Rider of the Month: November - Guy Martin

Our second to last 'Rider of the Month' for 2021 goes to none other than the fantastic Guy Martin. Born in Grimsby, of course, on November 4^th, 1981, Guy is an icon, not only to the biking world but to many industries!

Growing Up for Guy

If the Martin family had their own emblem, it would consist of spanners, engines, and motorbikes. Growing up, Guy’s dad Ian was a keen motorcycle racer who often took part in the Isle of Man TT. It wasn’t even a question for Ian as to whether he was going to raise his kids to be into bikes, or at least he would try… and it worked!

Pretty much all his offspring would go on to tinker in the mechanic’s field. His son Stuart would follow the same path as his other brother Guy, being a truck mechanic and a bike racer! Their little sister Kate was a keen bike mechanic before tying the knot to her husband Paddy.

Guy Martin’s Pub

Guy also has another sister, Sally. I felt like this part needed a whole section of its own! At the back end of 2016, Sally and Guy decided to buy out their local boozer. They both share fond memories of this pub and decided to transform it into the ‘talk of the town’… and so they did! Many flock to Kirmington near Grimsby to see the rare memorabilia in the pub.

Today, the Marrowbone & Cleaver is run by Sally herself, along with the help of her team. It’s a bit of an odd name, isn’t it? Don’t worry I did some research on the official website. It was first opened by a butcher back in 1871, and the name stems from there!

Martin and his Trucks

It’s no secret that Guy loves his trucks; in fact, he often mentions them in interviews. He started playing around with the mechanics at the young age of 12. Following an unsuccessful start to college (he wanted to get paid), Guy signed himself up for an apprenticeship at Volvo. On the side, he would help with his dad’s business too.

Guy hasn’t actually worked for that many different businesses. Shortly after leaving Volvo, he would move to his current employer, Moody International.

Guy’s Introduction to Racing

Family trips would often mean the kids and their mum, Rita would visit the Isle of Man to watch their dad in the TT. This continued for 7 years of Guy’s life until an injury forced Ian to focus on his lorry-mechanic career and give up racing for good. At a young age, Guy and his siblings would ride bikes off-road.

Whilst Guy was studying his mechanic's apprenticeship, he decided to take his biking hobby to the next step and switch to the road. At the age of 18 Guy started racing in 1998 and enrolled himself onto his first race. Although, it’s safe to say he made a name for himself from the start; as he crashed into 3 other racers! Luckily nobody was injured and it didn’t put him off.

For many years he continued to compete and tune his own bikes. In 2010 he joined TAS racing. Here he was able to race professionally and his racing career pretty much took off!

The Famous Mr. Martin!

Guy’s TV career would actually start just before his professional racing career. So, in 2010 when he joined TAS racing, everyone pretty much knew who he was! It was the TT of 2009 that brought the spotlight to Martin. In an interview with Andy Spellman from the BBC, the public loved him and wanted to see more. Some of his own shows he’s starred in are:

• The Boat That Guy Built
• How Britain Worked
• Guy Martin’s Spitfire
• Our Guy in China (and various other countries)
• Speed
• Building Britain
• And many, many more…

Guy has also written a few books, we featured one in our 10 Must-Read Books for Bikers!

What is Guy Martin up to now?

Guy retired from racing in 2017. He still tinkers about with trucks and bikes, of course. On his socials, you can find him working with Morris Lubricants, to whom he is an ambassador. He enjoys spending his off days with his long time partner, Sharon, and their little girl, Dottie.