LANCASTRIAN MCGURK TAKES HONOURS IN MANX GRAND PRIX ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT RACE WITH NEW LAP AND RACE RECORD – Neil Kent takes Lightweight Manx Grand Prix title The final day’s racing at the 2010 Manx Grand Prix, sponsored by visitisleofman.com, was subject to an hour’s delay with mist reported on the mountain section of the course. Clerk of the Course Phil Taubman reported that the roads were dry and that conditions were good although riders were advised to watch out for mist patches on the mountain and a lack of adhesion flag would also be shown at Ballagarey for the first lap. The Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight race was first on the track and eventually got underway at 11.15. It was started by 5-time 2010 TT winner Ian Hutchinson, who began his racing career on the Isle of Man by winning the Manx Grand Prix ‘Newcomers Race’ in 2003. Neil Kent, the winner of the John Goodall ‘Spirit of the Manx’ and Dan Sayle, fastest qualifier in the Lightweight class were first away with Davy Morgan, Nigel Moore, Stuart Garton and double Classic MGP winner Roy Richardson next away. However, Dan Sayle, who clocked an unofficial lap record for the class in qualifying, broke down at Quarterbridge on the first lap with a seized engine, leaving Davie Morgan in top spot by Glen Helen with Neil Kent in second place on the Yamaha DTR 250cc, less than a second behind and Tom Snow in third, a further 5 behind. Kent had passed McGurk by Ballaugh to lead by 2 seconds and completed the first lap in 112.032 to lead by less than 2 seconds from Morgan (111.979.627mph) with Snow (108.267) a further 37 seconds back in third. Shortly after Morgan was reported stopped at Ballaugh Bridge on the second lap leaving Kent with a commanding lead of almost a minute from Tom Snow by Ramsey with Stuart Garton moving up into the final podium spot. Kent came into the pits after his second lap (112.078), with Snow holding second after clocking 108.909 and Stuart Garton still in third and maintained a commanding lead after the pit stop. He held his lead with a third lap time of 104.743 from Snow (102.878) and Garton (103.135)mph and duly came home to take his first victory at the Manx Grand Prix with a final lap of 108.976 and overall average of 1hr:22mins.47.49 (109.374). Tom Snow finished second in (1:24.23.08) (107.309) and Stuart Garton claimed the final podium place in 1:25.01.63 (106.498mph). Kent’s victory was the first win on the Isle of Man for the Dennis Trollope team since Bruce Anstey’s 250cc win in 2002. After the race he commented: “The bike is unbelievable and I’ve had a fantastic fortnight with winning the John Goodall Award of the beginning of the fortnight and now this. All I was doing during the race was trying to concentrate, with the shadows under the trees. It’s only taken me 21 years to win. The Ultra Lightweight Class set off 2 minutes after the last Lightweight bike, at 11.17am, and Wayne Kirwan and Joe Phillips were first away but Phil McGurk quickly made his mark and was first to Glen Helen, with Rab Davie in second, almost 8 seconds behind the leader and Trevor Ferguson third a further 11 seconds back completing the top three. However, Ferguson dropped back and was reported as making adjustments at Sulby Bridge. McGurk increased his lead to almost 20 seconds by Ramsey and although Rab Davie posted a new lap record for the Ultra Lightweight Class of 110.207, beating Keith Taylor’s 2003 mark, it was quickly broken by McGurk who clocked 112.261 to lead by over 20 seconds with Davie Bell (109.611) on the Kawasaki ER6 650cc moving up to third after the first lap. That remained the top three after the second lap with McGurk (112.229), Davie (110.378) and Bell 110.880 with Bell and David Moffitt (109.879) in fourth also inside the old lap record. However, with McGurk, Davie and Bell all coming into the pits, Ivan Lintin went straight through the grandstand and moved up into second place on the Suzuki SV 650cc. McGurk extended his lead over Lintin by Ramsey to lead by 19 seconds with Davie holding third. McGurk’s third lap of (106.050) gave him a lead of almost 40 seconds from Lintin (108.346mph) and with Lintin coming into the pits at the end of the third lap, McGurk’s lead was extended to a commanding 54 seconds by Glen Helen on the final lap from Rab Davie who moved back into second and Joe Phillips on the Kawasaki ERF 650cc in third, who both moved up following Lintin’s pit. McGurk took the victory with a final lap of 112.572, beating the record he set on the opening lap, and an overall race record of 1hour 21 minutes 47.48. Rab Davie finished in second (1:22.57.92) with Joe Phillips claiming his first podium at the Manx Grand Prix in third with a race time of (1:23.06.45). There was also a notable performance from local rider and winner of the Newcomer B race, Jonny Heginbotham, who finished sixth overall at an average speed of 107.129mph More, from another press release issued by Manx GP organizers: TT RECORD BREAKER IAN HUTCHINSON ENJOYS PARADE LAP ON THE ISLE OF MAN AT THE MANX GRAND PRIX Padgetts rider Ian Hutchinson, guest of honour at the Manx Grand Prix, was given the chance to do a lap of honour between the two races at today’s Manx Grand Prix, sponsored by visitisleofman.com. The lap was to celebrate his historic 5 wins in a week that he achieved at the 2010 TT races, beating Irishman Phillip McCallen’s four in a week. ‘Hutchy’ went out on the Honda 1000cc Superstock machine that he set the first 130mph Superstock lap on and enjoyed the chance of a parade lap around the mountain course. He has had a busy week on the Isle of Man as he also started the Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight race and also signed up for the Isle of Man TT Marshals Association ‘Orange Army’ and marshalled during Wednesday’s Junior MGP race with BSB star Stuart Easton. He was also lined up to present the trophy to the Senior MGP winner later in the day. Ian, who now has 8 TT victories, first competed on the Isle of Man in 2003, winning the newcomers race in the Manx Grand Prix. At the end of his lap Ian commented: “That was the best thing I have ever done. I was gobsmacked by the reception I received around the course from the fans. It was absolutely brilliant to get the chance to do a lap like that.” More, from another press release issued by Manx GP organizers: MANXMAN SIMON FULTON TAKES SENIOR MANX GRAND PRIX WIN TO MAKE UP FOR WEDNESDAY’S JUNIOR RACE DISAPPOINTMENT The final race of the 2010 Manx Grand Prix – the Senior Race – sponsored by visitisleofman.com, got at 2.15pm, an hour after the scheduled start, following the delay at the beginning of the day caused by mist on the mountain. The race was dominated by local rider Simon Fulton, riding a Yamaha. He led from virtually the first checkpoint to the finish to take the chequered flag in the last race of the 2010 Manx Grand Prix meeting. The race saw Fulton and Ireland’s Wayne Kirwan, also on a Yamaha, locked together for the race, with Fulton keeping a lead of around 10 seconds on corrected time. Kirwan and David Lumsden were away first followed by Fulton who set off on his own from the line following Phil McGurk’s withdrawal after his Ultra Lightweight victory earlier in the day. Michael Sweeney was first to Glen Helen, followed by Wayne Kirwan with Simon Fulton third. However Junior MGP winner Sweeney was reported to have blown his engine at Kirk Michael leaving Fulton, who had edged past Kirwan to take the lead by Ballaugh. Jules Croft in fifth place was reported as stopping at Tower Bends to make adjustments before rejoining the race in sixth. Fulton became the first rider since Seamus Greene in 2005 to break 120mph, clocking 120.119 on the opening lap. He joins Seamus, Allan Jackson, Ian Pattinson and Davy Morgan in the exclusive Tommy Club in memory of Tommy Clucas who was the first rider to achieve a 120mph lap in the Manx Grand Prix in 2004. Kirwan was second, 7 seconds behind with an opening lap of 119.298 with Ivan Lintin on the Suzuki 750cc in third, 8 seconds behind the leader with a first lap of 119.197. Fulton extended his lead to 10.26 seconds to be ahead on the road as well as on time by Ramsey but Kirwan passed him again on the road to cut his lead to 9.5 seconds at by the Bungalow and the pair raced in close proximity for the rest of the lap. The pair came into the pits together at the end of the second lap and were quickly away again with Fulton leading Kirwan by 8 seconds but David Lumsden, who was running fourth, couldn’t fire the bike up again and retired in the pits. Kirwan was first on the road to Glen Helen on the third lap but Fulton, who was tucked in behind him, was ahead by 9 seconds on corrected time with Lintin a further 40 seconds back in third. The leading pair both recorded laps of 115mph on the third lap, a time that included the pit stop, and Lintin consolidated his third place with 111.592mph. Fulton was again ahead on the road as well as on time by the Bungalow and he held the position to cross the line almost alongside Kirwan with a final lap of 118.555mph and an overall race time of 1hr: 16 minutes 33.11 with Kirwan 10.59 seconds back in second. Lintin held his position to take the final podium slot with 1:17.55.62. Fulton follows in the footsteps of famous names such as Geoff Duke, Ryan Farquhar and Phil Read, who won the Senior Manx Grand Prix 50 years ago, in winning the Blue Riband event in the Manx Grand Prix meeting. Fulton received the Senior Manx Grand Prix trophy from 5-time 2010 TT winner Ian Hutchinson, himself an MGP winner with victory in the 2003 Newcomers Race. Commenting on his win at the end of the race Simon Fulton said: “That was fantastic. I can’t believe that I’ve won at last. Fair play to Wayne, he raced me hard. The bike was awesome and my pit crew were text-book perfect. There was a bit of wind around the course, in points like Gorse Lea and I was just trying to get past Wayne to get a clear run. I wanted to stay behind him and get it home but a couple of times the red mist came down and it was nice to cross the line first.” More, from a press release issued by Manx GP organizers: SPECTATORS SET FOR A TREAT AT MANX CLASSIC WEEKEND TRIAL Although the Manx Grand Prix is now finished, it’s not the end of the 2010 Manx Grand Prix Festival as the Classic Two Day trial takes place over the weekend of the 4th and 5th September. The meeting is part of the newly branded Manx Grand Prix festival that also includes the Manx Grand Prix, the Two Day Trial and the Vintage Motorcycle Club events. The event has been described, by riders and spectators alike, as the best trial of its type in Europe. The course takes in some of the most spectacular scenery on the Isle of Man. This year there’s a bumper entry of more than 200 riders for the 14th Annual Manx Classic Weekend Trial. Competitors have travelled from as far away as Australia, the USA, South Africa, Italy, France and Germany and famous names include former TT winner Mick Grant, Grand Prix winner Buddy Yeardsley and three times Classic Trial winner John Maxfield. Other former winners include Roy ‘Ago’ Wilson, Dave Thorpe, Peter Salt, Kevin Chapman but the undoubted favourite is local star Juan Knight, riding a Triumph Cub, who now qualifies for the Premier Award as he is over 35 The leading 40 or so riders away each day will be on relatively modern twinshock machines, but the remainder of the 207 entered are on classic bikes. The classic bikes are an enthusiast’s dream with BSA’s, Ariels, Triumph’s, Greeves and Matchless machines making an appearance. Many of them have been totally restored to their former glory and in many cases are more competitive now than they were in their heyday The ‘Premier’ sections are for those riders who like a challenge and the Clubman sections for those who just want an enjoyable weeekend’s sport. With approximately 40 miles each day, Saturday’s activity takes place in the South of the Island, going close to the magnificent coastal scenery at Cronk ny Arrey Laa. Saturday’s route starts at the St John’s Car Park close to Tynwald Hill, the site of the Island’s ancient parliament, with the first competitor leaving at around 8.30am and expected to finish at around 3pm at Douglas Rugby Club. Sunday’s route explores the famous mountain region at Snaefell. Most of the sections are spectator-friendly with many parts easily accessible. The riders will start from the famous TT grandstand on Glencrutchery Road, with riders setting off down pit lane from around 8am