A visiting TT fan who photographed legendary racer Mike Hailwood during his triumphant 1978 comeback to the Isle of Man has been asked to provide pictures for a new biography.

The second edition of the book Mike the Bike Again gives the inside story of Hailwood’s island comeback, and is written by his friend and manager, the motorsport journalist Ted Macauley.

At the time of Mike’s remarkable achievement, Adrian Ashurst was a young self-taught, and enthusiastic photographer attending the TT Races. A few of Adrian’s photographs where used by Ted to help illustrate the book.

Some 40 years later, Adrian was asked by Ted to try and unearth some photographs of Mike that have never been published before. These were all taken on 35 mm film and before they were used in the new edition of the book they had to be digitised.

Adrian said: ’There was only one Mike Hailwood, who managed to beat the odds, as he returned to glory in 1978. I am proud to have my photographs used to help illustrate a fantastic true story which is well worth remembering at this time of the Classic TT.’

In June 1978, 20 years after his racing debut at the age of 18, Mike Hailwood returned to compete in the world-famous TT motorcycle races, where to the delight of his many fans, he won the Formula 1 TT event on his Ducati.

Last year Adrian met Mike’s widow Pauline at the Classic TT, to discuss the memories of Mike’s remarkable racing career.

Adrian was here earlier this year in June for the wettest TT for years and is back this week to photograph the current stars who maintain the legacy of road racing in the Isle of Man.