There’s no sporting event on earth that enables fans to get as close to the action and its stars as the Isle of Man TT. For Island resident, Chris Magill, it reached a whole new level this year, as he popped in for a pint with his idol John McGuinness during TT race week, courtesy of Bennetts Biking Dreams. 

Chris submitted his dream to have a couple of pints with McGuinness www.bennetts.co.uk/dreams and was astounded when he got the call to say he would be meeting the down-to-earth 20-time TT-race winner. The pair enjoyed a drink together in Sir Norman’s Bar at the Sefton Hotel on Douglas Promenade during a short break in the racing schedule. 

Chris said: “I’ve watched John racing on the Island for years and he is an absolute hero, but he also seems like a really great down-to-earth bloke that you could enjoy a pint with in the local. To actually do that this year was unbelievable. It was surreal to be watching him race around the roads I use every day and then just hours later sitting down in the pub for a pint with him. That really was the stuff of dreams!” 

John added: “The TT is a very special place and what makes it so unique is how close the fans are to the action. At the end of the day, we’re just normal people and it’s really important that we remember that a big part of our success is down to the fans. I was pleased to be asked by Bennetts to help out with this dream and I enjoyed a lemonade or two with Chris!” 

Bennetts was also able to bring together another dream meeting at the 2013 Isle of Man TT. Fifty years on from taking his first double win on the Island, Jim Redman MBE returned to the races – this time to make someone else’s dream come true. He accompanied his nephew, Mark, on his first visit to the TT after the younger Redman uploaded his dream t owww.bennetts.co.uk/dreams. 

Mark said he dreamed of seeing the Isle of Man TT races because his Uncle Jim won there six times in his racing career. 

So Bennetts arranged for Jim to act as Mark’s ultimate tour guide as they experienced the racing and VIP hospitality together. 

South Africa-based Jim understands the dream-like qualities of the Island more than most after securing double victories for Honda in the Lightweight and Junior TT races from 1963 to 1965. 

Mark said: “I’ve heard so many stories about how incredible he was as a racer, so to enjoy a trip to the TT together is…one of the best experiences of my life – truly unforgettable.” 

Bennetts Marketing Director, Hannah Squirrell, said: “As a bike insurance specialist it’s really important to be at the heart of the biking community and there is nowhere that enables us to do that better than the TT. To be able to help people meet their idols and make an otherwise ordinary experience extra special for them is amazing and one of the reasons that Bennetts Biking Dreams was initially created.”