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Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix
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A stunning collection of Joey Dunlop race machines will be exhibited in the race paddock at the 2014 Isle of Man Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts.
The exhibition is part of the Isle of Man Classic TTs Joey Dunlop Road Racing Legend tribute theme, which also includes a parade lap featuring his greatest rivals and an '80s themed fancy dress paddock carnival and party.
The free pop up exhibition, which runs from Friday 22nd to Monday 25th August, will feature 25 authentic machines raced by Joey Dunlop in his 24 year career, including a number of his Isle of Man TT winning machines. Collectors, friends and members of Joey's own family have loaned the machines to the Classic TT Race organisers.
As you would expect Honda, the marque synonymous with Joey Dunlop, dominate the exhibition including iconic RC45s, RC30s, RS250s, RS125s, CBR 600's and his 1986 Senior TT winning RS500. However, the exhibition, will also feature other machines from earlier in his career including Yamaha's and Suzuki's along with the 350cc Aermacchi he rode in the Classic MGP Races.
David Cretney, the Isle of Man Government's Minister for Fun, who will open the exhibition ahead of Thursday's qualifying session, commented:
"We wanted to pay an appropriate tribute to one of road racing's greatest names and what better way than to assemble the finest collection of his race bikes for the first time."
He continued:
"We have had a brilliant response from the bike owners in loaning their machines and are very grateful for their generosity. From a personal point of view, as someone who was involved in the TT races during Joey's career, it will bring back many great memories and I hope that as many fans as possible visit the exhibition."
Tickets are now on sale and selling fast for the 2014 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts. VIP experiences, Grandstand tickets, Classic TT Heroes Dinner and Classic TT Party tickets can be purchased from www.iomtt.com or by phoning 00 44 (0)1624 640000.
Travel and accommodation packages to suit all budgets and requirements are available from Official Classic TT Travel Agency Regency Travel on +44 (0)1624 694456 or [email protected].
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Two time TT Race winner Cameron Donald will make his return to the Mountain Course in August for the Isle of Man Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts with the Australian ace contesting both the Bennetts 500cc Classic TT and Okells 350cc Classic TT Races for Ripley Land Racing. Donald will line up on the team's 500cc Seeley G50 and 350cc 7R AJS as he did in 2013
36-year old Donald, who rode the factory Norton at this year's TT, enjoyed a strong Classic TT meeting twelve months ago, with the highlight his second place overall in the 350cc Classic TT Race. The Melbourne rider was the winner of the 350cc GP1 class last year and became the first rider to break the 100mph barrier on a standard frame AJS 7R.
He was also the fastest 500cc two valve single through the speed trap and was lying in fourth place in the race after an opening lap of 106.861mph before being forced to retire a lap later.
Ripley Land Racing have been stalwarts of the classic scene for numerous years and Chris Palmer gave them the overall victory in last year's overall 350cc Classic TT Race, giving them a superb 1-2, and he also took the corresponding race at the Manx Grand Prix in 2012. The team, owned by Ian Garbutt, still hopes to secure the services of a leading TT rider to ride the same 350cc Honda ridden by Palmer.
Speaking about his Classic TT return, Cameron Donald commented:
"I loved every minute of last year's Classic TT and I am delighted that I have the chance to go back and get involved in some more racing around the TT Course. The atmosphere was fantastic last year and I love the whole classic racing scene. It is an honour to ride motorcycles as well prepared as the ones Ripley Land Racing provide me with and hopefully we can break a few more records and get ourselves back onto the podium."
Tickets are now on sale and selling fast for the 2014 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts. VIP experiences, Grandstand tickets, Classic TT Heroes Dinner and Classic TT Party tickets can be purchased from www.iomtt.com or by phoning 00 44 (0)1624 640000.
Travel and accommodation packages to suit all budgets and requirements are available from Official Classic TT Travel Agency Regency Travel on +44 (0)1624 694456 or [email protected]
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This year's event has a headline sponsor, IMGold, for the first time in the event's 91 year history.
Competitors representing eighteen countries will line up on Glencrutchery Road, including riders from destinations as far flung as the United States of America, Australia and the Faroe Islands as well as Germany, France, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Austria. Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man are all well represented.
Entries are at their highest number since 2003. The five race programme - Newcomers (A, B and C) Race, the Junior, the Supertwin, Lightweight and the Senior - was oversubscribed with multiple entries for each class.
Following a week of qualifying, which starts on Saturday 16th August 2014, the racing gets underway in earnest with the now traditional curtain raiser, the Newcomers Race, which this year runs on Monday 25th August. This year 76 newcomers will line up in the three category races - up to 750cc, 650cc and 125/400cc.
Wednesday's double-header race day opens with the Junior Manx Grand Prix and front runners confirmed to take part include Wilson and Collins rider Mike Moulai and Loughborough's Andy Soar, who finished second in a remarkable race in the 2012 MGP Senior, his debut year. Manchester rider Anthony Redmond has the prestigious number 1 slot and is also one of the expected front-runners as are Manx riders Glen Harrison and Paul Smythe and the 2012 Newcomer A race winner Kamil Holan from the Czech Republic.
The Raceday concludes with the SuperTwin Race for 650 machines and the Lightweight Race for 125/400 machines. This exciting class, which was introduced in 2011, boasts an increased entry of 65 riders including 1993 F1 TT Race winner Nick Jefferies. Rob Hodson, from the Wigan racing dynasty, Andy Farrell and Joe Phillips are all expected to challenge for honours while 2013 Newcomers B Race winner Callum Collister from the Isle of Man will also be looking to get on the podium this year. In the concurrent 400cc class Alex Sinclair, Ben Rae, the 2013 newcomers C race winner and Isle of Man riders Dave Corlett and Dave Taylor are among the pre-race favourites.
The meeting concludes with the prestigious Blue Riband Senior TT, which is sponsored this year by Martin Bullock's Full Factory - Winnerswear. Past winners of this iconic Race include Harold Daniel (1933), Geoff Duke (1949) and Phil Read (1960). None of the confirmed starters has ever won the race before so a new name will be inscribed on the trophy. As well as the stunning trophies, this year's race winners will each also receive a silver ingot from MGP sponsor IMGold.
Harvey Garton, Chairman, Manx Motorcycle Club commented:
"We are delighted to have such a high number of entries for this year's Manx Grand Prix from all around the world, testament to the event's growing appeal. For many of our competitors appearing in the Manx Grand Prix represents a huge personal and financial commitment and I would encourage everyone to come and support these remarkable individuals and celebrate their achievements."
www.iomtt.com
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Douglas, Isle of Man. Frances Thorp, the Honorary Secretary of the TT Riders Association for the past eleven years, has been awarded this year's PokerStars Spirit of the TT Award. The position is unpaid and subject to an election every year.
Ex-racer Freddie Frith formed the charity, which provides funds for old and injured riders and their families, in 1953. All current and former TT riders are eligible to join. Frances' husband Tom, who passed away in 2012, competed at the TT and MGP from 1956 to 1962 and was a TTRA member.
The charity is made up of an Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, four committeemen and a President with a new president elected each year. Current president is Mortons Media Publisher Malcolm Wheeler while previous presidents have included Phillip McCallen, Mike Hailwood MBE, John Surtees MBE, Joey Dunlop, Stanley Woods and Geoff Duke OBE.
The TTRA operates a number of fundraising events in the UK and worldwide through the year including their high profile annual lunch at the NEC in Birmingham during Motorcycle Live. The charity has helped hundreds of riders and their families past and present over its sixty-year history but never reveals individual details. Frances is regularly seen operating and managing the '38th milestone', the meeting point behind the grandstand for ex-riders during the TT Races and Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling.
David Cretney, Isle of Man Government Political Member with responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport said:
"Frances is a worthy recipient of this year's award. The incredible work that she puts in to fundraise for the TT Riders Association is second to none and many riders past and present have benefitted from her efforts."
Representatives from the Isle of Man Government's Motorsport team including David Cretney, the Isle of Man Government representative with responsibility for Motorsport and Tourism, TT rider liaison officers Richard Quayle and John Barton, ACU Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson and PokerStars Head of Corporate Communications Eric Hollreiser judged the award. Nominations were invited from members of the public and from officials associated with the TT.
The award is given to the person or team who best represent the ethos and values of the TT Races including decency, honesty, generosity, courage, compassion, integrity, respect, teamwork and commitment to the development of the races.
Previous winners of the award have included Paul Owen in 2010, Conor Cummins in 2011 and sidecar duo Ben and Tom Birchall who won the award in 2012. Longest serving TT Marshal Eric Alexander, 81, who first marshalled at the TT in 1952, won the 2013 award.
PokerStars Director of Corporate Communications Eric Hollreiser commented:
"The TT Riders Association is a tremendous charity that does incredible work behind the scenes and is a hugely important and relevant part of the overall TT organisation. We are delighted to be able to recognise both their efforts and Frances' work with this award."
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Michael Dunlop joined Steve Hislop and Phillip McCallen on 11 wins at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy when he took Friday afternoon’s PokerStars Senior TT race, the second year in succession when he’s won 4 races in a week.
The BMW Motorrad rider was down in seventh at Glen Helen, the first timing point, on the opening lap but steadily moved through the leaders on the opening lap. He eventually took the win by exactly 14 seconds from Honda Racing’s Conor Cummins with the Tyco Suzuki of Guy Martin in third.
With conditions all around the Mountain Course remaining perfect throughout the 6-lap race, the second Tyco Suzuki ridden by William Dunlop held the lead in the early stages, ahead by 1.3 seconds at Glen Helen with Cummins and Martin in second and third from Dean Harrison, John McGuinness and James Hillier.
William still led at Ramsey but Michael was beginning to make his move, closing the gap to just one second and by the end of the lap Michael was in front. His lap of 130.628mph gave him a 0.8s lead over Martin with Cummins, William Dunlop and Harrison in hot pursuit, just 3s covering the top five.
On the second lap, Dunlop and the BMW really began to make their mark on the race and with a new lap record, for the Senior race, of 131.668mph, he went 7.7s clear as he came into the pits for his first stop. William had edged out Martin for second as Cummins slipped back to fourth. Harrison remained in fifth as a slow starting Bruce Anstey moved up to sixth.
Lap three saw some major changes though and while Michael remained in the lead, Cummins and Martin moved up to second and third respectively as William Dunlop crashed at the Les Graham Memorial, the 28-year reported to have received a suspected broken leg and was taken by airmed to Nobles Hospital. Harrison was also out, retiring at Sulby.
The gap between Michael Dunlop and Conor Cummins went up to 13s at Ramsey on the fourth lap, but by the pits and the second stop, it was down to 9.5s as Cummins was the quickest on the fourth lap at 130.499mph. Martin was 10s further back in third, with Dunlop having caught him on the road, as Anstey, Hillier and McGuinness now slotted into fourth to sixth.
At Glen Helen on the penultimate lap, just 7s separated Dunlop and Cummins with the former circulating on the road with Hillier, McGuinness and Martin also encountering heavy traffic. However, the Ballymoney rider fought his way to the front of the quartet and once there he was able to build a slightly more comfortable lead.
By the end of the race, the margin was 14s as he swept to his 11th win of his relatively short TT career, with Cummins again justifying Honda’s faith in him in 2nd, 9.6s ahead of Martin who had to settle for third and his 15th TT podium.
Just like twelve months ago Anstey and Hillier battled all the way to the chequered flag, this time for fourth, and it was again the Kiwi who prevailed, this time by 1.4s. Meanwhile, McGuinness, sixth at the end of the opening lap, duly completed the race in the same position to end a difficult week with a solid finish.
Josh Brookes put behind the disappointment of Wednesday’s Supersport race, when he was knocked off by Lee Johnston at Creg ny Baa on the final lap, to finish in a strong seventh with Dan Kneen, Michael Rutter and David Johnson rounding out the top ten.
There was another sensational performance from newcomer Peter Hickman who not only took 11th place but also set the fastest ever lap by a first timer at the Mountain Course with a stunning lap of 129.104mph.
He was the first privateer home ahead of Ian Mackman (15th) but Ivan Lintin’s 16th place was enough to see him wrap up the TT Privateer’s Championship with 97 points overall.
John Ingram and Philip Crowe were reported off at Governors and Gooseneck respectively but both were reported as OK. Martin Jessop, also off at Governors, was taken by ambulance to Nobles hospital with a suspected broken collar bone, while Austrian Horst Saiger was conscious after an incident at Gardeners Lane and taken to Nobles with a leg injury.
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