CycleOnline.com.au caught up with Shawn Giles and Jeremy McWilliams, the two winners of last weekend’s International Island Classic at Phillip Island.

Find out what it means to them to win the largest historic motorcycle race event and the third largest motorcycling event on the Australian calendar, behind the MotoGP and World Superbikes.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Shawn, first of all well done on winning the overall again.

Thanks very much. This is just fantastic.

How did the weekend go for you in general?

The start of the weekend I was struggling a bit, because we had two wet sessions and I didn’t go out and went into qualifying a bit behind. So I really had to try hard to get close to the front.

Not only for yourself was it a great weekend, but your new teammate Brendan Roberts was third and Steve Martin was also up there.

Yeah, full credit to the TBR/D&D/Springwood Suzuki team. They have built awesome bikes for many years now. To have three bikes up there just shows how good the team is. Brendan rode unreal for his first ever time at the Island Classic, it’s no easy task at all.

As I said, full credit to the team, they have all worked hard, there all a bunch of mates and that is what it makes it so good to race for the team.

So just how good is it to race at the Island Classic?

It’s great! The whole event from the crowd to the racing is simply amazing. Without having the Poms here, Americans and the Kiwis we would not have such an awesome race meeting – this event feels likes a World Superbike Championship…

Image: Russell Colvin.

It must mean a lot to win the Ken Wootton Perpetual Trophy again.

I take my hat off to Ken. When I retired from Australian Superbikes he told me that I had to come and race the Island Classic and now I’m hooked forever! I wish Ken was here to see it, it means a lot to me that’s for sure.

Jeremy, what a weekend it has been for you. Once again, what does it feel like to win this year?

There is just so many emotions. Nobody knew which way it was going to go. We all come here for our own reasons and to come back for such a prestigious event and pick up the Ken Wootton memorial trophy again is very special.

Shawn beat me last year by one point and I beat him the year before by one point and this year we tied. You could not have written the script. I’m seriously blown away with just how big this event is! I’m really looking forward to next year that’s for sure, I just can’t wait.