Anstey – quiet genius
Bruce Anstey ‘The Flying Kiwi’ avoids microphones and does his talking where it matters. He might just be the greatest road racer of his generation
Bruce Anstey enjoys an unequalled record in road racing over the past two decades. Alongside his 12
TT victories, 10 North West 200 wins and 13 Ulster Grand Prix successes, the Flying Kiwi, enjoyed an unbroken run of podium finishes at all three of those international events between the TT in 2000 until the Ulster Grand Prix in 2015.
It is a remarkable record, not even bettered by the great Joey Dunlop.
“When Bruce felt good he’d be unstoppable and would blow us all away but there were probably as many races where he didn’t feel good and either pulled in or was at the bottom of the top ten,” says rival Steve Plater. “In one race you’d never see him, and in the next all you’d see was his exhaust. He wasn’t just fast either, he was record-breaking fast, and I knew he could beat me anywhere on any bike, which I didn’t feel was the case with other riders. He’s a very special rider.”
Anstey may not have won as many TTs as Joey Dunlop (26) and John McGuinness (23), or claimed as many North West 200 victories as Alastair Seeley (24), but only Dunlop can match his track record across all three domestic international events.
John McGuinness has enjoyed greater success than Anstey around the Mountain Course in both his number of race wins and rostrum finishes, but the Morecambe rider’s record cannot match the Kiwi’s at either the NW200 or the Ulster GP. Alastair Seeley’s tally of 24 North West 200 wins make him the North West 200’s most successful racer but the seaside event is the only between the hedges meeting the Ulsterman contests.
Among Anstey’s younger rivals, Michael Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson have been the outstanding competitors of the past 15 years. Dunlop has notched up 19 TT victories compared to Hutchy’s 16 ,but once again their consistency across all three of the major road events is patchier than Anstey’s.
Dunlop has won six times around Dundrod and five times on the North West’s 8.9 mile Triangle while his Yorkshire rival has nine Ulster GP wins and three North West successes. Neither record can stand comparison with Anstey’s victory and rostrum tallies.
Michael Rutter has enjoyed unparalleled success between the Armco barriers of Macau, taking nine victories at a meeting where Anstey’s best result has been a runner-up fin
