Our cemetery needs you, Brit star told

A group of Wanganui motorcycle racing fans had the thrill of the lifetime this month when they not only attended the sport's most famous race, but hung out with its most colourful character.

And they gave him a memento of Wanganui's own legendary motorcycle event to drum up his passion to return here.

Dean Kensington and his wife, Dawn Potaka, were joined by the Eades Carrie and Tony for a visit to the 2013 Isle of Man TT.

Learning from a one-day trip to the famous event when they were on a tour of Great Britain in 2005, Kensington said they had to book their trip and accommodation over a year in advance to watch the whole thing.

The 2013 edition on the 60.72km course provided plenty of excitment, as the Senior TT race was won by John McGuinness raising his tally to 20 Isle of Man TT wins while also breaking the outright course record in the Superbike TT with a lap at an average speed of 211.90km/h.

Irishman Michael Dunlop dominated by winning the Superbike TT, Supersport TT races 1 and 2, the Superstock TT and the Joey Dunlop TT Championships, with McGuinness second and New Zealander Bruce Anstey in third.

But the personal highlight had to be the Wanganui couples' attempt to track down TT bad boy and television celebrity Guy Martin, eventually getting invited into the English rider's team trailer.

"We were standing outside watching in the morning. This old gentleman in a Tyco Suzuki T-shirt was standing outside the pit area," said Kensington.

Potaka told the man they loved Martin and had come all the way from New Zealand to give him a Wanganui Cemetery Circuit T-shirt.

"She piled it on, but what we didn't know, she was talking to the team owner," Kensington said and laughed.

An hour later, the group was taken to meet Martin, who eagerly accepted the gift, having raced in Wanganui back in 2005, while telling them he wanted to return.

"He said 'you find me a ride and I'll come'," said Kensington.

While Martin has never won at the Isle of Man TT, his amiable attitude and carefree nature have made him a cult-favourite of racing fans, with his public profile lifted as a result of television presenting roles for the BBC and Channel 4.

One criticism levelled at Martin within the racing fraternity has been that his easy-going demeanour prevents him from being more successful on the track.

However, Kensington said he shouldn't change this was one public figure who lived up to expectations in real life.

"Exactly the same, the way he is on TV," Kensington said.

"The accent, the way he's excited about everything.

"Guy's certainly the character. It's his character that brings out why the people like him so much."