John Surtees on his 500cc Norton at Windy Corner during practice for his first TT in 1954. 

It was not John's first time at the TT; in 1953 he arrived with the offer of rides on works Nortons, plus a 125cc EMC -  a suspension failure and a broken wrist whilst practising on the EMC put paid to the adventure, and the works Norton ride!

In 1956 he took his first race win, the Senior, for MV Agusta. Altogether he notched up six TT wins between 1956 and 1960, all for the famous Italian brand. 

He was so dominant at the time that he became the first rider to score a hat-trick of Senior wins.

Of course, John's fame at the TT followed him when he changed disciplines, adding two more wheels, and going on to become World F1 Champion for Ferrari.

This, together with his four motorcycle world titles, make his the only man to have ever won the premier championships on two- and four-wheel machines.

John is a truly unique TT hero.

Peter Hearsey's beautiful painting captures the essence of the South Londoner's style, simple and neat, as he powers the big Norton through one of the fastest bends on the course.

Earlier in his career Surtees had been an apprentice at the Vincent works and gave a very good showing on their exclusive Grey Flash 500cc against Geoff Duke, the hero of the day. 

By the time of Peter's portrayal Vincent were on the wane and John selected a pair of Nortons for his first full TT campaign. The 350cc pictured took him to an eleventh place finish at an average speed of 85mph in the Junior race.