Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. Tyco BMW confirm William Dunlop withdraws from TT2015

   Posted on 12:11pm Tuesday 9th Jun 2015

   Tyco BMW has confirmed that rider William Dunlop has been ruled out of the rest of this year's Isle of Man TT races fuelled by Monster Energy following a crash at Laurel Bank during yesterday's Superstock qualifying session.

   William was happy with his BMW Motorrad S1000RR machine and was on course for an impressive lap time before the incident, but most importantly William was not seriously injured.

   He has sustained a broken rib and severe bruising and although very disappointed to be losing him from the remainder of the event, Tyco BMW team manager Philip Neill said:

   "It's a cruel blow for William and obviously for the team at what is effectively the biggest road racing event of the year for us all. We had high hopes for William in our first year here at the TT with BMW Motorrad, but we are relieved that he is relatively unscathed, having crashed at a very unforgiving part of the circuit."

   www.tycobmw.com

2. ANSTEY WINS STUNNING RST SUPERBIKE RACE ON THE ISLE OF MAN

   Posted on 9:00am Monday 8th Jun 2015

   Bruce Anstey got the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, up and running in superb style on Sunday afternoon when he swept to a hugely popular victory in the RST Superbike race.

   The Kiwi overhauled early race leader Ian Hutchinson at the beginning of the fifth lap and took his 10th TT win - and first in the Superbike class - by 10.9s with James Hillier taking third after Michael Dunlop crashed out on the final lap.

   After a three-minute delay, the race got underway at 2.03pm and Hutchinson who led at Glen Helen by just 0.2s from Anstey with Hillier in third just half a second further back. However, one of the pre-race favourites Guy Martin was already out having stopped at Ballagarey.

   By Ramsey though, Hillier had taken over at the front with his advantage over Anstey half a second with Hutchinson back in third but only a further half a second adrift. However, an opening lap of 130.959mph gave Hutchinson the lead after the run over the Mountain with his lead over Anstey 1.2s as Hillier slotted into third. Dunlop moved up to fourth with John McGuinness in fifth and Gary Johnson sixth.

   Second time round and Hutchinson eked out his lead at each of the commentary points and with a near identical lap, 130.901mph, the gap over Anstey was up to 4.4s as the riders came in for their first pit stop. Hillier maintained station in third, four seconds down on Anstey, and he'd also caught McGuinness on the road, the 21-times winner still in fifth behind Dunlop. Johnson was holding onto sixth from Conor Cummins and William Dunlop.

   The gap between the leaders remained practically the same all the way round lap three, Hutchinson's lead now 4.79s. Dunlop was up to third, thirteen seconds in arrears with Hillier only two seconds behind. McGuinness was now joined by Honda team-mate Cummins in the top six.

   Anstey was getting firmly into his stride now and all the way round the fourth lap, he reeled Hutchinson in and with a lap of 131.333mph, he was just 0.2s behind coming into the second pit stop and his Valvoline Racing by Padgetts team turned the deficit into an advantage and he was two and a half seconds clear at Glen Helen.

   The 45-year old was now circulating on the roads in close company with McGuinness, Hillier and Dunlop and he pulled a few tenths out at each commentary point. Anstey was getting more and more secure at the front and all eyes fell on Dunlop who was putting in a final lap charge.

   Anstey's lead was up to 5.5s at Ballaugh on the final lap and with a final, flying lap of 131.797mph, he crossed the line a more comfortable 10.9s clear of Hutchinson who was back on a TT podium for the first time since 2010.

   However, Dunlop's final lap charge ended at the Nook when he crashed out after tangling with a slower rider and so Hillier took third, his first Superbike TT podium. McGuinness, William Dunlop and Michael Rutter completed the top six but the incident at the Nook brought the red flag out and no other riders completed the full race distance.

   Following the Dunlop incident, which resulted in the red flag, seventh place onwards was taken from the end of the fifth lap and so Dan Kneen, Peter Hickman, Lee Johnston and David Johnson completed the top ten.

   Gary Johnson also crashed out on the last lap at Guthries but was reported as OK and will be fit for tomorrow's races. Andy Lawson was taken by airmed to Nobles with neck and arm injuries after an accident at Guthries while Scott Wilson, who was the other rider involved in the accident at the Nook was also taken by airmed to Nobles and was reported to have a broken clavicle.
   
   

   
   
   
   Bruce Anstey congratulated by his team, partner team manager Clive Padgett and team members

3. Honda Racing's John McGuinness takes fourth in Isle of Man TT Superbike race‏

   Posted on 12:53pm Sunday 7th Jun 2015

   The 2015 Isle of Man TT RST Superbike race, which had been postponed to today following yesterday’s high winds, got underway just after 2pm this afternoon in near-perfect conditions. The thrilling six-lap race saw Honda Racing’s John McGuinness place fourth overall, while team-mate Conor Cummins was unfortunately forced to retire.

   It was a mixed race for McGuinness who, after setting off first round the 37.73-mile Mountain course, suffered with visibility issues when he lost his visor tear-offs during lap one. Coming into the first pit stop at the end of lap two, the ‘Morecambe Missile’ was still leading on the road, but a suspected problem with the fuel filler meant he and his crew lost vital time and he dropped back going into the third lap.

   Over the remainder of the race, McGuinness pushed hard on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, making up time to close the gap on the leading pack. Although the second pit stop at the four-lap mark was quicker than the first, the suspected fuel filler issue still hindered progress in the pits. The Honda man eventually crossed the line fourth, 13-seconds behind the third-placed rider James Hillier.

   McGuinness’s Honda Racing team-mate Cummins struggled to find pace on the opening lap, but found his rhythm on lap two, improving his times to make his way from eighth to sixth behind McGuinness by the third rotation. Unfortunately, Cummins was forced to retire at Kirk Michael on lap four with a suspected technical problem and the team is now investigating the cause.

   The race was won by Bruce Anstey aboard the Padgetts Motorcycles Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade.

   The next outing for the Honda Racing team will be on Wednesday for an evening practice before the blue riband Senior TT race on Friday 12 June.

4. Honda Racing is ready for action on the Isle of Man

   Posted on 5:03pm Saturday 6th Jun 2015

   Practice week for the 2015 Isle of Man TT races concluded yesterday evening with John McGuinness and Conor Cummins posting the second and seventh-quickest laps respectively around the 37.73-mile Mountain course on their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines.

   A change of schedule saw the RST Superbike race being moved to Sunday 7 June and, with the alteration, an additional practice session had been scheduled for today. This session has now been cancelled, however, due to high winds around the circuit.

   A week of mixed weather conditions saw the first Superbike outing for the Honda Racing duo cancelled completely on Monday due to rain and high winds, but practice began in earnest on Tuesday.

   Both Wednesday's and Thursday's sessions took place in near-perfect conditions with most of the riders recording their fast est times on Thursday night. McGuinness posted a 130.030mph lap, which places him second overall, while team-mate Cummins's 128.331mph lap, also on Thursday, gave him the seventh-fastest time.

   Ian Hutchinson topped the overall Superbike timesheet ahead of McGuinness and Bruce Anstey. The six-lap RST Superbike race is scheduled for tomorrow at 2pm.

5. NEW WEEKEND RACE SCHEDULE FOR ISLE OF MAN TT RACES AS FINAL FULL QUALIFYING SESSION COMPLETED

   Posted on 11:15pm Friday 5th Jun 2015

   With morning rain having cleared, dry roads and clear skies greeted competitors for Friday evening's practice session at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, but increasing winds would be problematical throughout the evening.

   The paddock was already aware that Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson had announced a change to the proposed race schedule with Saturday's RST Superbike moving to Sunday due to a near gale forecast for the Isle of Man.

   The F2 sidecars to go away first and, as with previous sessions, the outfits left the line in numerical order with Dave Molyneux/Ben Binns, Conrad Harrison/Mike Aylott, Ben and Tom Birchall, Tim Reeves/Patrick Farrance and John Holden/Dan Sayle the first five crews to head towards Bray Hill.

   Molyneux led the lap all the way round and was first across the line at 113.12 with Harrison next quickest at 111.96. Holden went to the top of the leaderboard with a speed of 113.22 but pulled in immediately to make adjustments to his suspension. Reeves had a slow lap at 104.91 but the Birchalls fared even worse at 90.65 and clearly had problems.

   Gary Bryan/Jamie Winn and Karl Bennett/Lee Cain posted almost identical times at 109.58 and 109.55 respectively, the former reporting blustery winds over the Mountain.

   Molyneux continued straight through for a second lap and went quickest at 114.687, just a whisker outside Holden's fastest lap of the week set on Thursday. Reeves, who was running in an engine in on his first lap, posted a speed of 113.30 with Gary Knight/Jason Crowe (109.16) and Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Milligan (108.57) also showing well.

   Holden failed to go quicker on his second lap but Knight continued for a third lap and improved again to 109.67.

   At 7.22pm, it was the turn of the Supersport and Lightweight machines with Lee Johnston, Ian Hutchinson, Keith Amor, Conor Cummins, Michael Rutter, Gary Johnon, William Dunlop and John McGuinness the first to leave the line. All were 600cc mounted with the exception of Rutter who was again out on the Paton.

   Hutchinson was first back at 123.13 followed by Johnston on 119.85 and Johnson 117.49. McGuinness went quickest briefly with a speed of 123.99 but that fellow Honda rider Anstey bettered that with 124.36. Speeds fluctuated though with William and Michael Dunlop and Dan Kneen all in the 115-117mph bracket.

   James Hillier was the quickest Lightweight at 113.74 as Rutter pulled in with a broken steering damper but Jamie Hamilton's second lap of 115.74 sent him top.

   Second time around for the 600s and speeds were up too as Hutchinson improved to 124.92. It was close at the top of the leaderboard though with McGuinness, the two Dunlops and Dean Harrison all breaking the 124mph mark.

   The 1000cc machines were let out on the Mountain Course shortly after 8pm with Martin Jessopp away first on the Riders BMW soon followed by Guy Martin (Tyco BMW), Hutchinson (PBM Kawasaki) and William Dunlop (Tyco BMW).

   Martin was first back at 127.861 with Michael Dunlop's opening lap on the BMW Superbike only slightly slower at 127.755. However, Bruce Anstey again showed his race winning credentials with a speed of 129.394 to jump to the top of the leaderboard.

   No one managed to get close to Anstey's lap second time around although Dan Kneen did improve to almost 126mph. One man who did get over the 126mph mark was Dean Harrison who's lap of 126.59 made him the quickest Superstock on the night. Gary Johnson was out of luck though pulling in on the exit of Ballaugh village.

   At the end of the evening a few of the Zero machines also had their first outing ahead of Wednesday's SES TT Zero with lap record holder John McGuinness showing the form that saw him triumph in last year's race with a lap of 113mph although his Mugen Shinden teammate Bruce Anstey broke down. The Victory Racing pair of William Dunlop and Lee Johnston both posted hugely impressive debut laps of 105.185 and 104.185 respectively.