#JamieCoward

[sbknews]

Hickman doubles up to make it a dozen.

The afternoon’s Supertwin Race broke the pattern of having the same podium trio in Race 2 as in Race 1. The mythical “luck of the Irish” took a break as the fancied men from the Emerald Isle hit problems. The afternoon was warmer than the morning; it was t-shirt order for the crowd in the Parliament square. The crowd was small by TT standards; especially for a local bank holiday. It seemed that normal service would be the order of the day as Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Paton) led at Glen Helen by 1.02s from Mike Browne (Burrows Paton), with Peter Hickman (PHR Yamaha) in third. Hickman’s Yamaha had a new engine purchased from Michael Rutter and worked on all of the previous day by his team. Jamie Coward (Steadplan Kawasaki) was 4th, Stefano Bonetti (ILR Paton) 5th and Josh Brookes (Dafabet Kawasaki) was in 6th. Michael Rutter was seventh, but he clipped a kerb in Kirk Michael whilst checking the rev counter and broke his steering damper; he pulled out in the pits. Paul Jordan never reached Glen Helen; he was forced to retire at Harold’s. Coward soon joined the list of retirees; he was out at the far end of Kirk Michael. At Ballaugh, Dunlop was on lap record pace; he led by 3.35s from Mike Browne; with Hickman 5.82s down in third; this on a bike that he was hoping would give him a top 10 finish.  Dominic Herbertson was first into Ramsey on the CC Engineering Kawasaki, Rutter was next; then the flying Dunlop. Still on lap record pace, Dunlop led by 5.28s from Browne; who was on a personal best lap. Hickman was 9.2s back in third; Brookes, Bonetti and Pierre-Yves Bian completed the top 6. Browne set a sector record on the mountain; but took only 0.1s from Dunlop. Then the drama began in earnest; Dunlop had to grab the clutch on the climb to Brandywell; his race was over; he would not draw level with Joey on 26 wins. With a lap at 121.069mph, Mike Browne led by 11.65s as the riders came in for the mandatory pit stop. Brookes was third going into pit lane; a long stop due to him accidentally switching of the electronics cost over 30s and dropped him off the leader board. Bian was the rider on the move; he was 4th entering pit lane. At Glen Helen; Browne’s lead was 12.2s over Hickman. Bian was third; but only 1.7s ahead of Herbertson. At Ballaugh, the lead was 13.8s as they jumped the bridge. Herbertson had cut his deficit to Bian down to 0.03s. Herbertson was the leader on the road in Ramsey; however, there was trail of bluish smoke coming out of the machine; the harbinger of his eventual demise. He had taken 3rd from Bian by 0.43s. At the head of the field, Browne had an advantage of 16.6s over Hickman. Bonetti and Hodson filled out the top 6; but Brookes was on a mission and closing rapidly. Browne’s lead was 17s at Cronk ny Mona; then misfortune hit him; the clutch gave up the ghost coming out Governor’s Dip and he was forced to retire at the Grandstand; where he was given a big round of applause. This left Hickman with the lead; Herbertson second and Bian in third. At Glen Helen for the final time, Hickman led by 40s from Herbertson. Herbertson’s bike expired at Barregarrow. As they swept through Ramsey for the final time Hickman had a comfortable lead of 49s over Bian; with Josh Brookes 5.15s behind and closing. There were no dramas on the mountain section; Hickman duly took his 12th TT victory; one that was unexpected; at a race average of 119.319mph. Bian managed to keep Brookes at bay; he finished 47.784s behind Hickman at an average of 117.671mph. Brookes was the fastest man on track on the final lap; his lap average 120.939mph. His race average of 117.603mph left him just 2s behind Bian. Stefano Bonetti; Rob Hodson (SMT Kawasaki) and Baz Furber (DC Auto Yamaha) completed the leader board. Hickman was delighted with his victory; giving fulsome praise to his team. With more development the Yamaha may be able to match the Patons for top end. Bian was ecstatic to take a podium finish; he is fine rider; more will surely follow. Brookes was left to rue the little mistake that cost him second; he learned a lot in his first races on a Supertwin; he will be pushing for a win; if he returns next year. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Michael Dunlop takes 25th TT victory and shatters 130mph barrier in sensational Supersport Race 2.

Michael Dunlop took his 25th TT win and; with a stunning final lap burst; became the first Supersport rider to break through the 130mph barrier. He was pushed to it by Peter Hickman; who also broke that barrier on his final lap. On another sun drenched afternoon in the Isle of Man the large crowds were treated to some spectacular action. The inside of the exit to Parliament square was the vantage point. This corner is much faster than it once was due to changes to the pavement and removal of some trackside furniture. The state of the road in the square is not the best; but has been ignored for many years. The race itself was virtually a carbon copy of race one; with the top three finishing in the same order; but this time ripping up the record book. Mike Browne’s chance of a top 6 finish was over on the start line; his steering damper broke; leaving him to have a “steady tour.” Nine miles into the first lap the first timing beam showed that Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Yamaha) had been quickest of all; he led Dean Harrison (Russell Racing Yamaha) by just 0.11s. Peter Hickman was third on his Trooper Beer Triumph. Davey Todd (Milenco Padgett Honda); James Hillier (Russell Racing Yamaha) and Craig Neve (Batham’s Triumph) completed the top 6. At Ballaugh; the best sector time allowed Dunlop to extend his lead to 2.685s. Harrison was just 0.877s down in third. Jamie Coward (KTS Yamaha) was rapid in the sector and had claimed sixth. Dean Harrison was the first into the square; he was bang on the ideal line and very fast. Davo Johnson (Jackson Honda) was next then; Jamie Coward and Paul Jordan (Prez Yamaha). Then the race leader, closely followed by James Hillier; whose race ended ¼ mile away at White Gates. The action was excellent for the crowd with a few nice wheelies and some running a tad wide after missing their braking point. Dunlop was leading by 5.2s as he powered “the wee girl” away towards the mountain climb. Hickman was sticking to Harrison; only 0.76s separated them. Todd was 4th; Coward up to 5th and rising young star James Hind (Bass Yamaha) sixth. An opening lap at 128.809mph gave Dunlop a lead of 6.692s from Harrison (127.997mph). The mountain is normally Hickman’s strongest area; not today; he was 2.44s down as he crossed the line. Todd, Coward and Hind held station. Jordan, Neve, Rob Hodson (SMT Yamaha) and Dom Herbertson (Dafabet Yamaha) completed the top 10. Dunlop was fastest to Glen Helen and Ballaugh; where the lead was 11.36s. Hickman was second quickest in each sector and had cut his gap to Harrison down to 1.43s. Coward was raising his pace and had displaced Todd to take 4th. Hickman was fastest on the 7 miles to Ramsey, and he now held second place 12.56s behind Dunlop; 1.41s ahead of Harrison. A lap at 129.089mph gave Dunlop a lead of 11.636s from Hickman (128.378mph); with Harrison (128.347mph) 5.49s further back. In the battle or 4th, Todd had edged back ahead of Coward. Most pit stops were around the 50s mark; Dean Harrison’s was slow and cost him 5s. At Glen Helen, Dunlop led by 11.84s; Harrison was now 11.48s adrift of Hickman. Todd, Coward and Hind completed the top 6. Hickman was fastest in the run to Ramsey; Todd was right behind and using the tow to distance himself from Coward. Dunlop’s lead was 10.2s at White Gates. Hickman was fastest on the mountain climb; Todd second fastest as he benefited from the tow. Starting the final lap Dunlop led by 8.15s; Harrison was 20.61s down in third; Todd had closed his gap to Harrison down to 3.76s. Hickman was on lap record pace at Glen Helen; he set a new sector record; however, Dunlop’s signallers had made him aware of the threat posed by Hickman and Michael had upped his pace to also average over 135mph on the first 9 miles. Dunlop set a sector record to Ballaugh; Hickman just 0.4s slower. Another sector record saw Dunlop’s lead up to 9.46s as they left us to climb the mountain for the final time; both well inside the old lap record. Dunlop was the fastest by 2s on the Bungalow sector; Hickman was 0.4s faster on the drop to Cronk ny Mona; but it was Harrison who set a new record on this sector. An amazing final lap at 130.403mph gave Dunlop victory by 9.617s from Hickman; whose last lap was at 130.219mph. Dean Harrison repelled the challenge from Todd with the aid of a lap at 129.697mph; also inside the old lap record. The race record was blown into the weeds; Dunlop’s average was 127.831mph; Hickman’s 127.542mph and Harrison’s 126.804mph. Davey Todd; Jamie Coward; James Hind; Paul Jordan, Craig Neve, Davo Johnson and Dom Herbertson completed the top 10 in what was a sensational race. Mike Browne did remarkably well to finish 12th with no steering damper. Local newcomer Ryan Cringle put in a superb performance; he finished 18th at 118.975mph. With 3 races left; for one of which he is the strong odds on favourite; it seems certain that Michael Dunlop will equal his uncle Joey’s record tally of 26 wins and he could go clear at the top of the list of the greats of the TT. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Michael takes his 24th win to close in on Joey; Browne takes first podium finish.

Tuesday evening brough us more, warm and sunny weather. There was a large crowd gathered at Ballaugh Bridge for the Carole Nash Supertwin Race 1. Michael Dunlop started as favourite; but there was much interest in how Peter Hickman would fare on a bike that had completed just one lap of practice and was powered by a borrowed engine. At Glen Helen, it was Michael Dunlop who led on his SC Project Paton. Jamie Coward on the Steadplan Kawasaki was second, 4.5s down on Dunlop; with Mike Browne third on the Burrows RH Racing Paton. Peter Hickman (PHR Performance Yamaha) held fourth; Josh Brookes (Dafabet Kawasaki) was fifth and Stefano Bonetti (ILR Paton) was sixth. Dominic Herberston was the first rider to reach Ballaugh; he was followed by Michael Rutter (Batham’s Yamaha) who produced his normal stylish jump over the bridge. Jamie Coward was next; closely followed by Paul Jordan (Prez Kawasaki) who had started 10s before him. Dunlop was next and he gave us his usual front wheel landing. Josh Brookes and Pierre-Yves Bian (VAS Paton) gave us low flat jumps; Peter Hickman gave a nice jump with perfect rear wheel landing. The clocks showed that Dunlop led by 9.1s from Coward with Browne third. Hickman, Brookes and Rutter completed the top 6. Dunlop pulled away from the chasers and led by 11.6s at the Bungalow. As he came into the pits for the mandatory stop, his lead was 14.43s, after a lap at 121.229mph. Coward lapped at 119.697mph and Browne in third at 119.438mph. Hickman, Brookes and Rutter filled out the top 6. Hickman lost 7s in the pits and Rutter 14s; as his machine refused to restart. The leader board at Glen Helen showed Dunlop with a 19.4s lead over Coward; who was just 0.5s ahead of Browne. Hickman, Brookes and Bian completed the board. Dunlop was first on the road at Ballaugh; Coward next; both gave us front wheel landings. Best action of the lap came when Hickman arrived with Bian. They jumped in tandem; Hickman gave us the higher leap and they then powered away through the village inches apart. Dunlop added to his lead as the lap progressed; but at the Bungalow it was Browne who held second place due to a rapid climb of the mountain. As the final lap started Dunlop had a comfortable lead of 22s over Browne; so, no need for lap record pace. Browne was now 2.1s ahead of Coward; Hickman, Brookes and Bian completed the top 6. At Glen Helen; Michael led by 25.93s; whilst Browne was only 1.22s ahead of Coward. Dunlop gave a low flat jump; it was impressive as powered away almost brushing his shoulder on the bus stop wall. Hickman and Brookes gained the most style marks for their high jumps and perfect landings. Starting the mountain climb, Dunlop could afford to go into cruise mode; he led by 30.66s from Browne. Coward was giving it everything and was just 1.22s behind Browne. Despite easing off in the last few miles; Michael Dunlop set the fastest lap of the race at 121.905mph to win by 26.783s at a race average of 120.505mph. Browne’s final lap at 121.374mph enabled him to keep Coward at bay; the margin just 2.237s. Coward’s final lap of 121.362mph was his best of the race; his podium finish richly deserved. Hickman took fourth; Brookes fifth; both lapped at over 120mph; with Bian taking a deserved sixth after a very fine ride. Dominic Herbertson, Michael Rutter, Barry Furber (superb effort) and Rob Hodson completed the top 10. Michael Evans was best of the locals in 11th; debut boys Paul Cassidy and Jamie Cringle were 20th and 22nd respectively. The race has now been overshadowed by the sad news that popular Spanish rider Raul Torras Martinez lost his life in an accident at Alpine Cottage during the race. We send our condolences to his family and friends; he will be very much missed. May he rest in peace. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Masterful Hickman gives Faye Ho silver lining.

After stubborn mist moved away action began several hours late at TT 2023. The solo warm up lap was significant because it allowed Peter Hickman to complete a lap on his Supertwin Yamaha and thereby qualify for the evening’s first race for the class. Mike Browne was out on his Stocker, to test changes made in response to handling so bad that he made an unscheduled stop in the Superbike race. The Sidecar warm up allowed Dave Molyneux /Dan Sayle to test the troublesome KTM on track. The warm-up lap made the riders aware of a small patch of cement dust on the approach to White Gates. Normal weather service had been restored when Davo Johnson led the Superstock away on their 3 lap race. The riders were obliged to have a pit stop at the end of lap 1. Michael Dunlop’s crew chief set out what most were expected to do and that was simply top up the tank and clean the screen and rider’s visor. Starting this race pulled Michael Rutter level with his father Tony on 83. For Josh Brookes the race was over before he reached St Ninian’s on the FHO BMW. Peter Hickman had no such problem; the machine was ready to go after just four laps of practice; this allowed him more time to try to tame the unruly Superbike. Michael Dunlop’s MD Racing Honda machine had similarly been ready to go early in Practice Week. When the Glen Helen was reached, Dean Harrison (DAO Kawasaki) was right behind Davo Johnson (Jackson Honda) and passed him on the Cronk y Voddy straight; Dean remained the pigeon scarer for the remainder of the race. Behind them, Dunlop had nearly closed the starting interval on James Hillier (OMG Yamaha).  Passing slower riders did cause some minor delays for the podium riders but tended to even out and did not affect the result. The times at Glen Helen showed that this was going to be a race with close battles throughout the field of 46 riders left in the contest. Michael Dunlop had been the fastest of all over the first 9 miles; he led by 0.65s from Peter Hickman, with Dean Harrison 1.69s down in third; in what was becoming a recurring theme. Davey Todd (Milenco Padgett Honda), Conor Cummins (Milenco Padgett Honda); heroically back on track three days after being on drip in hospital; James Hillier and Jamie Coward (Steadplan Honda) were the top 7. Just 3.6s covered the four riders. On Sunday Dunlop set the fastest ever sector time from Glen Helen to Ballaugh; today Hickman returned serve with the fastest ever Superstock sector time. This gave him a lead of 2.26s as they hopped over the famous bridge. Harrison was third, but 4s down on Dunlop. Todd, Cummins and Coward completed the top 6. May Hill in Ramsey is a good vantage point; with the bikes powering out of Cruickshank’s Corner and coming close to the low kerb on the left side of the track. The sound of the machines on full gas echoes back from the house walls. Dean Harrison was first, and he was trying; using all of the road. Davo Johnson was next; followed almost immediately by the rejuvenated John McGuinness. Jamie Coward has settled onto the Honda superbly, and he was wringing its neck as he went past. Michael Dunlop has been using all of the road; but he is never out of shape; yet again he was very fast, but very stable. Hicky was rapid and holding a tighter line than most of the top runners; apart from James Hillier. As they started the mountain climb, Hickman had a lead of 3.4s from Dunlop. Harrison was third, 6.74s down on Dunlop. Todd, Cummins and Coward completed the top 6; Hillier was 7th just 0.141s down on Coward. Hickman is normally the fastest over the mountain; but today Dunlop was, and cut the lead to 2.7s as they came into the pits for the mandatory stop.  The pits stops saw Hickman and Harrison gain over 1.5s on Dunlop. Dom Herbertson; 11th at the time, missed the pit lane and had to come in via the return road. After some words were exchanged with the stewards, he was allowed to continue, despite his off track activity. Back on track Hickman’s lead was 5.3s as he powered the big BMW up Creg Willey’s Hill for the second time. Dunlop had increased his advantage over Harrison to 10.8s. Todd, Coward and Cummins completed the top 6; with Hillier just 0.2s behind Cummins. Hickman continued to set the best sector times; he led by 9.1s as swept out of Cruickshank’s in fine style; the front wheel pawing the air as he powered through. Coward; Hillier and Cummins were covered by 1.5s in their exciting battle for the final leader board places. With the best time for each sector over the mountain Hickman had a comfortable lead of 15.7s as he headed off for the final lap; the lap that would be the fastest of the race. Dunlop had 10.1s in hand over Harrison. Todd remained under pressure from Coward; but Conor Cummins was starting to lose time; no doubt exhausted after his illness. John McGuinness was riding a fine race in 8th; Johnson was 9th and Herbertson 10th in spite of his pit stop faux pas. Hickman was on outright lap record pace for part of the lap; but lost some time behind slower riders and then eased back over the last two sectors; but still set the best lap of the race at 134.311mph; to seal a 23.17s victory over Michael Dunlop. This win moved into double figures. Harrison; Todd, Hillier and Coward all lapped at over 132mph on the last lap. Conor Cummins took 7th; John McGuinness went out at Guthrie’s handing 8th to Davo Johnson; he lapped at over 130mph on the final lap. The excellent form of Mike Browne and Shaun Anderson continued; they finished 9th and 10th respectively. This was a race of the highest quality and Hickman’s win repaid team owner Faye Ho for her support. The second race should be at least as good; weather permitting. I can’t help thinking that four laps would have been even better. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Deja vu; as Michael Dunlop draws level with John McGuinness.

Another warm, sunny day on the Isle of Man brought a wonderful; record breaking Superbike TT. There were large crowds either side of the course at Milntown; where the new fan zone seems very popular. The riders power out of the s-bend at Pinfold Cottage; jump the road bridge, then sweep right close to the stone wall of Milntown House and then click into top gear on the straight leading to Schoolhouse Corner. The solo warm up lap brought us most of the top riders on their Superstock or Supersport machines and offered the chance to set up the camera. Then; right on the appointment minute, the Superbike TT was under way; with Davo Johnson first away. At Glen Helen, it was clear that Michael Dunlop (Hawk Honda) was on a mission; yesterday he was third to the this first checkpoint as he settled in. Today he was fastest and leading by 0.145s from Dean Harrison (DAO Kawasaki). Davey Todd; Milenco Padgett Honda) was third, 1.28s down on Harrison; but 0.866s ahead of Peter Hickman (FHO BMW). James Hillier (OMG Yamaha) was fifth; with John McGuinness (Honda Racing) sixth. Dunlop set the fastest ever time from Glen Helen to Ballaugh and there he led by 3.135s. Todd was third, 1.143s down on Harrison; Hickman just 0.139s further behind as they approached halfway around the lap. Jamie Coward, Josh Brookes, Mike Browne and Rob Hodson completed the top 10. Dean Harrison led on the road at Milntown; he had the front wheel well into the air as he landed from the jump over the bridge; a spectacular opening to the afternoon’s action for the crowd. Davo Johnson was next; then it was John McGuinness, who also had plenty of air under the front wheel. Most of the chasing riders had low flat jumps over the bridge as they headed for the 30 mph limit at about 150mph. At Ramsey, the lead for Dunlop was 4.54s from Harrison; with Hickman now third as he came to grips with a troublesome quick shifter and less than perfect front brake. Dunlop was the fastest to the Bungalow; his lead out to 5.416s. Todd put in his best ever time on the climb and had retaken third by 0.215s from Hickman. 16m 49.727s after leaving the Grandstand, Dunlop completed his first lap at 134.519mph, a class lap record. This gave him a lead of 6.28s. Hickman was third, 0.495s ahead of Todd; James Hillier and Jamie Coward completed the top 6. John McGuinness was 7th; Josh Brookes 8th; both lapped at over 130mph. The order was the same; but the gaps slightly larger at Glen Helen. At Milntown, Dean Harrison produced another spectacular leap over the bridge; Dunlop’s was low and flat; the machine looking very stable. McGuinness and Hillier were circulating together and putting on a fine show. The timing point at White Gates showed that the lead was 10.12s; with Hickman now 8.324s behind Harrison. Dunlop was rapid over the mountain and with aid of another Superbike record lap of 135.046mph he led by 14.6as he entered the pits to refuel. Harrison lapped at 133.938mph to have an advantage of 6.17s over Hickman (133.791mph) who had reduced it by 2s over the mountain section. As with yesterday, Harrison gained time in the pits; his stop was 2.8s faster than Dunlop’s and 0.8s faster than Hickman’s. On lap 3 at Ballaugh, Dunlop’s lead was 14.56s; behind him Hickman was chipping away at Harrison’s advantage; it was down to 4.45s. Those three were well clear of Todd, Hillier and Coward. At Milntown both Harrison and Dunlop had the front wheel pawing the air nicely; under the gaze of former commentator; Roy Moore. There was a fine sight as Hillier, Coward and Hickman came through in line and just inches apart. The timing beam gave Dunlop a lead of 16.1s as he started the climb out of Ramsey. Harrison had an advantage of 5.23s over Hickman. Hillier was up to fourth; Todd was beginning to have machine problems and he would retire from the fray at the Grandstand. At half distance, Dunlop led by 18.854s; with Hickman 5.091s down on Harrison. The demise of Todd moved John McGuinness up to sixth. At Glen Helen on lap 4 the lead was marginally over 20s. Hickman was faster to Glen Helen and cut Harrison’ advantage over him to under 5s. At Milntown, the action was again excellent; with Dunlop, Hickman and Harrison producing fast, flat jumps. The freight train of McGuinness, Hillier and Coward kicked up a storm of dust as they hammered past. The lead for Dunlop was 21.635s as he headed for Ramsey Hairpin. His lap of 132.757mph gave him a lead of as he came in for the final pit stop. Harrison had 6.49s in hand over Hickman as he came in. Harrison’s stop was not as slick as the first one; he dropped 4.5s to Hickman; but gained 2s from Dunlop whose stop was amongst the slowest; but he had no need to rush it. The effects revealed themselves at Glen Helen; Dunlop led by 19.44s; whilst Hickman had cut his deficit to Harrison to 3.65s. Could he repeat yesterday and wind Harrison back? More spectacular action was provided at Milntown as the riders flew over the bridge. At the timing point, the lead was 19.134s; with Dunlop managing his lead; as he had done yesterday. Hickman was still edging closer to Harrison; the gap down to 2.834s. At the end of the penultimate lap Dunlop led 17.3s; surely only a mechanical problem could deny him now. Hickman was now the fastest rider on track and had cut his deficit to Harrison to just 2.43s with 37.73 miles of the toughest course in the world left to complete. Dunlop was easing his pace slightly; the lead down to 16.05s at Glen Helen. At Ballaugh, the lead was down to 15.29s; but it was from the flying Hickman; not Harrison. Dunlop and Harrison were neat and fast at Milntown; Hickman was fast, but slightly crossed up on landing; he simply kept it pinned and continued his lap at class record pace. Leaving Ramsey, Dunlop led by 11.65s with 13.73 miles of the mountain section between him and victory; surely, he had not eased so much that he would let victory slip from his grasp. The lead had been cut to 8.985s at the Bungalow; but at Cronk ny Mona 1.1 miles from the finishing line it was 7.71s; more than enough. Dunlop must have received a hurry up message; he was fastest over the final short sector and crossed the line to win by 8.233s at a record race average of 131.832mph. This victory draws him level with John McGuinness on 23 wins; only the late , great, Joey Dunlop is ahead; he won 26. Hickman’s final lap of 135.445mph was the best of the race; and another class lap record. His race average of 131.657mph was 9.806s better than Dean Harrison’s (131.449mph). James Hillier took a fine fourth at 128.946mph; Jamie Coward was fifth at 128.733mph; with the great John McGuinness sixth at 128.067mph. Josh Brookes was seventh; Dominic Herbertson eighth; both lapped at over 130mph during the race. Shaun Anderson joined the 130mph club with his final lap. Mike Browne became the fastest rider from Ireland with his final lap of 129.294mph. This was a fabulous race run at a record pace; and full of fine individual performances. The questions for the Senior are; can Dunlop go faster if Hickman can solve this machine issues and go at his best pace for the whole race and can Dean Harrison make the small changes needed to allow him to hit lap record pace? It should be a great race. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Masterclass; Dunlop takes 22nd win; Birchalls break 120mph barrier.

The first race day of TT 2023 had warm, dry and still conditions, ideal for racing. The crowds gathered around the 37.73 miles of the Mountain Course were treated to record breaking racing in both of the day’s events. Racing was delayed for several hours whilst a road traffic accident at the 33rd Milestone was dealt with by the emergency services. The curtain raiser was a solos warm up lap; essentially untimed practice; on any machine that the riders chose. This proved to be the end of Mike Browne’s participation for the day; his Supersport machine blew its engine shortly after leaving the start line. Hopefully, he will be good to go in the second Supersport race. The first race of the afternoon was the four lap Supersport 1 Race. Michael Dunlop has been the dominant force in the class in recent years and he headed the practice times. In perfect conditions, Davo Johnson (Jackson Honda) was the first man to take the plunge down Bray Hill. Dean Harrison (Russell Racing Yamaha) is always fast on the 9 miles out to Glen Helen, and it was he who led at the checkpoint by 0.55s from Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Yamaha). Peter Hickman (Trooper Triumph) held third 1.11s down on Dunlop. Davey Todd (Milenco Padgett’s Honda), James Hillier (Russell Racing Yamaha) and Jamie Coward (KTS Racing) Yamaha completed the top 6. Dunlop was rapid on the sector to Ballaugh and led the race by 1.57s as he jumped the famous bridge. Harrison was second; Hickman third; Coward had moved up to fourth, ahead of Todd and Hillier. Rising young star Jim Hind (Bass Yamaha) held seventh. Dunlop set the fastest ever sector time to Ramsey, where he led by 3.676s. Tower Bends; above the Waterworks means a long walk from Ballure or the Gooseneck; but the S-bend provides a super vantage point. The slight remodelling of the road profile and new surface have made it faster. The action in this race was excellent for the connoisseurs who had gathered to watch it. First to reach us was Dean Harrison; it still seems strange for him not to be in DAO colours; instead, it was the dark blue of the Russell Racing team. The flying Dunlop was next, and like Harrison, he kept it pinned through the bends. The action was excellent as Coward, Paul Jordan (Prez Yamaha), Davo Johnson, James Hillier, Davey Todd and the Peter Hickman, on the lovely sounding Triumph, charged past us. Dunlop set a sector record to the Bungalow and led by 4.49s at the top of the mountain. Harrison was now 4.16s in front of Hickman. After a lap at 128.305mph, Dunlop led Harrison (127.643mph) by 5.49s as they raced past the Grandstand. Hicky was third, 4.63s down on Harrison. Coward, Todd, Hillier, and Hind were next; they all lapped at over 125mph. Best of the locals was birthday boy Mikey Evans in 11th. Dunlop set another sector record to lead by 7.37s at Glen Helen; Harrison was also rapid adding 1.8s to his advantage over Hickman. By Ramsey, Dunlop was inside lap record pace and led by 11.22s. Hickman was now matching Harrison whose advantage was 6.46s. At the end of the lap Dunlop was just shy of his own lap record; with a lap at 129.136mph; his advantage entering the pits was now 13.44s; with Harrison 8.6s ahead of Hickman. Jim Hind dropped from 7th to 11th for being well over the pit lane speed limit. Julian Trummer suffered a similar fate for being just 0.1kph over the limit. A rapid pit stop gained Harrison 1.5s over Dunlop and 1s over Hickman. In his early years at the event Dunlop would have continued to wring the neck off the bike; not now; he showed his maturity by riding to his boards and managing his advantage over Harrison. At Glen Helen the lead was 11.13s; with Harrison 10.60s ahead of Hickman. Coward, Todd and Hillier continued to fill the leader board places. Hickman upped his pace and began to edge closer to Harrison; the gap down to 8.3s as they began the mountain climb. At the end of the lap the lead was 17.53s; but the advantage for Harrison had been narrowed to 3.94mph. Hickman was on a mission; he set the best ever sector time from Glen Helen to Ballaugh to be just 2.34s down as they approached the half distance marker. With Dunlop managing the lead at around 16s, all eyes were on the battle for second. At Ramsey, Harrison’s advantage was down to 1.12s; at the Bungalow it was just 0.12s. At Cronk ny mona Hickman had grabbed second place; 0.275s ahead of Harrison. Hickman was the fastest on the last 1.1 miles to the finish; to take second place by 0.394s after 4 laps of the most demanding course in the world. The lap record remained intact; however, Michael broke his old race record with his average of 126.880mph. Hickman’s average was 126.516mph; with Harrison’s 126.504mph. Coward took a superb fourth; edging out Todd by 2.84s. Hillier completed the leader board at the end of a scintillating race. Race 2 promises to be just as close, if not closer. Mikey Evans was best local in 12th; Ryan Cringle was the best newcomer in 22nd; he averaged 117.979 mph and his best lap was over the magic 120mph barrier; a superb first race. The second race of the day was for the Sidecars; a class dominated by Ben and Tom Birchall; they have won every race that they have completed since 2013. They grabbed the early initiative; leading by 3.962s from Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley at Glen Helen. Ryan and Callum Crowe; getting faster with each lap after their first practice mishap; held third. John Holden / Maxime Vasseur; Gary Bryan / Philip Hyde and newcomer driver Daryl Gibson with Tom Christie completed the nascent leader board. Four of the 25 outfits did not reach Glen Helen; three were past winners; Dave Molyneux; Tim Reeves and Conrad Harrison. At Ballaugh, the lead was up to 5.095s; with the Crowe brothers 7.9s down on Founds / Walmsley. Founds was not going to lie down; he and Walmsley were fastest on the run to Ramsey; cutting the lead to 3.552s. The outfits were superb at Tower bends; tight to the wall on the inside of the right hand part of the s-bend; tight to the grass verge on the inside of the left hand part and out close to the wall on the exit. The Birchalls were quickest on the mountain climb widening the lead to 4.84s. Founds was quickest on the final two sectors cutting the lead to 3.36s at the Grandstand. The opening laps for the leading crews were; 118.577mph; 118.230mph and 115.875mph. Having settled into their rhythm, the Birchall brothers pulled the pin on the second lap. They set the fastest ever sector time to Glen Helen; 1.6s inside lap record pace, to lead by 6.778s. The Crowe bothers were now 27.5s behind Founds / Walmsley, in a (seemingly) safe third place. Two more sector record times saw the Birchalls leave Ramsey 12.545s ahead of Founds / Walmsley. They set new sector records for Ramsey to Bungalow and Bungalow to Cronk ny Mona; with Founds / Walmsley taking that honour on the final stretch. At the end of the historic first ever 120mph sidecar lap the Birchall brothers led by 16.009s. The new record is 120.357mph; almost unbelievable for those of us who can remember Dick Greasley / Mick Skeels putting up the first 100mph lap, on a 700cc Yamaha outfit. The Crowe brothers were forced to retire at Keppel gate; this promoted John Holden / Maxime Vasseur to the final podium place. The Ramsdens held fourth, Gibson / Christie 5th and Bryan / Hyde 6th as the final lap began. The Birchalls eased their pace slightly on the final lap; keeping their lead at around the 20s mark. They duly came home to their 10th consecutive win at a record average speed of 119.365mph; 24.066s clear of Founds / Walmsley (118.529mph). Holden / Vasseur took third place; how heartening to see a French competitor on the podium. Steve and Matty Ramsden (father and son) finished fourth; Bryan / Hyde eased past Gibson / Christie on the mountain climb and took sixth by just 2.43s. The next race is the Superbike TT; scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Practice pace is fastest ever; Crowe brothers back on track; at TT 2023.

Another evening of warm, sunny weather brought a large crowd to the Bungalow to watch as the pace on track rose once again. The first session was for the big bikes. Peter Hickman, on his FHO Racing Superstock machine, was the first leave the Grandstand and take the plunge down Bray Hill. He was followed by Dean Harrison who had chosen his DAO Kawasaki Superbike. Davey Todd was next away, he chose his Milenco Padgett’s Superstock; teammate Conor Cummins was out his stocker that had, so far, refused to complete a lap. As the lap progressed, Harrison chipped away at the 10s starting interval and at the Bungalow he was right behind Hickman as they swept through the left hander; crossed the tramlines and powered through the right hander and away to Brandywell. Todd was next; soon followed by Michael Dunlop; also Superstock mounted. That machine looks to be sorted; Michael able to hold a tighter line than the other top men. Jamie Coward, Josh Brookes, Conor Cummins, John McGuinness and Phil Crowe were noted as being rapid around the S bend; with Conor using less lean angle than the others. Harrison proved to be the fastest man on track raising his Superbike speed to 133.284mph; quite simply amazing. Hickman posted 131.920mph; but that was eclipsed by Dunlop who raised his best to 132.694mph. Todd put in his best lap at 131.711mph; with Conor at last putting in a lap; his speed was 129.825mph. Jamie Coward is getting to grips with his new KTS Racing Honda, he lapped at 129.818mph on the Superbike version. Hickman and Harrison went straight through for a second lap; whilst Michael Dunlop changed to his Superbike. Harrison was first through the Bungalow and was getting maximum value from his knee slider. The lean angle the modern riders can achieve is something to behold. Hickman was close behind and it was clear that they were really trying. Dunlop was spectacular; right out to the very edge of the tarmac on the exit as he charged up the rise to the highest point at Brandywell. Harrison raised his best to 113.514mph; Hickman set the best Superstock lap at 133.284. Dunlop; from a standing start, put his Hawk Honda around at 132.896mph. Jamie Coward broke the 130mph for the first time on a Honda (he has done so on a Yamaha) with 130.940mph and the old master, John McGuinness, proved that class endures by recording a lap at 130.035mph. Michael Rutter put his raucous Honda around at 129.147mph. On the third lap Dunlop was even quicker through the checkpoints leading up to the Bungalow, where he was once again using every inch of the road on the exit. What could have been the best lap of the week was ultimately not; because it was a short lap due the Supersport / Supertwin session being underway when he reached the Grandstand. Despite this, his speed was an extremely impressive 133.367mph. Hickman was just shy of 132mph on his standing start lap on the Superbike and Conor Cummins joined the 130mph club on his, recording 130.615mph. The first Supersport to reach the Bungalow as that of the rising French star, Pierre-Yves Bian on the Trooper Beer PHR Triumph; he was neat and fast. He ended the evening just shy of the 120mph mark. Dean Harrison has taken to his Supersport Yamaha, like a duck to water, and duly set the best speed on the first lap, with 124.990mph; Michael Dunlop close behind with 124.973mph. Dean was faster second time around setting a speed of 125.494mph to go second in the overall charts behind Michael. Late in the session, Peter Hickman put his Triumph around the course at 127.206mph to displace Michael’s Monday best from top spot in the overall speed charts. In the Supertwins, Jamie Coward, Mike Browne and Josh Brookes stood out at the Bungalow; with Francesco Curinga impressive as he settles into his first TT; he set a personal best of 114.552mph. The best lap of the night was Coward’s 120.912mph; this leaves him second to Michael Dunlop; who blitzed the lap record in the first session of the week. Quietly spoken Irishman Mike Browne is a real contender for a podium finish; he put the gorgeous Paton around at 119.78mph. Josh Brookes is having his first ride on a Supertwin and is getting to grips with the job; he set a new personal best of 116.937mph; just ahead of Dominic Herbertson. Past winner Michael Rutter completes the top 6 in this class. Mathieu Lagrive is best of the newcomers at 117.088mph on his Optimark Yamaha; with local rider Ryan Cringle, AGR Honda, second at 116.319mph. Former Pike’s Peak winner Rennie Scaysbrook; in his first Superbike outing has reached 117.069mph on the Wilson Craig Honda. Young local Jorge Halliday has topped 110mph on his Supersport Stanford Yamaha. The Sidecars were last out; the sun was dipping ever closer to the horizon and the temperature was falling as they set off. The really good news was that Ryan and Callum were on track; okay to continue after their little excursion at Laurel Bank on Monday. They were going to take it steady on the first lap and ease back into race mode; their idea of steady was 114.128mph. As expected, it was close at the sharp end; at the end of the evening, it was the Birchall brothers who prevailed with a best lap of 118.523mph. Peter founds and Jevan Walmsley were 3.528s slower; their speed was 118.159mph. Alan founds has a new passenger in Colin Smyth; they ended the session with a lap at just over 100mph. Thursday; for decades the day for afternoon practice; will have another full set of practice sessions; but in the evening. Friday will have a full set; but in the afternoon; confused? so is everyone else; but afternoon sessions are the best in my opinion. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Hickman and Birchall brothers the pacesetters at TT 2023.

The evening was warm, almost calm; with clear blue skies and that meant problems with dazzle on the run out to Ballacraine and again on the mountain climb from Gooseneck to Mountain Box (aka East Snaefell Gate). On the drive out to Kirk Michael it was noticeable that most vantage points had a large number of spectators for so early in the event; especially at Ballaugh and the White House, Kirk Michael. The first rider to reach Douglas Road Corner was Dean Harrison on the DAO Kawasaki Superbike; he was closely followed by Michael Dunlop who was aboard his MD Racing Honda Superstock machine. The spectacle is amazing as they blast along the narrow road through the village at 160mph. Davo Johnson was next on his Jackson Racing Honda Superbike, and he is right back on the pace after his enforced absence from last year’s event. After Jamie Coward and James Hillier had flashed past on their Superbikes; Josh Brookes came towards us on his FHO Racing BMW; he was late tipping the bike in and ran very wide; throwing up some dust. Thankfully, he was able to power away through the village. Having had that little scare; the rest of the evening was peaceful for the marshals on duty. Peter Hickman was next; he was fast and bang on line on his FHO BMW. Davy Todd and Conor Cummins were both rapid on their Milenco Padgett Honda Superbikes. The action was excellent for the spectators at Douglas Road Corner; many of whom were from France. Dean Harrison was first to complete the lap; he set the bar at 131.974mph; with Michael Dunlop achieving 131.843mph on the stocker; faster than his Superbike time from yesterday; clearly this machine is set up perfectly. Peter Hickman then took top spot with the first 132mph; his exact speed being 132.079mph. Conor Cummins; never one to push hard in practice; recorded 130.294mph; with Todd not far behind on 129.920mph. Jamie Coward and James Hillier achieved 128.488mph and 128.029mph respectively. Despite his little moment in Kirk Michael, Josh Brookes was second to Michael in the Superstocks at 126.282mph. The lowering sun was proving more problematic; there were yellow flags at Creg ny Baa following Matt Stevenson’s off; we wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries. There were also yellow flags between the bottom of Barregarrow and Westwood due to oil on the track caused by Mark Gooding’s expiring machine. The action was still excellent, and some fast times were set. Dean Harrison at 131.351mph; with Hicky marginally faster at 131.712mph. Michael Dunlop changed to his Hawk Honda Superbike and set a speed of 131.141mph; whilst Davey Todd and Jamie Coward both topped the 129mph mark. Conor Cummins suffered another mechanical; going out at the 33rd. Hickman then set off for a lap on his Superstock machine; but that did not go as planned. He had an off piste trip up the slip road at Braddan Bridge; re-joined the course; but eventually pulled off at Ballacraine. Away from the race favourites some fast speeds were set, Shaun Anderson ended third in the Superstock at 125.841mph and the impressive Mike Browne set 125.745mph; both could break the 130mph barrier come race day. The cleaning of the road due to the oil spill meant that the session for Supersports and Supertwins was cancelled. The food weather should allow that time to be made up later in the week. The sidecars were allowed out later but faced the ever lowering sun and the yellow flags from Barregarrow to Westwood. The Birchall brothers were first to Kirk Michael and took the corner fine style; as did Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley. Tim Reeves / Mark Wilkes had been caught on the road by Gary Bryan / Phil Hyde. The speed table showed the Birchalls at the top with 116.828mph; with Founds / Walmsley second at 116.110mph. Bryan / Hyde set 110.146mph with Reeves / Wilkes setting 109.623mph on what was their first lap. Only 5 outfits went out for a second lap; the Birchall brothers raised the bar to 118.316mph; whilst Reeves / Wilkes upped their pace to 112.338mph. The Ramsdens joined the 110mph group with 110.236mph. The evening ended with the news that Jake Lowther; passenger to Alan Founds had withdrawn from the meeting; leaving one of the race favourites on the sidelines. Read the full article

[sbknews]

Blistering start to TT 2023 sees Dunlop top of all solo classes; Founds / Walmsley head sidecars.

The 2023 isle of man TT was blessed with perfect conditions for the opening practice sessions. In a departure from the long established norm, the sessions were run in the late morning and afternoon; meaning that the low evening sun was not a factor. The Gooseneck was warm and had attracted a decent number of spectators. The sweeping left hand bend below it was the chosen position for the first; untimed session. The inside of the rising right hand bend the position for the first timed sessions. The escorted laps for the newcomers was the first matter to be attended to. All completed their lap apart from Derek Lynch / Anthony McDonnell who had a mechanical issue. They completed the mandatory lap at the end of the timed sessions. The idea of the untimed first session was to ease pressure on the riders and allow them a way to ease into the event and take note of the changes made around the track; perhaps the most important being the resurfacing of part of Sulby Straight. Michael Dunlop was first on the road in the Supersport / Lightweight session and he was certainly not easing in; he was well clear of the pack and right on the pace as the swept through the left hander and then braked hard before the rising right hander. Most of the seeded riders chose to use their Supersport machines for the opening lap. Josh Brookes was out the Dafabet Kawasaki that was scheduled to be ridden by Gary Johnson; who is unable to ride after his accident at Horice. The Superbikes and Superstocks were next on track and again we had a well-attended session, and the riders were not exactly easing their way in; they were rapid, no doubt confident that the track was in good order. Conor Cummins had to retire at Ballacraine; whilst Paul Williams was brought off at Laurel Bank by a pheasant, he escaped injury. The Sidecars completed their untimed session with the Birchall brothers leading the pack; with Peter Founds / Jevan Walmsley and the Crowe brothers close behind. After a brief lunch interval, the serious action began with the timed sessions; run in the same order as the morning sessions.  The temperature at trackside had risen and that on the track was about to astound us. Dean Harrison was first to break the afternoon peace as he came into view on his Supersport and then took the corner in fine style before blasting away up the mountain climb. Michael Dunlop was on his Lightweight (Supertwin) machine and had the commentary team excited because he was on lap record pace. The action was fast and furious; one of the early arrivals was Davo Johnson; he has the number 1 plate; it was good to see him back after he missed last year with an injury. Another noted as going rapidly was multiple MGP winner James Hind. Local star Conor Cummins was just about the fastest around the corner; he was on his Supersport Milenco Padgett Honda. The commentary team was right to be excited; Michael Dunlop was on record pace; he went around at 122.907mph; his official mark from 2018 being 122.750mph; that was set in the race, on a well rubbered in track. This left him clear at the top of the speed charts from Jamie Coward (119.758mph) and Brian McCormack (118.971mph). Josh Brookes settled quickly on the unfamiliar twin to set a best of 116.470mph. One thing is clear, Peter Hickman’s Yamaha is going to have to be very special if he is to beat Michael in this class. Peter Hickman was for some time the fastest man in the Supersport class; his second lap of 126.604mph being his best. Dean Harrison recorded 125.494mph and Davey Todd 124.604mph. Having parked his Paton; Dunlop jumped aboard his Supersport Yamaha and scorched around the course to set the best lap of the session at 127.019mph. The big bikes were out next and what a spectacle they provided; the speeds simply amazing for the first session. Phil Crowe was first to reach us and going very quickly. Next was Dean Harrison on the DAO Kawasaki Superbike; he was on 130mph pace; a few places behind; Michael Dunlop was at an almost identical pace on his Superstock MD Honda. It seemed that everyone was achieving the kind of pace not normally seen until the (what was traditional until now) Thursday afternoon session. Dean Harrison had the honour of recording the first 130mph lap at this year’s meeting; his speed was 130.752mph. Seconds later, Michael Dunlop brought his Superstock into the paddock after his table topping lap at 130.426mph. John McGuinness sounds very comfortable with his bikes and eased his way in with a lap at 127.881mph. Josh Brookes has settled straight back into the TT and he set a lap of 125.742mph on his Superbike; later he set 126.404mph on his Superstock machine. Peter Hickman was one of the later starters but that did not prevent him from taking second place in the Superbike chart with his lap of 130.272mph on his FHO BMW. Michael Dunlop switched to his Superbike and unsurprisingly lapped at over 130mph. Dean Harrison then raised the bar to 131.764mph; with Hickman posting 131.254mph. Dunlop was not to be outdone; he put the Hawk Fireblade around at 131.782mph. He was very neat at the Gooseneck and the bike was an absolute missile going up the climb towards Guthrie’s. Michael has put down a marker that he is fit; strong; has a settled team; great bikes and is ready to increase his tally of wins. There were some good speeds from the newcomers; the best being Erno Kostamo at 115.468mph; Matthieu Lagrive and Ryan Cringle both topped 111mph. The sidecars were impressive; one or two were a tad over enthusiastic; but great to watch as always. There are some interesting fairing designs; perhaps they will allow the 120mph barrier to be broken. The slight surprise was that Ben and Tom Birchall did not top the chart. Fastest were Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley at 117.431mph; with Ben and Tom recording 117.153mph. Daryl Gibson was Dave Molyneux’s passenger last year; he clearly knows how to drive the outfit; he set a lap of 107.497mph with Tom Christie in the chair. We can now draw breath and wait for tomorrow evening’s session which fires up at 6.30pm. Read the full article

[sbknews]

A new star rises at record breaking Pre-TT Classic.

The final day of racing at the Pre-TT Classic meeting brought some great racing and saw the emergence of a new star. The weather was kind; with bright sunshine, tempered by a light breeze. There was a good crowd at the final corner; Castletown Corner; to watch the action unfold. First race was the Greystones LLC Senior Classic. There was more drama before the race began that during it. On the warm-up lap Dominic Herbertson had an engine blow up at Ballabeg; this brought him off and deposited oil on the track. It was back to the paddock whilst the clear up took place. Then after the second warm up lap Jamie Coward was forced to pull off the line with a broken clutch cable. This robbed us of a repeat of the tight battle seen in the previous day’s 1100cc race. Adam McLean (Royal Enfield) was quickest to react to the lights and led into Ballakeighan; it was a lead that he was never to lose. At Castletown Corner on the opening lap, he had a couple of seconds lead from Mike Hose (Yamaha); with third being contested by Alan Oversby (Honda) and Andy Hornby (MV Agusta). Lap 2 saw McLean well clear of Oversby; whilst he had pulled clear of the battle for third in which Hornby had taken a slender advantage. With a clear lead, McLean eased his pace and rode to his boards coming home to win by 11.6s at 93.884mph. Oversby rode a lonely race to second place; whilst the battle for third that saw many positional changes was eventually settled in favour of Andy Hornby by just 0.54s. Russ Mountford took 5th; with Will Loder completing the top 6. The next race was the Quine & Cubbon 250cc Classic and 125cc Post Classic Race. Keith Shannon (Suzuki) was quickest away from the lights, and he was never headed. In a repeat of the previous race, he set his best time on lap 2; then eased his pace to ensure that he finished. Second onto the bridge at Castletown Corner on the opening lap was Richard Ford (Suzuki); but that was to be the only time that we saw him. In third, and leading the 125cc class was promising newcomer Owen Monaghan (Honda); sadly, he too was to be forced out with machine problems. Behind them was a battle that lasted for the race distance; it was between Andy Hunt (Ducati), Barry Davidson (Honda) and Billy Cummins (Suzuki). They changed positions many times; but finished in this order. Behind them came the eventual 125cc class winner, Jeff Smith. Third race of the afternoon was the VMCC Junior Classic. The first lap charge into Castletown Corner was headed by Alan Oversby (Honda), from Russ Mountford (Honda); riding his final race before retiring from the sport; Dominic Herbertson (Honda) and Adam McLean (Royal Enfield). Barry Davidson (Honda) and Andy Hornby (MV Agusta) completed the top 6. It was not to be Oversby’s day, he suffered machine problems and limped home to retire at the end of lap 2. Herbertson was out to make up for his earlier disappointment and was the leader by a couple of metres from Mountford; Davidson. McLean with 20m adrift with Hornby 50m further back. Herbertson was gradually easing away from the chasers; Davidson had passed Mountford who was being closed by McLean. Hornby was in fifth; but he was soon to retire the MV. Herbertson controlled the race and duly came home to win by 4.4s from McLean who had taken second from Davidson on the penultimate lap; McLean’s best lap of 89.688mph was simply amazing for a 350cc single. Davison took another podium finish; with Russ Mountford settling for fourth in his last race. What a rider he has been over the years; we wish him a long, healthy and happy retirement. The top 6 was completed by Will Loder; who made up for a slow start with some fast laps on his Greeves; with sixth taken by newcomer Harley Rushton on his Honda. Next event was the Consolation race for the riders who missed out on the main races. Terence Sansom controlled the race and duly won 4.85s from Richard ford, with rod Graham third. The eagerly awaited UGGLY Senior Superbike race was next, and it provided great racing with the lap and race records being beaten. The first lap saw Paul Jordan in the lead as the riders accelerated hard away towards the start and finish line; he was just a couple of metres ahead of Joe Yeardsley; with lap record holder Jamie Coward a similar distance behind. Rhys Hardisty was fourth on his lovely RG Suzuki; one of the few non-Kawasaki machines in the race. Marc Colvin and Aaron Hughes completed the top 6. Hughes was to retire on lap 3; allowing Mike Hose to take 6th; Hose was recovering from a slow start. On lap 2, the leader was Coward; he led by 10m from Yeardsley and Jordan who were side by side going down the bypass. On lap 3 the leader was Coward; but Yeardsley was right on his tail and learning as they went along. The pace had gone up and Jordan was unable to match it; he dropped back as he race progressed but was safe in third; lapping 2 mph faster than the chasing trio of Colvin, Hardisty and Hose. On lap 4, Yeardsley led as they powered out of the tight bend and charged away to start lap 5. Coward was in the slipstream and duly retook the lead. The pace increased as they fought for the laurels. The lap record was broken on lap 5 and again on lap 6; Yeardsley setting the new mark at 106.535mph; with Coward raising his best to 106.412mph. Coward was still the leader as they began the final lap; however, Yeardsley was not going to concede and managed to be the first to come into our view from Stadium Bend. He had a 10m gap and that was enough to allow him to ensure that Coward could not try a demon dive on the brakes into Castletown Corner. He gained good drive out the corner and despite the best efforts of Coward he took victory by 0.6s; much to the delight of the locals in the crowd. His performance was stellar given that his first ever road race was in this race last year. He gave praise to Coward at the end saying that he had learned a lot from Jamie. Jordan completed his race 27s down on Coward. Mike Hose, Andy Sailor and Marc Colvin completed the top 6; the three were covered by just 4.3s. The second 3 Wheeling Sidecar Race was the final one on the programme. Lap record holders Kieran Clarke / Andrew Johnson made a better start than in race 1 and led the field through Ballakeighan on lap 1. They were 10m ahead of Bob Dawson / Matthew Sims, with Jack Gristwood / Alice Smith holding third as they went through Castletown Corner. The order was the same on lap 2; but just after they left us the red flag ended proceedings and the result was declared at the end of lap 1. Danny Quirk / Dylan Weston crashed on the exit to Stadium. Quirk has broken a collarbone; but has been released from hospital. Weston has suffered leg fractures and has been flown to the UK for specialist treatment. We wish him a full and speedy recovery. This superbly run and very friendly meeting provided an excellent curtain raiser for the TT Festival. Read the full article