait to get riding.”
Alex Trimnell, CEO of Muc-Off, believes TT 2025 will mark a major moment for the brand and a powerful statement of commitment to grassroots racing, technical performance, and the riders who make it all happen:
“When we heard James was left without a team for this year’s TT, we knew we had to step in. We’ve supported him for over a decade and he’s part of the Muc-Off family. So, on top of keeping his rig running at full tilt with our full motorcycle range, we’ve gone all in with title sponsorship for his team – helmet, suit, bike, the lot. It’s our first time running a fully branded Muc-Off race entry at the Isle of Man TT Races, and we couldn’t be more stoked to be doing it with James as pilot.”
With bikes prepped, crew locked in, and the Muc-Off name flying high, the comeback story is ready to be written.
