Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. HARRISON CLAIMS DEBUT TT VICTORY WITH BIKE NATION TT LIGHTWEIGHT WIN

   Posted on 5:20pm Friday 6th Jun 2014

   Dean Harrison claimed his first Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy win when he took Friday morning’s 3-lap Bikenation Lightweight race. Held in perfect conditions, the RC Express Racing by MSS Performance rider led from start to finish and ran out victor by 14.6s with last year’s winner James Hillier in second and another youngster, James Cowton, in third.

   With beautiful sunny weather bathing the island, Harrison grabbed the early lead at Glen Helen on the opening lap, his advantage over Hillier just half a second as Cowton slotted into third ahead of Jamie Hamilton, Olie Linsdell and Keith Amor. There was disappointment though for Ivan Lintin, the fastest qualifier, as he only got as far as Union Mills before retiring.

   As the lap progressed, the gap between the front two was increasing all the time and with a first lap speed of 117.897mph, Harrison already had a comprehensive lead of almost ten seconds. Hillier had extended his gap to Cowton too, the margin now 8.4s, as Amor, Hamilton and Linsdell continued to hold onto their top six places but another pre-race favourite Lee Johnston was another early retiree.

   The majority of riders opted to pit at the end of the first lap but one man who didn’t was double Manx GP winner Michael Russell and the leaderboard took on a different look through Glen Helen on lap two. Harrison still led Hillier by ten seconds but Russell was now up to third, just two seconds behind Hillier but only half a second clear of Cowton.

   It was clear that it wouldn’t be until Glen Helen on lap three that the leaderboard would settle down again after all the pit stops had been made but at the end of the lap the order was Harrison, Hillier, Cowton, Amor, Hamilton and Russell. Russell then pitted but his race was over shortly after when he pulled in at Quarterbridge.

   By Glen Helen on the third and final lap, Harrison’s lead had now risen to 18 seconds although Cowton was only four seconds adrift of the 2013 race winner. Amor, Hamilton and Linsdell remained in fourth, fifth and sixth as Harrison, Amor and Hamilton circulated in close formation.

   The Bradford rider was able to control the race in the closing stages and he took the win by 14.6s to emulate the feat of his dad Conrad in Saturday’s opening F2 Sidecar race, the first time a father and son have taken wins in the same week.

   Hillier was secure in second and took his third podium in the class in as many years, with 2012 Newcomers Manx GP winner Cowton having a superb ride into third. Amor, Hamilton and Linsdell had no dramas on the final lap and filled out the top six.

   2012 race winner Ryan Farquhar took seventh ahead of Dan Cooper, Michal Dokoupil and newcomer Martin Jessopp who had a great ride into tenth. Fellow debutante Danny Webb was only two further places back in twelfth.

2. DUNLOP JOINS LEGENDS ON TEN TT RACE WINS

   Posted on 5:00pm Wednesday 4th Jun 2014

   Michael Dunlop joined legendary names Giacomo Agostini, Stanley Woods, Rob Fisher and Ian Lougher on 10 wins when he led the second Monster Energy Supersport TT race from start to finish. Riding his own MD Racing Honda, Dunlop gradually reeled in Bruce Anstey, who started ten seconds in front of him on the road, and the pair circulated together for the second half of the race, the gap at the end 10.089s as the Kiwi, in a display of sportsmanchip, let Michael take the chequered flag first. William Dunlop took third on the Tyco Suzuki.

   The trend for the 4-lap was set from the off with the two Dunlop brothers and Anstey spilt by just a second at Glen Helen with Dean Harrison only a tenth of a second back in fourth. The early sensation of the race was privateer Ivan Lintin in fifth. Two early contenders were reported as retired on the opening lap - Ian Hutchinson at Glen Darragh Road and Conor Cummins at the Highlander.

   Michael was able to eke out a slight lead by Ramsey, the gap to Anstey clocked as two seconds as William slipped back to third albeit only half a second adrift of the Valvoline Racing/Padgetts Honda. Harrison was a further two seconds back with Lintin maintaining his fifth place ahead of Australian Josh Brookes and Northern Ireland racer Lee Johnston.

   An opening lap of 126.256mph gave Dunlop a lead of 4.5s over Anstey with the top four remaining the same. Brookes overhauled Lintin with Guy Martin, Keith Amor, James Hillier and Russ Mountford, another privateer having a great ride, in tenth. Michael Rutter was an early visitor to the pits though as he made adjustments to the Smiths Triumph.

   Dunlop had the magnets on Anstey and he was getting closer and closer to his back wheel, the gap at Glen Helen on corrected time second time around 6.9s and by Ramsey, he was with him. With his lead up to nine seconds, he could now afford to sit with Anstey for the remainder of the race.

   The 25-year old completed the second lap at 127.403mph, the fastest lap of the race, with the official margin to Bruce 9.36s. William Dunlop was six seconds back in third but was looking more secure in the position as Harrison was now also six seconds behind. Brookes and Lintin continued to hold station in fifth and sixth.

   There was little change over the remaining two laps as the leading contenders were all secure in their positions but there was drama on the final lap when Brookes and Lee Johnston, holding onto fifth and seventh respectively at Ramsey on the final lap, went out after an incident at Creg ny Baa, fortunately both escaping injury.

   At the head of the field though, there were no such problems and with Anstey showing great sportsmanship in allowing Dunlop to cross the line first, he took his third win of the week, and tenth in total, ahead of Anstey and brother William.

   Harrison took another good fourth place finish with James Hillier enjoying a better race in fifth, eleven seconds clear of Keith Amor who made steady progression up the leaderboard throughout the race.

   Lintin took seventh, and was comfortably the first privateer home, with Dan Kneen, Dan Stewart and Guy Martin filling the remaining top ten positions.

   The results mean Michael Dunlop is now a clear leader in the Joey Dunlop TT Championship on 91 points followed by Anstey (69) and Harrison (54). Anstey needs to win Friday's Senior to have any chance of overhauling Dunlop. Lintin’s second maximum haul of points has seen edge closer to the TT Privateer’s Championship as he’s moved on to a total of 81 points – only second placed Russ Mountford (64) can now overhaul him.

3. JOHN McGUINNESS POWERS TO SES TT ZERO RACE WIN

   Posted on 2:22pm Wednesday 4th Jun 2014

   John McGuinness won his 21st TT race on Wednesday morning when he took the SES TT Zero race in record-breaking style. Riding the Mugen Shinden, McGuinness was always in the lead and with a stunning new lap record of 117.366mph, he came home 23.3s clear of team-mate Bruce Anstey. Rob Barber, on the Ohio State University Buckeye machine, took third.

   With dry conditions all round the course, despite dark clouds looming overhead, McGuinness, number one on the road, swept through Glen Helen 4.9s clear of Anstey with Robert Wilson over a minute adrift in third. His advantage over Barber was only slight though at just 7.5s. University teams Paul Owen (Brunel Racing) and George Spence (Kingston University) were early reported retirements.

   Through Ballaugh McGuinness had almost doubled his lead and went through the Sulby speed trap at 154.3mph with four seconds now the difference between Wilson and Barber in third and fourth although it was the latter who held the final podium position.

   McGuinness was clearly in control, increasing his lead at every timing point, and by Ramsey Hairpin it was up to 11.8s and unless Anstey was operating a different strategy and planning on a quicker run up and down the Mountain, the win was seemingly his. Barber was still in third now some 2m45s behind.

   McGuinness added another seven seconds to his lead at the Bungalow and as he swept along Glencrutchery road, he completed the lap at a brilliant 117.366mph (19:17.300), the first official lap under 20 minutes for an electric bike around the mountain course, shattering Michael Rutter's lap record of 20:38.461 (109.675mph) set in last year's race by over a minute.

   When Anstey, who had started 30 seconds later, crossed the line, the official gap was 23.3s with the Kiwi also well inside the old lap record with a speed of 115.048mph.

   The battle for third went all the way to the end and it was Barber, the 2009 race winner, who prevailed by the tiny margin of 0.370s with Wilson obviously disappointed to have missed out. Mark Miller was the only other finisher in fifth with Russ Mountford (Arc-EV3/ARC EV Engineering) and Timothee Monot also being forced to retire.

4. CONOR CUMMINS PICKS UP 2 MINUTE PENALTY

   Posted on 7:30am Wednesday 4th Jun 2014

   Conor Cummins Superstock has been awarded a 2 minute time penalty due to having an ineligible suspension component fitted to his RAF Honda Superstock machine.

   As a result he is now placed 18th from his original fourth place in the final results of the RL360 Superstock Race. His final position still qualifies him for a silver replica.

5. DUNLOP AT THE DOUBLE AS HE TAKES HIS SECOND TT WIN

   Posted on 6:37pm Tuesday 3rd Jun 2014

   Michael Dunlop took his ninth TT victory when he comfortably won the RL 360 Superstock race giving BMW their second win in four days. Riding the MD Racing machine, Dunlop faced a serious challenge from Monster Energy Supersport 1 race winner Gary Johnson but the Lincolnshire man crashed out on the run up to the Waterworks on the opening lap.

   From that point Dunlop was able to maintain his lead over second placed Dean Harrison and eventually came home 20.1s clear of the RC Express Racing by MSS Performance rider with Bruce Anstey taking third for Valvoline Racing/Padgetts Honda.

   Dunlop was quickest to Glen Helen on lap one but it was close as only 0.5s covered the top four riders with Harrison, Johnson and James Hillier all in touch with the Ballymoney man. By Ramsey, Johnson had moved up to second but his challenge came to an abrupt end just a few hundred yards up from the hairpin. He was reported conscious but with fractures and taken by airmed to Nobles Hospital.

   As the riders flashed through the grandstand for the first time, Dunlop’s opening lap of 129.588mph gave him a 6.7s lead over Harrison with Anstey now up to third and Hillier still holding onto fourth. Conor Cummins and Guy Martin rounded out the top six.

   On lap two, Dunlop continued to increase his advantage but Harrison was keeping him honest although the margin had more than doubled as they came into refuel, the gap now just under 13 seconds as Dunlop set the fastest lap of the race at 129.778mph. Anstey continued to hold onto third but Cummins, Martin and Michael Rutter had all overhauled Hillier though who had slipped back to seventh.

   Harrison appeared to lose time at the pit stop but that was clearly not the case as he’d brought Dunlop’s lead down to nine seconds at Glen Helen on the third lap although hopes of reducing it further soon evaporated as the Northern Irishman had moved it back up to 18s by the end of the lap. One rider out of luck though was Guy Martin who retired at Parliament Square.

   Using his pit boards to control the race in the closing stages, Dunlop duly came home for his third win in the Superstock race and, uniquely, on a third different bike manufacturer while it also extended his lead at the top of the Joey Dunlop Championship table. Harrison equalled his best ever result in second, repeating the runner-up spot in last year’s Lightweight race, with Anstey comfortable in third for the entire race.

   The battle for fourth was close throughout though and going into the final lap, just 2.7s separated fourth to seventh and in the end it went to Australian David Johnson, comfortably his best ever TT result after a brilliant ride although it was tight - just 0.8s ahead of Cummins, who lost time at his pit stop when the bike refused to fire up. Lee Johnston had his best ever result as well as he finished sixth only 0.2s clear of Michael Rutter whose solid week continued.

   Dan Kneen had another good ride, finishing in eighth place while Peter Hickman took a brilliant ninth place to be both the first newcomer and first privateer home with John McGuinness completing the top ten. Hickman increased his personal best lap to 126.545mph.

   Horst Saiger was the second privateer home in 13th just ahead of Russ Mountford, James Cowton and Ivan Lintin. Lintin's 15th place maintaining his lead in the TT Privateer’s Championship with 56 points, six ahead of Hickman.

   Joe Faragher was taken by Airmed to Nobles hospital following an incident at Joey's and reported to have sustained fractures.