Today saw history made, not just by the riders on the track, but by the Clerk of the Course, Gary Thompson. His brave judgement call to bring racing forward by one day (and have no fallback position) was justified 100%; with the racing being run on dry roads and in mostly sunny conditions. The only problem for the riders was a stiffening wind that first hit them on Bray Hill; its direction meant that places such as May Hill were problematic, when normally they are not.

The second Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight Races over 3 laps began proceedings. These involved a mandatory pit stop; whether it was needed or not. In the Lightweight Race it was very much a case of déjà vu; the same podium party in the same order; with just slightly different margins. The race followed the pattern of yesterday evening’s first race. Francesco Curinga had the honour of being first away on his Paton and it was he who took the early initiative. He led by 2s at Glen Helen from yesterday’s winner James Hind, a stellar talent who looks even younger than his 19 years; but has a mature racing brain. Dave Butler; third yesterday, was third at Glen Helen, 3s down on Hind; newcomer Andrea Majola, (Paton) was fourth. The gaps between the top three were 1.6s and 2.6s at Ballaugh; where Majola had been pushed down to fifth by Michael Rees.

At the commentary point at Ramsey hairpin a small crowd had gathered to watch the action unfold. This may be a slow corner but it has its share of excitement with late braking causing some to overshoot and scramble around on the marbles just off the road proper. The leading trio reached the corner in their starting order; the Paton sounding wonderful as it accelerated away towards Waterworks. The timing showed that Hind led by 5s from Curinga; with Butler 2s further behind. Rees, Majola and Vicars held the lower leader board places.

An opening lap at 115.040mph gave Hind a lead of 3.55s as he passed the Grandstand on the screaming two stroke machine. Butler was 11.75s down on Curinga; but a healthy 33s ahead of Majola. Rees was1s further back and in turn had a 20s advantage over Vicars. Curinga was fastest to Glen Helen, where the lead for Hind was 2s. The race followed the familiar pattern of Hind blitzing the section to Ballaugh; as he reached the village his lead was out to 8s. The pace was very hot under the early afternoon sunshine; Hind’s lap was at 116.190mph. This gave him a lead of 13.48s as he came in for his fuel stop. His stop was slower than that of his main rivals meaning that he left pit lane with a reduced lead of 4.6s. Once again, Curinga was fastest to Glen Helen; where the lead was reduced to just 0.2s. Then came the familiar riposte; Hind led by over 6s at Ballaugh and gradually increased that advantage as the lap progressed. He came home to win by 11.752s from Curinga; with Butler 66.82s further behind in third place.

MGP Supporters Club Lightweight Race 2

1. James Hind                Yamaha                                             114.330mph
2. Francesco Curinga      Bemar Paton                                      113.954mph
3. Dave Butler               AG Fabrication Kawasaki                      111.864mph
4. Andrea Majola           Paton                                                 110.149mph
5. Michael Rees             GT Superbikes Kawasaki                      109.026mph
6. Brad Vicars                VRS Kawasaki                                    108.327mph

The concurrent Ultra Lightweight race did give us a different finishing order and another first time winner, in the shape of Tom Snow; last night’s runner-up. At Glen Helen on the first lap the leader was Rad Hughes; who had led for part of the first race; until a broken foot peg ruined his chances. He led by 5s from Snow; with Sarah Boyes holding third; last night’s winner Lancelot Unissart held fourth; with Alex Sinclair fifth.

Snow began to nibble at the lead and at the final check point before the Grandstand he had erased it. His first lap at 104.655mph gave him a slender 0.7s advantage from Hughes (104.599mph) as he raced past the Grandstand on the little Honda. Unissart was third, 10s down on Hughes. Sinclair, Lloyd Collins and Arnie Shelton completed the leader board. Snow went away unaware of his position as he shuns pit boards; preferring to race at his own pace. He gradually built his lead as the lap progressed and with the aid of the best lap of the race at 105.020mph he came in for his mandatory pit stop with a lead of 12.475s from Hughes.

He did not add fuel during the stop; simply put down his foot and proceeded. This gained him time over all of his rivals; most of whom had to take on board a little extra go juice. Unissart offended the pit lane thought police and received a 30s penalty for being too rapid in the speed restricted area. This dropped him out of the top 3 briefly; but by Glen Helen he had clawed his way back.

Snow was untroubled and came home to win by 44.2s; after a final lap at 103.400mph. Snow seemed quite bemused to have won; having had no idea of his position until guided into the Winners’   Enclosure; naturally he was delighted to have achieved his ambition. Hughes was happy to be second after the misfortune of yesterday. Unissart was content to have secured third after his misdemeanour in the pits; he knew he had done it and set the fastest final lap as he hunted down the podium finish.

MGP Supporters Club Ultra Lightweight Race 2

1. Tom Snow                       Falcon Honda                                     104.354mph
2. Radley Hughes                RAF Kawasaki                                    103.185mph
3. Lancelot Unissart             Pullen Honda                                     103.116mph
4. Alex Sinclair                    CSC Yamaha                                      103.022mph
5. Lloyd Collins                   Hack Kawasaki                                   101.918mph
6. Sebastian Witt                Kramer                                              101.442mph

Manxman Nathan Harrison snatched a wonderful victory from the jaws of defeat with a superb final lap effort in the Mylchreests Junior MGP. He appeared to have lost his chance of victory when his over exuberance in leaving pit lane cost him a 30s penalty for exceeding the speed limit of 60kph. He realised what he done immediately and had it confirmed by a signal board out on the circuit.

The race was reduced to 3 laps because of the hours wasted waiting for the mist and drizzle affecting parts of the course to clear. When it did clear conditions were excellent; the only problem being some dampness in the Ginger Hall and Kerrowmoar area; (when will the overhanging trees be lopped and the undergrowth be cleared?). The greenness of the track in this section has been mentioned in interviews by several riders; it can be like soap when damp.

Steven Procter had the number 1 plate and was first to plunge down Bray Hill; no doubt hoping for another podium finish. Pre-meeting race favourite Steven Parsons was next away on his Kawasaki. Double Lightweight winner Andrew Farrell was next; then it was the turn of 19 years old sensation James Hind; moved up to number 4 due to his unofficial record breaking in practice. The unfortunate Royce Rowe was a non-starter; so next away was local hope Harrison, moved up to 6 due to his practice pace. We all hoped that the race would be as hot as the weather in Ramsey; we were not to be disappointed.

Hind reached Glen Helen on lap record pace; he led Harrison by 2.5s; Farrell was third 3s down on Harrison. Stephen Smith was fourth; 2.5s down on Farrell and 0.5s ahead of Parsons. Hind seems to like the run to Ballaugh; he had added 4.5 to his lead when he reached the village. Parsons was 3.9s down on Harrison; Farrell was fourth 0.9s down on Parsons; fifth was Smith 0.1s down on Farrell; Brad Vicars was sixth, 2s further behind. Procter and Parsons were together on the road as they reached Ramsey and provided a fine sight for the crowd gathered to watch the drama unfold. Hind was next; he was flying and had taken the 10s starting interval and more out of Farrell; an experienced rider who is mightily impressed by the youngster. Harrison was next and he scraped the fairing as he swept through the right hand entrance to the town square. The action provided a fine spectacle in the afternoon sunshine.

Hind was continuing to edge away from Harrison; his lead was 8.5s at Ramsey and 10s at the Bungalow. A stunning first lap at 121.773mph; smashing the lap record; gave him a lead of 11.359s as he charged away towards Bray hill for the second time. Harrison lapped at 120.556mph to be 8.56s ahead of Smith (119.647mph). Farrell (119.575mph), Parsons (119.126mph) and Andrew Fisher (118.493mph) completed the leader board.

Then for Hind it was a case of déjà vu; having set an unofficial lap record in yesterday’s practice he was forced to park his machine due to mechanical issues that required an engine change. Today the record was official, but he suffered the same fate; having to retire at Greeba Bridge. This meant that Harrison was the race leader at Glen Helen, he was 8.3s ahead of Smith; with Farrell third, 4s down on Smith. Parsons, Brad vicars and Fisher completed the leader board. At Ballaugh, Smith had clawed 0.9s back from Harrison; they had doubled their gap over Farrell; who had Parsons breathing down his neck. The lead was 6.5s at Ramsey; but Harrison was quickest up the mountain; his lead was 7.2s at the Bungalow.

Harrison’s lap at 120.818mph gave him a 7.87s lead as he entered the pits to top up the tank. Smith was marginally faster at 120.892mph and was now 17.9s ahead of Farrell (119.064mph). Parsons, Vicars and Fisher completed the leader board. Newcomers Race winner Pierre-Yves Bian was impressive; holding 13^th place having lapped at 116.241mph. Harrison’s pit crew was masterly in its execution, having him back in motion 10s faster than his main rival. Then came the 30s penalty for being 4kph over the pit lane speed limit. This seemed disastrous initially; but coldly analyzed he lost 30s; had 7.8s in hand when came in; gained 10s from the rapid stop; leaving a net deficit of 12.2s as he hammered out of the pits. Victory was a tall order but no longer seemed impossible.

At Glen Helen, the task seemed much more possible; Smith led by 4.7s from Harrison, who had Farrell just 1.5s behind him. As he swept through Ramsey for the final time, Harrison had cut his deficit to Smith to just 2.7s and had opened his advantage over Farrell to 6s. Harrison proved the master of the mountain; he led by 0.3s at the Bungalow; then blitzed the descent to grab the winner’s laurels by 3.886s. His last lap was the best and would have been over 120mph but for the penalty. Farrell took third just 4.7s down on Smith; both were delighted to be on the podium. Smith had no signal boards so rode blind; unaware that he had been leading at one stage. For Farrell, this podium would seem to be his last; the leathers are apparently going to be hung up. Parson finished fourth; Fisher fifth; Procter sixth and Vicars seventh. Just 2.584s covered fifth to seventh. Newcomer Pierre-Yves Bian finished in an excellent 12^th at an average of 113.779mph; a super effort.

Mylchreests Junior Manx Grand Prix

1. Nathan Harrison           Quayside Honda                         118.729mph
2. Stephen Smith             Slipps Suzuki                             118.595mph
3. Andrew Farrell              JFR Steadplan Kawasaki             118.432mph
4. Stephen Parsons           People’s Bike Kawasaki              118.005mph
5. Andrew Fisher              Fisher Yamaha                           117.735mph
6. Steven Procter             Stagefreight Yamaha                  117.730mph

After a 30 minutes delay; due to someone leaving their car on the track; the Newcomers MGP burst into life. The honour of starting proceedings went to Pierre-Yves Bian; who had dominated practice for the A Class. The riders were started strictly in accordance with practice performance meaning that the classes were intermingled on the track. The practice form book was being adhered to at Glen Helen; Bian led Class A from Sam Mousley by 6s; with Alan Brooks 2s further back in third. In Class B the dominant Andrea Majola had already opened a 15s advantage over Mark Kirkby. In Class C Andrew Jackson had a 6s gap over Adrian Skaife.

The positions were unchanged at Ballaugh; but Brooks had closed to within 0.5s of Mousley. At Ramsey, Bian led by 12s from Brooks; with Mousley third, 2.8s in deficit. Majola so dominant in practice and leading by 31s at Ramsey came past us at Tower Bends on a very sick machine that expired just up the road at the Gooseneck. This left Kirkby with a huge lead over Robert Cairns; who in turn had a comfortable advantage over David Stiff. These positions were unchanged for the remainder of the race. In Class C, Jackson led by 14s from Skaife at Ramsey; with Pete Gibson in third. As with Class B these were to be the finishing positions. Each race had only four finishers and their future inclusion in the programme must be in doubt.

After scorching around the track at 116.161mph; Bian led by 23.73s from Brooks (113.846mph) who was in turn 2.23s ahead of Mousley (113.634mph). Michael Mace, Lewis Bramwell and David Brook filled the lower leader board places. At Glen Helen on lap 2 Bian led by 31s from Mousley with Brooks 3s down on him in third. At Ramsey, the lead was up to 38s; with Mousley and Brooks 4s apart. A lap at 115.390mph gave Bian a lead of 38.4s as he came in to the pits for fuel. His pit stop was slow and ate up 8s of his advantage; but surely 30s was a big enough cushion.

At Glen Helen, Bian had upped his advantage to 33s; normal service restored. Mousley had an 11s advantage over Mace who had eased past Brooks. At Ballaugh, Bian led by 35.3s; but at Ramsey the lead was back to 33s; Mousley was 11s ahead of Mace; Brooks was fourth 15s down on Mace. At the Grandstand; Bian led by 35.64s as he began the fourth and final lap of the world’s most challenging circuit. The lead was 35s at Glen Helen; 32s at Ballaugh and down to 26s at Ramsey. Bian’s machine sounded fine as he went through Tower Bends; perhaps he was simply riding conservatively to save the machine. At the Bungalow, his lead was 20.5s and despite Mousley setting the fastest lap of the race at 116.187mph Bian held on to win by 16.57s. He is the first French rider to win on the island since Bruno Leroy won the 1998 Junior Classic MGP on an Aermacchi (it was not the Classic TT at that time). Mace suffered a mechanical problem that dropped him to fourth at the finish.

There were a couple of minor incidents; Danila Krasniuk crashed out at Sulby, he was okay; Liam Chawke crashed at Kerrowmoar and was taken to hospital with a hand injury.

Newcomers Manx Grand Prix

Class A

1. Pierre-Yves Bian        Martimotos Yamaha                       113.784mph
2. Samuel Mousley        Uni . of Wales Yamaha                   113.390mph
3. Alun Brooks Brooks   Boyz Honda                                  111.806mph

Class B

1. Mark Kirkby              Emerson Kawasaki                          103.278mph
2. Robert Cairns            L R Kawasaki                                   96.521mph
3. David Stiff                Motul Suzuki                                    94.359mph

Class C

1. Andrew Jackson       Falcon Honda                                   100.667mph
2. Adrian Skaife           Jacksons Honda                                 99.028mph
3. Pete Gibson             Honda                                              98.610mph

The story of the Classic Lightweight TT was always going to be about Bruce Anstey. His brave fight to overcome cancer again is inspiring. His return to the Mountain Course will become legendary; this race was one of those events that will never be forgotten by those fortunate enough to have been trackside to witness it. Everyone loves Bruce and everyone wanted him to win; but the Mountain Course does yield wins easily; they have to be won the hard way.

In perfect conditions Bruce’s Millenco Padgett’s teammate Davey Todd had the honour of starting proceedings. Davey is a novice on two stroke machines so seemed unlikely to take the laurels. At Glen Helen on lap 1, the practice form book was being adhered to; Anstey had a lead of 5s from 19 years old James (Jim) Hind on his DTR prepared Yamaha. Todd was just 0.5s behind in third; Dan Sayle on the comeback trail from last year’s accident held 4^th. Ian Lougher and Rhys Hardisty completed the early leader board. At Ballaugh, Anstey had taken another 1.9s from Todd; who was now 2s ahead of Todd. Anstey’s lead was 11.5s as the bikes howled through Ramsey for the first time; with Hind 2.5 ahead of Todd on our watch. At the Bungalow, Anstey had increased his advantage to 16s.

A lap at 117.053mph gave Anstey a lead of 17.6s as the riders came into the pits to top up the tanks for the final two laps. He had a rapid pit stop that gave him a 33s advantage as he left pit lane. For Hind the stop was a disaster; first the filler cap would not go back in and then, in his haste to rejoin the fray, he exceeded the pit lane limit and was hit with a 30s penalty. To my simple mind this penalty is far too high for a minor infringement; riders have had much less for ignoring waved yellow flags; now that is a serious infringement.

The full effect of the stops was shown at Glen Helen where Anstey led from Todd by 41.7s. Ian Lougher, a past 250cc TT winner and lap record holder was 3^rd, 8s down on Todd. Jamie Coward, Mark Herbertson and Dan Sayle completed the leader board. Hind was 7^th and on a mission. Anstey edged further ahead and led by 51.2s as they accelerated away from Ramsey for the second time. Hind in 7^th place was flying; head down and front wheel up as he flashed by us; he was now just 2s down on Sayle. At the Bungalow, he had taken 6^th place and was closing on Herbertson rapidly.

Starting the final lap, Anstey led by 57.4s and could now start to short shift to save the motor. The lead was 59s at Glen Helen; where Hind was up to 4^th, 6.7s down on Lougher. There were huge cheers in Ramsey as Bruce came into view; surely the greatest sporting comeback since Nikki Lauda’s would get its just reward. Hind continued to be the fastest man on track; he had cut Lougher’s advantage over him to just 3.4s. Everyone listened intently to the commentary; Bruce reached the Bungalow safely with a lead of 61s. Behind him, Hind had moved into a podium place 1s ahead of Lougher. Huge relief was evident when Bruce reached Cronk ny Mona; little over a mile to go; surely it was his race. Then; after what seemed an age; he came into the view of the crowd on the Grandstand and to massive cheers he crossed the line to win; simply amazing; sometimes the really good guys get their just rewards. Todd duly took second and Hind took third after a final lap of 116.601mph; this young man is a star in the making. Lougher, Coward and Hardisty filled the lower leader board places.

In the winners’ enclosure after the race, an emotional Anstey paid tribute to the Padgetts team: “It’s awesome to win. I can’t believe it. Everyone – the team, Clive (Padgett), my family have just been awesome. I was right in the zone but on the last lap I was really nervous and just short shifted – I was not trying to go fast – just get it to the end. The last two years have been really tough. If it wasn’t for Anny (his partner) I wouldn’t be here.”

This may not have been a great race in itself; but it was the most emotional since Mike Hailwood’s comeback victory in 1978 and a real privilege to witness. Thank you for the memory Bruce.

Dunlop Lightweight Classic

1. Bruce Anstey              Milencco Padgett’s Honda                115.515mph
2. Davey Todd                Milenco Padgett’s Honda                  113.260mph
3. James Hind                Yamaha                                          112.961mph
4. Ian Lougher                Laylaw Yamaha                              112.636mph
5. Jamie Coward             Binch Yamaha                                112.119mph
6. Charles Rhys Hardisty  Kaymac Yamaha                            111.476mph

Popular Australian rider Davo Johnson took his first Mountain Course victory at the end of a dramatic RST Classic Superbike Race. It had seemed that Michael Dunlop was going to be the winner; but he was forced to retire at Hillberry; less than two miles from the finish. Johnson was delighted to win the race; keeping his head down and not waving to Australian fans gathered at Hillberry when he saw that Michael was out of the race. He thanked his team for their support and revealed that by making these bikes quick; they are hard to ride; for twisting the throttle you need to be a Hercules.

The race was held in perfect conditions and led away by last year’s runner-up Horst Saiger. Things did not go well for Horst; the bike was off the pace from the off and became an early retiree. At the first check point at Glen Helen, Michael Dunlop (1100 Suzuki) led by 1.6s from Davo Johnson on the Cowan racing 750 Kawasaki. Gary Johnson (1100 Suzuki) held third, Paul Jordan (750 Kawasaki), Conor Cummins (500 Yamaha) and Derek Sheils (750 Kawasaki) filled the leader board. This showed what an eclectic mix of machinery there was on track for the fans to enjoy.

At Ballaugh, Dunlop led by 2s from Davo Johnson; with Cummins 5s further behind in third. Sheils, Gary Johnson and Jamie Coward (750 Kawasaki) completed the top six. In the northern capital of Ramsey it was still tight at the top; Dunlop had just 2s in hand over Johnson. Cummins was third; 6s down on Johnson and just 0.6s ahead of Sheils; who is developing into a fine rider of the Mountain Course. James Hillier (888 Ducati) and Jamie Coward (750 Kawasaki) completed the top six.

The leaders matched each other over the mountain section; Dunlop having a lead of 1.931s as he began his second lap. He lapped at 124.868mph; whilst Johnson lapped at 124.647mph. Cummins was now 9.95s down on Johnson; but edging away from Sheils. Dunlop was fastest to Glen Helen; where he was the leader on the road. He had Michael Rutter; whom he had passed on the mountain climb; tucked in behind him and taking the tow; a tactic that had worked well for Rutter in the morning, behind Jamie Coward. Dunlop led by 3.8s from Johnson; with Cummins 9.7s down on Johnson; but now 3.9s up on Sheils. Dunlop was pulling the pin; at Ballaugh, his lead was 5.9s; with Johnson 8.4s ahead of Cummins. Sheils was fourth; whilst Rutter had hauled himself up to fifth.

At Ramsey Dunlop led 8s from Johnson; man on the move Rutter, was up to fourth 2s ahead of Sheils. At the Bungalow the lead 9.1s; Cummins held third but was just 1.3s ahead of Rutter. After a lap at 125.626mph, Dunlop came into his pit with a lead of 8.92 over Johnson (124.825mph). Rutter; with the best lap of the race at 125.628mph had displaced Cummins (124.321mph) from third place by 2.23s. Sheils held fifth and Coward sixth at the half way point. The pit stops made a big impact on positions. Hillier in seventh took just 51s to refuel and go. Johnson was also rapid at 55s; Dunlop’s stop took 65.5s but did include a rear wheel change; Rutter’s took 67s whilst Cummins was the big loser; the thirsty two stroke taking 77s to fill up. This was to ultimately cost the big man a podium finish.

Glen Helen lap 3 and Johnson led the race by 1.7s from Dunlop. Sheils was third 23s down on Dunlop; but only 0.5s ahead of Rutter. Coward and Hillier completed the leader board; Cummins having been relegated to seventh by his pit stop. At Ballaugh; Johnson’s lead was just 0.4s; behind him Rutter had taken third; but it was not to last; he retired 500m down the road at Gwen’s. 7 miles further on normal service had been resumed, Dunlop led by 3.7s; Johnson had 30s in hand over Sheils. Behind him; Coward, Cummins and Hillier were having a great battle and changing places at almost every turn. Dunlop was marginally faster than Johnson on both the mountain climb and descent. As he went over the line flat out to begin the final lap he led by 4.82s. Sheils remained in third; Hillier was fourth, Coward 5^th and Cummins sixth; just 10s covered the four of them.

Dunlop set a series of sector fastest times to edge away from Johnson; he led by 7s at Glen Helen; by 9.4s at Ballaugh and starting the mountain climb he led by 11.988s. James Hillier; now benefiting from a tow behind Johnson had moved up to third at Ballaugh. Coward was falling back and ultimately retired from the race at Cronk ny Mona.

At the Bungalow, Dunlop was 13s ahead and seemingly on course for victory; but it was not to be and Johnson swept past his stricken rival to grab victory. Behind them things became very interesting; Hillier was 3.6s ahead of Sheils at the Bungalow; it was 2.2s at Cronk ny Mona; just over a mile from the finish; but at the finish line Sheils had somehow turned that around to grab second place by 1.55s. He was naturally delighted to have taken his first podium finish on the course. Hillier was similarly delighted to be on the podium having thought that sixth would be a great result on the rather outgunned Ducati; his best lap an impressive 124.921mph. Cummins duly took fourth ahead of fellow local Ryan Kneen who rode a storming race. Michael Sweeney completed the leader board; after another fine ride to go with those he produced at the TT and Southern 100.

RST Superbike Classic TT

1. Davo Johnson          Cowan Kawasaki                              123.272mph
2. Derek Sheils            Greenall Kawasaki                           122.129mph
3. James Hillier            Oxford Ducati                                  122.086mph
4. Conor Cummins       Padgett’s Honda                              121.641mph
5. Ryan Kneen             Herheim Kawasaki                           119.600mph
6. Michael Sweeney      Mistral Kawasaki                              119.067mph

Saturday August 24th brought us warm sunshine; a slight breeze and dry roads. The schedule was packed and began with practice for all classes except for the Senior Classic and Lightweight Classic machines scheduled to race today. The practice was very well attended; with the main talking point being Nathan Harrison’s lap in the Junior MGP at 120.674mph that put him top of the leader board. Stephen Parsons also lapped at over 120mph; this class is shaping up to give us some very close racing next week.

Once this was over we moved onto the first race of the day; the Bennett’s Senior Classic TT. John McGuinness led the field away; followed by Stefano Bonetti who was promoted to number 2 to replace the injured Dean Harrison. These two set a hot pace; McGuinness led 6s from Bonetti at Glen Helen with Jamie Coward third. The lead was 7s at Ballaugh; with Bonetti 14s ahead of Coward. McGuinness and Saiger had just passed our vantage at White Gates in Ramsey when the dreaded red flag appeared. It was announced shortly afterwards that it was due to an incident at Ballaugh.

The riders out on the course were eventually brought back to the Grandstand to prepare for a restart over 3 laps rather than the original 4 laps distance. The Lightweight was similarly to be reduced to 3 laps.  The second running saw McGuinness lead by 6s at Glen Helen from Bonetti; with Maria Costello, completing a Paton clean sweep, 6s behind Bonetti. Coward, Alan Oversby and Derek Sheils filled out the early leader board. McGuinness eased away from Bonetti; the lead was 9s at Ballaugh and 11s as they swept right and then left through our new position at Parliament Square. Costello was third; but just 1.5s ahead of Coward; who had a 9s advantage over Sheils. McGuinness completed the first lap at 111.679mph to lead by 17.28s from Bonetti (110.114mph); with Costello third 24.7s down on Bonetti. Coward was 0.978s behind Costello in 4^th; Alan Oversby was 5^th and Michael Rutter was 6th and none the worse from tipping off at Sarah’s in the earlier practice.

McGuinness had stretched his lead to 20s at Glen Helen; Bonetti was similarly pulling away from Costello who was now 28s further back. Coward was 2.9s down on Costello; but he had cut that to 0.6s at Ballaugh.

As the gorgeous sounding Patons charged through Ramsey to face the mountain climb for the second time, McGuinness led by 21s. Bonetti almost matched McGuinness on the mountain climb; behind him Coward had moved ahead of Costello. A lap at 111.590mph gave McGuinness a lead of 24.28s as he charged towards Bray Hill for the final time. Bonetti lapped at 110.952mph, Coward at 109.145mph and Costello at 108.302mph. Derek Sheils relinquished his 6^th place; albeit briefly; when he had to enter the pits for a fuel top up.

McGuinness was in total control and ran at Bonetti’s pace for the final lap to come home the victor by 27.8s from Bonetti; who secured his first Mountain Course podium finish. For Team Winfield it was their fourth straight victory in the race. Jamie Coward secured 3^rd; he was 13.1s ahead of Costello. Oversby and Sheils completed the final leader board.

Bennett’s Senior Classic TT

1. John McGuinness       Winfield Paton                  111.236mph
2. Stefano Bonetti         Speed Motor Paton           110.398mph
3. Jamie Coward           Craven Manx Norton         108.527mph
4. Maria Costello           Beugger Paton                 108.150mph
5. Alan Oversby            Ireland Honda                  107.368mph
6. Derek Sheils             Greenall Honda                105.833mph

The sad news that Chris Swallow lost his life in the accident at Ballaugh has been released officially by the Manx Motor Cycle Club their statement is posted below. Chris was one of the gentlemen of the paddock; always welcoming and also a very fine rider; he will be very much missed by all who had the honour of knowing him. The circumstances of the tragic accident will be investigated fully by the organisers and the police. We join the MMCC in offering our condolences to Chris’s family.

STATEMENT ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE MANX MOTOR CYCLE CLUB

The Manx Motor Cycle Club regrets to confirm that Chris Swallow, 37, from Wellington, New Zealand died today following an accident during the Classic TT Races on the Isle of Man. The incident occurred at Ballaugh Bridge during the Senior Classic TT Race.

Chris was an experienced competitor. He made his debut in the 2007 Manx Grand Prix and was a regular competitor in the Classic TT Races. He achieved two runner-up places in the 2012 Classic Manx Grand Prix – the 350cc and 500cc Races – and was fourth in last year’s Senior Classic TT Race.

The Manx Motor Cycle Club wishes to pass on their deepest sympathy to Chris’s family including his father Bill and his wife Jen and children.

An emotional Jamie Coward achieved a lifetime’s ambition when he took victory on the Mountain Course. Jamie had achieved 6 podium finishes; including 3 second place finishes; at the Classic TT, and second place at the TT; prior to today’s Classic Junior Race.

After a delay of 3.5 hours; spent waiting for low lying mist to clear from the western areas of the course; the race sprang into life in just about perfect conditions. It was lap record holder and winner of the race in 2014, Lee Johnston, who was fastest to Glen Helen on the opening lap; he led by 4.9s from Jamie Coward. Last year’s winner, Dominic Herbertson was third just 0.5s down on Coward. Michael Rutter, Hefyn Owen and Alan Oversby completed the leader board. Johnston edged further ahead at Ballaugh and as he left Ramsey to begin the mountain climb, he led by 6s from Coward; with Herbertson 8s further in arrears. Rutter, leader on the road was 4^th; Derek Sheils 5^th and Oversby 6^th.

Johnson was fastest on the sector to the Bungalow; where he led by 8.82s; Coward was now 12s ahead of Herbertson. As they crossed the line to begin lap 2 Johnston’s lap at 103.383mph gave him a 9.06s advantage over Coward. Herbertson was 10.6s further behind; but edging away from Rutter, Sheils and Owen.

At Glen Helen on lap 2, Johnston led by 9.8s; but at Ballaugh there was a change of momentum; Coward had reduced his deficit to 6.7s. Oversby did not make it to Ballaugh; he parked up at Sarah’s Cottage. Coward led on the road as the riders left Ramsey for the second time; with Rutter not far behind and trying to take a tow. The lead on corrected time for Johnston was 6s as they accelerated out of Parliament Square and on towards May Hill. Herbertson; Rutter, Sheils and Owen continued to occupy the leader boards places.

Less than one minute later the race was to end in disappointment for Johnston, when he was forced to retire from the fray at the Gooseneck. At the Bungalow, Coward had a commanding lead of 28s over Herbertson; Rutter held the final podium place 14.5s down on Herbertson. Sheils, Owen and Daniel Sayle completed the leader board.

After setting the fastest lap of the race at 104.053mph, Coward charged off towards Bray Hill for the final time with a lead of 27.7s. Herbertson was 14.7s ahead of Rutter. At Glen Helen on lap 3 Coward and Rutter were still quite close together. On the clock, Coward led by 34s; with Rutter having taken 5.5s out of Herbertson’s advantage. Rutter was sticking close to Coward and benefitting from the tow, by Ballaugh he had hauled another 4s back. At Ramsey he had cut another 2.7s out of Herbertson’s advantage.  At the Bungalow, Coward was 40s in the lead; but it was from Rutter, for whom Coward’s tow had given him a 1.5s advantage over Herbertson.

Herbertson aware of his position responded and was just 0.9s behind Rutter at Cronk ny Mona. Coward had no problems and to popular acclaim, secured his maiden win by 37.919s. With the aid of the fastest final lap of 103.941mph, Rutter took second place by just 0.35s from Herbertson; who was more than happy to be on the podium. Sheils, Owen and Sayle held station to complete the final leader board. First single cylinder machine to finish was the Ripley land AJS of Paul Jordan in 10^th place.

Locate.im Junior Classic TT

1. Jamie Coward Craven Honda                   435mph
2. Michael Rutter Ripley Land Honda           449mph
3. Dominic Herbertson Davies Honda                    440mph
4. Derek Sheils Greenall Honda                541mph
5. Hefyn Owen Owen Honda                     318mph
6. Daniel Sayle Chapman Honda              198mph

The Senior Race provided a fitting finale to the 2019 Manx Grand Prix meeting. The fact that the race went ahead proved that Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson was 100% correct in making the brave decision to bring racing forward by one day. The roads remained perfectly dry; but the riders had to contend with a strong wind. The race was essentially a re-run of the Junior Race; but with a gaggle of 750cc machines added to the mix. In recent years the newer 600cc machines have dominated.

Stephen Procter had the honour of being first to race away towards Bray Hill. Stephen Parsons was next; then Daniel Ingham on the first of the 750cc machines. As for the Junior Race, James Hind was moved forward to number 4 and Nathan Harrison to number 6. Hind gave repeat performance; he was fastest over the first sector to Glen Helen and led by 0.475s as he crossed the timing beam. Parsons was second and Harrison; who had said before the start that he was out for a tour around; held third place 1.5s down to Parsons. Brad Vicars, Darryl Tweed and Andrew Fisher completed the nascent leader board.

At Ballaugh Bridge, Hind did not arrive when expected; Parsons was the new race leader by 2.7s from Harrison; who was just 1s ahead of Vicars. Parsons had increased his advantage to 2.5s as he took the sweeping right hander that is Cruickshanks Corner; now much less bumpy than in previous years. Harrison had 3.5s in hand over Vicars; Tweed, Ingham and Fisher completed the top six as they started the mountain climb for the first time. Parsons added 1s to his lead on the mountain climb; whilst Harrison increased his advantage over Vicars by the same amount. A superb opening lap at 121.120mph gave Parsons a lead of 3.576s as he went past the Grandstand flat out to begin the second of the four laps. Harrison lapped at 120.735mph to be 8.18s ahead of vicars (119.863mph). Vicars, Tweed and Ingham filled the leader board places.

At Glen Helen on lap 2, Parsons had pushed his lead out to 5.5s and Harrison on turn was now 10s ahead of Tweed, who was just 0.1s ahead of Vicars. At Ballaugh, the lead was 6.9s and as they charged between the walls at Cruickshanks for the second time Parsons had increased it to 6.9s. Harrison was 11s ahead Vicars who had eased Tweed out of third by 1s. Ingham and Fisher continued to hold fifth and sixth. Harrison clawed back 0.56s on the climb to the Bungalow and a further 1s on the descent of the mountain. After a lap at 121.010mph, Parson led by 5.896s coming into the pits for the fuel stop. Harrison had lapped at 120.760mph and Tweed in third had lapped at 120.124mph. As in the Junior Race, Harrison’s pit crew were rapid; their slick routine out Nathan out with a deficit of just 0.096s; effectively this was now a dead heat and a two lap dash for supremacy.

They matched each other on the 9 miles to Glen Helen; where the lead for Procter was 0.059s. They had pulled well away from Vicars; who was 23s in arrears. He in turn had 8s in hand over Tweed who had Ingham breathing down his neck. The lead was identical at Ballaugh: then the momentum started to move in favour of the local star. As he reached Ramsey for the third time Harrison was ahead for the first time; by 0.425s and his sector times were purple; he was upping the ante. He was rapid on the mountain climb to the Bungalow, where his lead had increased to 3s. Parsons was 23s ahead of Vicars; who was now edging steadily away from Tweed.

Starting the final lap Harrison had an advantage of 6.41s over Parsons; significant but not decisive; there was still work to be done. His lead was 6.5s at Glen Helen; at Ballaugh it was 7.5s and as they passed us it had grown to 10.8s. It was hugely impressive watching the leading contenders hurtle between the walls around the rising right hand bend; the sector times indicating that Harrison was set lap at over 122mph; some going in what was now a gale force wind.

Crossing the Bungalow tram lines for the final time Harrison was 14s clear of Parsons and firmly on course to complete the Junior and Senior double. At the final timing point of Cronk ny Mona, less than 2 miles from the finish, his lead was 17s; game; set and match. His last lap was the best of the race at 122.094mph and it gave him victory by 17.836s from Parsons whose last lap was at 120.853mph. Vicars found his rhythm on the last lap raising his personal best to an impressive 121.193mph. Ingham and Procter both lapped at over the 120mph barrier on that rapid final lap. Best newcomer in the race was Sam Mousley in 19^th; his fastest lap was set at 116.013mph.

Harrison said that he switched to race mode when his crew was so rapid with the pit stop routine and put him out level with Parsons. Once in full race mode he was able to up his pace and eke out his winning margin. He was fulsome in his praise for his sponsors and helpers and also thanked the marshals, without whom none of us could enjoy the great spectacle that is road racing. Parsons was happy to secure another second place as his rear shocker was going soft in the latter stages. Brad Vicars; another who has made a remarkable recovery from serious injury, was delighted to have secured his podium place and to have lapped at over 121mph.

Senior Manx Grand Prix

1. Nathan Harrison Quayside Honda                               933mph
2. Stephen Parsons People’s Bike Kawasaki                 462mph
3. Brad Vicars VRS Honda                                          940mph
4. Darryl Tweed Tweed Racing Honda                      300mph
5. Daniel Ingham Strangford Suzuki                            248mph
6. Steven Procter Stagefreight  Yamaha                     608mph

That brought the curtain down on road racing for the year in the Isle of Man. A year marked by the worst TT and MGP weather in living memory; weather that must have driven Gary Thompson to the edge of insanity; how he steered us through it; he alone will know. We enjoyed some great racing in all of the meetings; some new stars emerged; whose skills we hope to admire for many years to come. Then there is the dark side of the sport; sadly we suffered the tragic loss of two fine young men; they will never be forgotten. We have the autumn and winter in which to recall and reflect upon, what has happened. No doubt when the evenings begin to lighten, we shall all be itching for the start of the next season; once it is in your blood, road racing never leaves you.