Derek McGee Man of the Meeting at Armoy as Michael Dunlop secures seventh Race of Legends win

Whilst all eyes were on Michael Dunlop as he secured his seventh Race of Legends feature race win in a row, it was Derek McGee who came away from the weekend as Man of the Meeting.

The Mullingar man was awarded the accolade after accumulating the most points with a win in the first Supersport race, second in the second Supersport race and the Open, and fourth in the Grand Final.

Practice sessions were held on Friday with times counting for qualifying, with the first two races taking place on Friday evening. In the Senior Support race it was two Armoy newcomers battling for the win. Joe Loughlin – who has been in control of the Junior/Senior Support classes all year – ultimately lost out to Adam Lyon, with the Scottish rider coming from the second group to win on corrected time by just over three seconds. David Howard joined the pair on the podium.

The first Supersport race was red flagged twice and the result was eventually declared after just two racing laps. The first red flag was caused by a incident involving Adam McLean and Paul Jordan. Both riders were OK and returned to the paddock on the back of marshals bikes. When the race was restarted it was red flagged again when weather conditions took a turn for the worse. A heavy downpour coupled with Michael Dunlop’s bike blowing up and leaving oil on the track meant that racing was halted for the night. McGee was declared the winner with road racing newcomer Davey Todd finishing second and Christian Elkin third.

On Saturday changeable weather conditions greeted race organisers and riders but a full programme was run with limited disruption. First up was Junior Support run over seven laps and this race was won by Loughlin who beat Marc Ironside and Glenn Walker. Then came Moto 3/125 won by Elkin riding a Moto 3. McLean was second and the leading 125 rider while Paul Robinson completed the podium in third. Ian Lougher finished fourth just shy of a second ahead of Gary Dunlop in fifth.

The second Supersport race was won by M Dunlop but he didn’t have it all his own way. McGee initially took the lead as Dunlop came through from seventh on the grid. He progressed up the order, overtaking Elkin at the start of the second lap before slotting into second by passing McLean at the start of lap three. He then closed down McGee’s leading margin before overtaking him and eventually securing a three second victory. James Cowton was third ahead of Todd (from the second group), McLean and newcomer Joey Thompson.

There was a red flag incident following three laps of the Classic race and a slight delay as an oil spill was cleared up. Ed Manly was the eventual winner when the race was re-run over four laps. He was joined on the podium by Wattie Brown and Barry Davidson.

Race seven of the event was the Open race and this saw M Dunlop achieve his second win of the day. The race was declared wet following a downpour just before the start and riders were given a sighting lap with the view of returning to the paddock to change tyres should they decide to. McGee returned to the grid straight away and revealed that most of the track – apart from the start – was wet. There was another warm up lap before a six lap race and it was McGee – riding his Kawasaki 600 – who took the initial lead. He started to pull away but M Dunlop soon caught and passed him, eventually winning by just over 4.5 seconds. William Dunlop crossed the line in third after catching and passing Cowton, but it was Todd who took the podium with corrected time from the second group. Paul Jordan was fifth on the IMR Evolution Camping BMW ahead of Cowton, Thompson, Mark Goodings, Dominic Herbertson and Forest Dunn.

Another rain downpour brought a red flag out in the Lightweight Supersport race but it wasn’t delayed for long. Neil Kernohan was the eventual winner, beating Darryl Tweed (who was the first 400cc rider) and Callum Laidlaw. McGee took the win in the Supertwin class after an exciting battle with McLean. The latter had been holding onto second place until the last lap when he was passed by Cowton. Elkin finished in fourth ahead of Michael Sweeney, Brad Vicars and Paul Gartland.

The penultimate race of the meeting was the second Senior Support and this time Loughlin got the better of Lyon, who came from the second group. The pair were once again joined on the podium by Howard who beat Ironside, Tommy Henry, Stephen McKeown and Alan Johnston.

Following a sighting lap and then a warm-up, the Grand Final – the Race of Legends – was run over seven laps. M Dunlop was in a class of his own on his Hawk Racing Suzuki, as he romped to a 12 second win over his brother William. Sweeney finished the race in third place, mere tenths of a second off second. McGee was fourth ahead of Cowton, Thompson, Todd and Jordan. Davy Morgan led the second group riders to finish in ninth, beating Goodings, Herbertson, Graham Kennedy, Vicars, Dunn and Laidlaw.

While McGee secured Man of the Meeting, Loughlin was named Support Man of the Meeting.

 

Joe Loughlin wins five at Walderstown

Joe Loughlin took five wins at the Race of the South in Walderstown, making him the most successful rider at the weekend.

He won both the non championship and championship races in the Junior and Senior Support classes as well as taking victory in the Supertwins race. Other winners at the event included Adam McLean, Derek McGee and Derek Sheils.

Loughlin beat RJ Woolsey and Ben Mullane in the non championship Junior Support race. He set a new track record for the class on his way to a comfortable 27 second victory.  Backing this up, he went on to win the championship race by just over 20 seconds – again from Woolsey. This time Liam Chawke joined them on the podium. It was a closer fought affair in Senior Support, Loughlin’s winning margin just eight seconds in the non championship race. David and Damien Howard joined him on the podium. It was four out of four for Loughlin in the support classes with a nine second victory over Damien Howard in the championship leg of the race. David Howard was third.

Elsewhere, McLean backed up his impressive recent form with another win in the Supersport class. He took his first 600cc victory at Cookstown in April and once again he beat William Dunlop on his way to the chequered flag. It was a narrow margin as he crossed the line just four tenths clear with Paul Jordan a fine third just a further three tenths back. Jordan also set the fastest lap of the race. Michael Sweeney was fourth ahead of road racing newcomer Davey Todd.

Also standing on the top step of the podium was McGee who held off Dunlop to take the victory in the Open race. Sweeney took third place ahead of Sheils and Jordan. Sheils started from pole position for the Grand Final and took the win, setting the fastest lap on the way. McGee was second and Dunlop was third. In the Supertwins the top five were separated by just over three seconds with Loughlin taking the win. McLean finished in second place ahead of Sheils, McGee and Sweeney.

The Classics were also in action with a Junior and Senior race. Barry Davidson beat Richard Ford in the Junior Classic race with Sean Leonard joining them on the podium. Robert McCrum took the victory in the Senior Classic race while Ford was second and Davidson third. Paul Gartland won the 400cc race beating Mark Shiels, Steve Tobin, Aaron Boyd and Gerard Cummins.

Cowton and Coward win at Post TT races

James Cowton and Jamie Coward shared the spoils at the Post TT races at Billown.

First up was the CuPlas Callow 600cc race which was won by Cowton. He set a new lap record for the class – 2:20.775 – on his way to a seven tenths victory over Coward. Robert Wilson completed the podium finishers in third place.

2017 TT Newcomer Joey Thompson took fourth place beating Glenn Harrison, Brendan Fargher, Richard Charlton and Dean Osborne. Anthony Redmond and Jamie Williams rounded out the top ten finishers.

• Post TT 600cc results

Cowton then doubled up with a win in the 250/650cc race. It was a more significant margin of victory in this race when he crossed the line over 18 seconds ahead of second placed finisher Dave Moffitt. Jonathan Perry finished in third place with Redmond fourth, Dave Quine fifth and Darren Cooper sixth. Matt Mylchreest finished the race seventh ahead of Rikki McGovern, Radley Hughes, and Stephen Ault.

• Post TT 650cc results

It was advantage Coward in the Manx Independent Carriers 1100cc race as he beat Cowton. He too set a new lap record – 2:16.506 – beating Cowton by 8.7 seconds. William Dunlop got on the podium in third place. Ryan Kneen was fourth ahead of Mark Goodings, Wilson, Thompson, Osborne and Fargher. Richard Charlton was tenth with Jamie Williams 11th, Stephen Smith 12th, Peter Wilkinson 13th, and Billy Mellor 14th. Brian Clark and Kevin Barsby rounded out the finishers.

• Post TT 1100cc results

2017: North West 200 Round-Up

The 2017 Vauxhall International North West 200 saw records broken and extended, new winners and what has been dubbed one of the most exciting races at the event ever.

Practice

Dry and sunny conditions greeted riders for Tuesday and Thursday’s practice sessions and they were able to complete a number of laps in preparation for the racing. Newcomers got the event underway with their practice session on Tuesday morning, giving riders such as Mark Purslow, Joey Thompson, and Neil Kernohan their first taste of the Triangle circuit.

In Tuesday practice Alistair Seeley topped the times in both the Superbike and Supersport classes – the Carrickfergus man aiming to extend his most wins record after surpassing Robert Dunlop’s win tally last year. Martin Jessopp was fastest in the Supertwin class while Michael Rutter led a tight Superstock class. Race organisers and sponsors were left with red faces when the Superstock session had to be red flagged after just a couple of minutes when the course car got stuck on the apex of the chicane at the end of the start finish straight.

On Thursday it was the same men fastest again this time with Seeley topping the Supersport and Superstock times while Rutter went fastest in the Superbike session. Jessopp continued as the fastest Supertwin rider. The Superbike session – the last of the practice sessions – was red flagged following an incident involving John McGuinness. He crashed at Primrose corner and was taken to hospital in Belfast. The Honda team reported that he had a compound fracture to his right lower leg, four broken vertebrae, and three broken back ribs. The team subsequently withdrew Guy Martin from the Superstock and Superbike races as they were unable to investigate the cause of McGuinness’ crash.

Races

Conditions remained dry for Thursday racing and first on the race schedule was the first of two Supersport races. Seeley started from pole and was the man to beat having been fastest in both practice sessions. He failed to complete the first lap, however, pulling into the pits with a bike problem. It was Jessopp from the second row who went on to win after a race long battle with Ian Hutchinson. Both had spells at the front but it was Jessopp who went on to take the victory – his first ever win at the North West 200. James Hillier completed the podium finishers ahead of Dean Harrison and Lee Johnston.

• Supersport 1 Results

Seeley did not face any problems in the Superstock class as he romped to a 12 second victory over Johnston. He didn’t have it all his own way, however, as Rutter led across the line on the second lap but the Bathams rider unfortunately retired from the race. Seeley and Johnston were joined on the podium by Harrison – his first rostrum result at the event. Hutchinson was fourth with Jessopp coming home in fifth place.

• Superstock 1 Results 

Like waiting for a bus, Jessopp found that after waiting for one North West 200 win that two come along at once. He started from pole position and crossed the line in the lead on every lap. Rutter – a last minute entry to the class on Ryan Farquhar’s KMR bike – was a close second just eight tenths back. Ivan Lintin was third ahead of Dan Cooper and Derek Sheils. Johnston had been considered a contender for the race win but struggled to get away for the warm-up lap and despite a push and getting away, he didn’t make the start. Jessopp also set a new lap record on his way to victory.

• Supertwin 1 Results

The weather was not as kind on Saturday and riders were faced with wet conditions. Up first on the schedule was the second Supersport race.

Riders were given two sighting laps before the race and it eventually got underway in damp conditions. The rain came on during the race and a number of riders raised their hands to get the race stopped at the end of lap 4 however it kept going for the full six. It was Seeley who won, four seconds clear of William and Michael Dunlop. It had been William who led across the line when the conditions deteriorated, but Michael Dunlop suggested after the race that his older brother’s face “didn’t fit the picture” which is why the race wasn’t stopped. Cookstown 100 race winner Adam McLean was an impressive fourth place – just a couple of seconds off a podium – with Hutchinson fifth.

• Supersport 2 Results

There was a lengthy delay before the next race of the day due to the weather conditions. The Superbikes did get out for a sighting lap but it was red flagged due to oil on the track from Michael Dunlop’s Suzuki. With rain getting heavier it wasn’t until around 3pm in the afternoon when racing resumed. Seeley stormed to a dominant victory over Rutter and Johnston. He was 21 seconds clear by the end of the last lap with Rutter a comfortable seven seconds ahead of Johnston. Irwin was fourth in his first Superbike race appearance at the North West 200 while Peter Hickman finished fifth.

• Superbike 1 Results

While Seeley extended his win record to 20, Rutter – the next most successful current rider – added another victory to his tally. He took a hard fought win in the Supertwin race after narrowly missing out to Jessopp on Thursday. Rutter led after every lap but could not shake off Cooper who finished just six tenths down. Jessopp finished the race in third place ahead of Michael Sweeney and Marty Lennon. It was a particularly special victory for Rutter as he won for Ryan Farquhar who was involved in a near fatal accident at the event last year. The win was Rutter’s 14th around the Triangle circuit putting him just one win off Robert Dunlop’s 15.

• Supertwin 2 Results 

The second Superstock race proved to be yet another victory for Seeley, bringing his win record to 21. The race was red flagged on the fifth lap, leaving Seeley the winner as he crossed the line leading on the previous lap. He very narrowly beat Hutchinson – just two tenths separated the two riders. Rutter joined the pair on the podium with Johnston finishing fourth. The top four were separated by under a second while Hickman was just slightly further back in fifth. Riders were not impressed afterwards that the race had not been red flagged sooner – with a number raising their hands to indicate conditions were too difficult.

• Superstock 2 Results 

The Vauxhall North West 200 race – the feature race of the event – proved to be the most exciting of the day as three riders battled hard for the lead. It was a race long fight between Irwin, Seeley and Hutchinson. Irwin led across the line each time after perfectly timing his move onto the coast road each time. Seeley was able to take advantage through the long slipstreaming sections but Irwin was able to keep with him. Seeley was even onto the grass on the run to University at one stage but he lost nothing as he kept with the front two. Eventually the top three finished just seven tenths apart when Irwin pulled a well timed move on Seeley on the final lap. Hutchinson finished in second with Michael Dunlop fourth. Rutter completed a highly successful North West 200 for him in fifth place. There were huge cheers around the circuit when Irwin crossed the line to win on only his second appearance at the event. He previously raced at the North West 200 in 2015 on a Supersport but he broke down during the race while at the front.

• North West 200 Superbike Results North West 200 Superbike Results 

Alistair Seeley’s win record around the North West 200 now stands at 21. Both he and Michael Rutter surpassed Philip McCallen’s podium record of 28. Seeley now has 32 North West 200 podiums while Rutter has 31. Riders will now head to the Isle of Man for TT fortnight (27th May – 9th June).

 

 

Derek Sheils doubles up at Cookstown 100

Derek Sheils and Joesph Loughlin were both two time winners at this year’s Cookstown 100.

Over the course of Friday and Saturday there were 15 different winners from the 17 races held. It was a largely dry event, however some rain showers and a number of red flag incidents led to the schedule being re-jigged by race organisers about halfway through the day. They still managed to get the full programme completed.

Derek Sheils

Sheils’ two victories came in the Open A and Cookstown 100 A races. He started from pole position in the Open race and finished over two seconds clear of Derek McGee with William Dunlop in third. Michael Sweeney narrowly missed a podium position by just tenths of a second. Guy Martin finished a corrected time fifth place from the second group. Sheils’ upped his advantage for the Cookstown 100, beating McGee by 11 seconds while Sweeney put a last lap move on Dunlop to take the last podium spot. James Cowton rounded out the top five finishers.

In the Supersport class there were victories for Dunlop, Adam McLean and Brad Vicars. On Friday evening Dunlop beat McGee by just two tenths of a second in the Invitational race with McLean rounding out the podium finishers. Cowton and Sheils were fourth and fifth respectively. In the Supersport A race on Saturday it was a controlled victory for McLean – his first in the class on the roads. He held off stiff competition from the opposition to beat McGee and Cowton by just two and four tenths respectively. Dunlop was fourth with Sheils fifth. Supersport B was won by Vicars who beat Barry Evans and Dominic Herbertson. Again it was a close podium as the top three were separated by just half a second.

Cowton was the winner in the Supertwin A race with McGee and McLean picking up more podium finishes. Paul Gartland, Mark Dangerfield and Scott Miller completed the top three in the B race. The Moto 3/125 race saw Sam Wilson taking victory on the Joey’s Bar bike beating Paul Robinson and Justin Waring. Nigel Moore was the leading 125 rider, finishing fourth overall, while Gary Dunlop finished fifth on corrected time. The Ballymoney man had been on a charge but this was halted by a red flag – one of many throughout the day.

Joseph Loughlin backed up his Tandragee 100 victories with wins in the Junior and Senior Support classes. In Junior Support A he beat Oisin Watson by over 12 seconds while Jamie Williams finished in third. RJ Woolsey took a corrected time victory over Derek Wilkie and Ben Mullane in the Junior Support B race. Loughlin’s win in the Senior Support A race saw him beat Adam Lyon and David Howard. Senior Support B was won by Alan Johnston on Friday evening. Wilkie was second while Stephen Farrell finished in third place.

Darryl Tweed beat Seamus Elliott in the Supersport 400/Forgotten Era race, with Alistair Haworth in third. Robert Wilson was the victor in the Open B race beating Tweed and Dan Cooper. Cooper then went on to win the Cookstown 100 B race – the last of the meeting – beating Wilson from the third group on corrected time. Gartland was third. In the Classic races Barry Davidson took overall Junior Classic victory on his Honda 350 while Richard Ford was the leading 250 home. Robert McCrum was the winner in the Senior Classic race.

Riders on their way to the grid 

Next up on the roads is the first International event of the year – the North West 200.

Derek Sheils and Derek McGee win at Tandragee

The 2017 Irish road racing season commenced this weekend in Tandragee.

Derek Sheils and Derek McGee were among the race winners, winning in the Open and Supersport races respectively.

Sheils won the opening race of the meeting – the Open Superbike non-championship race – from pole position on the Cookstown BE Racing Suzuki. He finished comfortably ahead of William Dunlop with McGee in third. Dunlop was racing Mar-train’s Yamaha R1 following a last minute deal with Tim Martin for the Ballymoney man. Michael Sweeney was fourth, 14 seconds further back on McGee who was 23 seconds behind the race winner. Alan Bonner, Davy Morgan, Shaun Anderson, Kevin Fitzpatrick and Andy Farrell filled positions five to nine while Richard McLoughlin was tenth. Guy Martin’s hotly anticipated return didn’t last long as he tangled with Paul Jordan early in the first lap having started 17th leading to both retiring, thankfully uninjured.

Up next was the Junior Support race which was won by Joseph Loughlin who broke the lap record on his way to a nine second victory. He beat Michael Browne and Jamie Williams with Oisin Watson fourth. Stephen Morrison finished in fifth ahead of Andy McAllister, Tony Leach, RJ Woolsey, Brian Loughlin and Vic Allan.

McGee followed up his podium in the Open race by comfortably winning the Supersport race. He finished over 16 seconds clear of Dunlop with Sheils narrowly finishing third. He beat Jordan by mere tenths of a second. Graham Kennedy was fourth ahead of Paul Williams and Michael Weldon in fifth and sixth respectively, with the latter two having started from the second group. Sean Connolly who also came from the second group,  Darryl Tweed and Paul Cranston rounded out the top ten. The rain came on before the Supersport race with riders being allowed to change tyres as conditions changed.

In the Classic race it was Barry Davidson who was victorious, although he beat Jamie O’Brien by just six tenths of a second. Nigel Moore was third ahead of Robert McCrum, Gary Jamison, Keith Clarke and Philip Shaw. Also in the top ten were Brian Mateer, Freddie Stewart, and Sean Leonard.

Adam McLean, Sam Wilson and Moore were the three podium finishers in the Moto 3/125cc class. Dean Stimpson and Neil Kernohan were fourth and fifth. In the Forgotten Era class the top three were Des Butler, O’Brien and Richard Ford with Tweed notching up a victory in the Lightweight Supersports. Seamus Elliott and Paul Gartland joined him on the podium.

The sixth race of the meeting turned out to be the last when the Senior Support class was red flagged. Loughlin was the winner ahead of Jamie Williams and Jonathan Gormley. A rider involved in the red flag incident is currently in hospital. Due to deteriorating weather conditions the Supertwins and feature Superbike race were cancelled.

Racing continues on the Irish roads next weekend at the Cookstown 100.

Five reasons to attend an Irish road race

Cookstown 100 2015 © The H Duct

Motorbikes? Check. Public roads? Check. Sunshine? Occasional check…

Irish road racing, there’s nothing quite like it. Every year hundreds of riders turn up to compete on closed public roads north and south of the border, literally ‘between the hedges’. The Isle of Man TT may get most of the attention but there are plenty of reasons to attend an Irish national road race – at the likes of Tandragee, Cookstown, Armoy –  in 2017. Here are just five:

1) Close racing

With mass starts, and two or three groups, there are plenty of riders providing plenty of action throughout the grid. Races can be incredibly close – for example William and Michael Dunlop were separated by just 0.007s in one race at Armoy last year. Due to the different groups leaving the grid at different times, a rider from the second or third group can win the race on corrected time adding an extra level of excitement and intrigue. It’s not often you get to see bikes go wheel to wheel on narrow roads with fields on either side.

2) Full schedules

While the International races feature just the Superbike, Supersport, Superstock and Supertwin classes, National races include classics and support. This means on a race day there will be a good mixture of classes and more riders get a chance to compete. You certainly get plenty of bang for your buck – although a lot of races are free to watch. Which brings me to my next point…

3) Support local clubs

It has been well documented recently that insurance prices are significantly rising year on year meaning many clubs are struggling. A number of races have sadly been struck from the calendar because they are not financially viable to continue running. While many road races are free to attend, fans can still support clubs by buying a programme or paying to sit on the grandstands. The programmes are full of information about riders, interviews, previous results and give full itineraries of the event races and riders taking part. Supporting the clubs will help to insure more races aren’t lost in the future.

4)  Top talent

All the attention may be focused on the return of a certain truck mechanic from Grimsby, but the Irish road racing scene is frequented by a number of other talented riders throughout the year. Of course the Dunlop name is synonymous with road racing in Ireland and Michael, William, Gary and Sam are regulars at the nationals. You’ll also get to see the likes of Derek Sheils, Derek McGee, Davy Morgan, Dean Harrison, and Dan Kneen to name a few. Michal Dokoupil is a frequent visitor to the Irish nationals along with Veronika Hankocyova. Paul Jordan, Michael Sweeney, Adam McLean, James Cowton and Gareth Keys are just a few more of the riders you can see in action.

5) Get closer to the action

While health and safety may have kicked into gear, meaning some areas that were once available for viewing have become prohibited, you can still get closer to the action than you would at a circuit. Nothing prepares you for the sheer exhilaration of seeing a bike flash past you when you’re standing just at the other side of the hedge or the fence. As the races are held on closed public roads quite often the paddocks are in muddy fields or a farmyard. People help each other out and it is a real community – where else would you see a competitor help work on a fellow competitor’s bike? Irish road racing is really something else.

Road racing is currently the topic of a three part documentary by DoubleBand films on BBC Northern Ireland and it shows just what it means to those who are part of the sport – from the riders to the fans and everyone in between. There’s no sport quite like it and once you go once, you’ll be hooked. Sitting in a muddy field, getting rained on or battered by the wind is not generally my idea of fun, but throw in a few bikes and some good company and you’re in a for a good day!

• 2017 Road Race Calendar

TT 2017 start numbers confirmed

The start numbers for this year’s Isle of Man TT Superbike and Senior races have been confirmed, with David Johnson leading the riders away from the number one plate on the Norton.

New Zealander Bruce Anstey will leave second on his Padgetts Honda, ahead of James Hillier and Ian Hutchinson. John McGuinness moves to number five with Michael Dunlop leaving from number six on the Bennetts Suzuki ahead of Conor Cummins. Returnee Guy Martin starts eighth with Dean Harrison and Peter Hickman rounding out the top ten seeded starters.

Michael Rutter will start eleventh in front of Gary Johnson and Lee Johnston, with Dan Kneen 14th and William Dunlop 15th respectively. Josh Brookes – who is returning to the TT and riding a Norton – will start from number 16, ahead of Steve Mercer, Martin Jessopp, Dan Hegarty and Ivan Lintin.

 

 

1. David Johnson
2. Bruce Anstey
3. James Hillier
4. Ian Hutchinson
5. John McGuinness
6. Michael Dunlop
7. Conor Cummins
8. Guy Martin
9. Dean Harrison
10. Peter Hickman
11. Michael Rutter
12. Gary Johnson
13. Lee Johnston
14. Dan Kneen
15. William Dunlop
16. Josh Brookes
17. Steve Mercer
18. Martin Jessopp
19. Dan Hegarty
20. Ivan Lintin

The 2017 race fortnight kicks off with practice on 27th May with the first race scheduled for Saturday 3rd June.

Michael Dunlop doubles up with Superbike win

Following his Junior race win earlier in the day, Michael Dunlop was back in the winner’s enclosure following the Superbike race at the Classic TT.

At the end of the first lap Dunlop’s lead on his Suzuki was seven seconds over Dean Harrison in second with James Hillier third. The gap increased to 10 seconds by Glen Helen on the second lap, with Harrison sitting 4.8 seconds in front of Hillier on corrected time. Dunlop’s lead increased to 13 seconds by Ballaugh, 15 seconds at Ramsey, 17 seconds at the Bungalow and 18 seconds by Cronk ny Mona. By the end of the second lap Dunlop was 18 seconds clear with Harrison eight seconds ahead of Hillier.

Dunlop pitted at the end of the second lap and broke Bruce Anstey’s Classic TT lap record of 126.261mph with 126.808mph. By the start of the third lap Dunlop’s lead was down to 2.369 seconds but increased over the course of the third and fourth laps.

The Ballymoney man’s eventual gap over the line was 15.697 seconds with Hillier 16 seconds behind Harrison in third. Michael Rutter was fourth ahead of Jamie Coward, Horst Saiger, William Dunlop and Conor Cummins. Gary Johnson and Danny Webb rounded out the top ten finishers. In 11th was Alexander Pickett – the leading privateer – with Timothee Monot 12th, Kiaran Hankin 13th, Ryan Kneen 14th and David Hewson 15th.

Several hours after the conclusion of the race a statement was released stating that “four machines have been disqualified from the final result due to technical infringements”. The four Kawasaki riders disqualified from the race were Harrison, Hillier, Coward and Saiger. This meant Rutter and William Dunlop were promoted to the podium.

• Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Classic TT results

2016: Classic TT & Manx GP Guide

Two months after a competitive Isle of Man TT, top riders return to the island for the Classic TT alongside the Manx Grand Prix.

Classic TT

The Senior entry list includes John McGuinness, Dean Harrison, Michael Dunlop, and Bruce Anstey to name but a few. McGuinness will once again be riding with the number one plate on the Paton, being joined by Conor Cummins. 2015 Senior winner Harrison is once again riding the MV Agusta with Dunlop as his team-mate. Lee Johnston had been scheduled to ride the second Black Eagle Racing bike but a broken collarbone sustained at the Ulster Grand Prix means he has been sidelined.

Elsewhere veteran rider Ian Lougher will also be piloting an MV Agusta. Other riders include William Dunlop and Alan Oversby on Honda machinery, Michael Rutter and Cameron Donald with Ripley Land Racing Matchless Hondas, and Olie Linsdell.

The high calibre entry list also includes Jamie Coward, Ivan Lintin, James Hillier, james Cowton, Peter Boast, Dan Hegarty and Maria Costello. Horst Saiger, Timothee Monot, Dominic Herbertson, David Madsen-Mygdal, and Bill Swallow will also be racing.

In the newly re-introduced Lightweight class Anstey will be in action on the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles RS250 Honda, and he will be up against the likes of Lougher, Ryan Kneen, and Cowton. Dan Cooper will be racing a TZ Yamaha, while Dan Kneen will also race a RS250 Honda. Davy Morgan, Paul Own and Phil Harvey will all also be Honda mounted. Neil Kernohan,  Dave Hewson, and Rob Hodson are just a few of the other riders taking part.

2015 Results

The 2015 running of the Classic TT saw Harrison, Rutter, Michael Dunlop and Ryan Kneen take wins.

500cc

1. Dean Harrison
2. Ian Lougher
3. Lee Johnston

350cc

1. Michael Rutter
2. Philip McGurk
3. Doug Snow

F1/F2

1. Michael Dunlop
2. Bruce Anstey
3. Ryan Farquhar

F1/F2

1. Ryan Kneen
2. James Cowton
3. Charles Rhys Hardistry

Manx Grand Prix

Alongside the Classic TT, the Manx Grand Prix is part of the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling.

Dan Sayle will be riding the Falcon Racing NSF 250 Honda in the Lightweight race at this year’s Manx GP, becoming the first rider to pilot a Moto3 machine at the event. Other competitors include 2015 podium finisher Andy Dudgeon on a Suzuki, Andy Farrell on a Honda, and Tom Weeden riding a Triumph.

Other names to look out for include David Lumsden, Allan Brodie, Rodger Wibberley and Rhys Hardistry.

2015 Results

The Manx Grand Prix proves as a successful training ground for riders wanting to progress to race at the Isle of Man TT. Last year saw impressive late riders Billy Redmayne and Malachi Mitchell-Thomas winning races but sadly neither got their opportunity to race at the TT.

Junior MGP

1. Billy Redmayne
2. Malachi Mitchell-Thomas
3. Rob Hodson

Supertwin/Lightweight

1. Rob Hodson
2. Andrew Dudgeon
3. Nick Jeffries

Senior MGP

1. Malachi Mitchell-Thomas
2. Rob Hodson
3. Andrew Dudgeon

 

 

 

Qualifying

Saturday 20th August

• 17.20 – 17.45 Manx GP & Classic TT newcomers
• 17.30 – 18.25 Senior/Junior/Classic TT 250/Superbike
• 18.30 – 19.25 Classic TT 350/500/MGP Lightweight/Supertwin
• 19.30 – 20.05 All MGP Newcomers

Monday 22nd August

• 18.20 – 19.05 Senior/Junior/Classic TT 250/Superbike
• 19.10 – 19.45 Classic TT 350/500/MGP Lightweight/Supertwin
• 19.48 – 20.05 MGP & Classic TT Newcomers

Tuesday 23rd August

• 18.20 – 19.05 Classic TT 350/500/MGP Lightweight/Supertwin
• 19.10 – 19.45 Senior/Junior/Classic TT 250/Superbike
• 19.48 – 20.05 All MGP Newcomers

Wednesday 24th August

• 18.20 – 19.05 Senior/Junior/Classic TT 250/Superbike
• 19.10 – 19.45 Classic TT 350/500/MGP Lightweight/Supertwin
• 19.48 – 20.05 All MGP Newcomers

Thursday 25th August

• 18.20 – 19.10 Classic TT 350/500
• 19.15 – 20.00 Classic TT 250/Superbike

Friday 26th August

• 18.20 – 19.10 Senior/Junior/Classic TT 250/Superbike/MGP Newcomers A
• 19.15 – 20.00 Classic TT 350/500/MGP Lightweight/Supertwin/MGP Newcomers B

Race Days

Saturday 27th August

• 11.30 Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race (4 laps)
• 13.25 – 14.00 MGP Senior/Junior/All MGP Newcomers Qualifying (2 laps)
• 13.55 – 14.35 Classic TT 350/Superbike Qualifying (1 lap)
• 14.45 – 15.25 Vintage Motor Cycle Club Parade (1 lap)
• 16.15 Lightweight Classic TT Race  (4 laps)
• 18.10 – 18.40 MGP Supertwin/Lightweight/All MGP Newcomers Qualifying

Monday 29th August

• 10.15 350cc Junior Classic TT Race (4 laps)
• 12.10 – 13.o5 MGP Senior/Junior/Supertwin/Lightweight Qualifying (2 laps)
• 14.00 Superbike Classic TT Race (4 laps)
• 16.00 – 16.30 Classic TT Lap of Honour (1 lap)
• 17.00 Newcomers MGP Race (4 laps)

Wednesday 31st August

• 10.15 Junior Manx Grand Prix Race (4 laps)
• 13.15 Supertwin/Lightweight Manx Grand Prix Race (4 laps)
• 15.15 – 15.50 MGP Senior Qualifying (1 lap)

Friday 2nd September

• 10.15 Full Factory Winner’s Wear Senior Manx Grand Prix Race (4 laps)