MICHAEL DUNLOP TAKES DRAMATIC VICTORY IN RECORD BREAKING MOTORSPORT MERCHANDISE FORMULA 1 CLASSIC TT RACE

Ryan Kneen shatters race record in Motorsport Merchandise Formula 2 Race

After the delayed start to the second day’s race programme at the 2015 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts, the Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1 and Formula 2 Race fired into action at 5pm into the setting sun on the Isle of Man.

The much-anticipated head to head between the Japanese Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha Superbikes and the Yamaha YZR500 V4 two stroke Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles machine ridden by Bruce Anstey didn’t disappoint with lap records tumbling as Anstey, Dean Harrison, Michael Dunlop, Ryan Farquhar and Peter Hickman went head to head.

However with the tension building and Anstey and Dunlop swapping the lead throughout the race, reports came through at the end of the third lap in the four lap race that Bruce Anstey had been black flagged at Cronk Ny Mona to return to the pits with a loose left exhaust.

The Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles team battled valiantly to fix the problem and the Kiwi continued but he’d lost a minute to Michael Dunlop, handing victory to Dunlop on a plate. Anstey had the consolation of clawing back a gap of over thirty seconds on James Hillier on the last lap and with Ryan Farquhar losing time on the Mountain section, Anstey snatched an incredible second place by a second from Farquhar. In the concurrent Formula 2 Race, Ryan Kneen took a commanding victory from James Cowton, breaking the old lap record by a minute with Cowton having the consolation of a new lap record in a race that saw the old lap record broken three times.

Little hinting at the dramatic race that was to come, Australian David Johnson riding the Team York Suzuki, fired up from the Glencrutchery Road start line at around 5pm, but Ryan Farquhar on the Team Winfield Harris Yamaha was first on corrected time at the first timing point at Glen Helen, just past the 9 mile mark. The Northern Ireland rider had eked out a lead of just over a second from fellow countryman Michael Dunlop on the Team Classsic Suzuki with fastest qualifier Peter Hickman on the Mistral Racing Kawasaki third a further second back and fellow Kawasaki riders Dean Harrison (Steelcote Solutions Kawasaki) and James Hillier (Greenall Racing Kawasaki) completing the top five with Gary Johnston sixth on the second Team Winfield Harris Yamaha and Anstey back in seventh, almost five seconds behind Dunlop after a sluggish start.

At the front of the field the action was really heating up with Dunlop leading by Ballaugh and Harrison hitting the front by Ramsey but with Harrison retiring on the Mountain Mile, Dunlop moved back in front almost three seconds ahead of the fast improving Anstey with Farquhar third.

However, Anstey came roaring through to move in front by Cronk Ny Mona and the Kiwi lead at the end of the opening lap by less than a second (124.190/ 18:13.707) from Dunlop (124.094/ 18:14.559mph) with the leading pair both inside Anstey’s Formula 1 Classic TT record set (123.894mph) in last year’s race. Farquhar held third with Hickman (123.533/ 18:19.530) fourth with just over 2 seconds separating the top four in a hugely competitive opening lap.

Meanwhile, the much-heralded appearance of William Dunlop riding the Team National Motorcycle Museum/Crighton Racing Norton Rotary of the type that won the 1992 Senior TT in the hands of Steve Hislop, ultimately entertained the crowd on the early part of the course before expiring at Ballacraine on the opening lap.

On the second lap the top three established a gap from the rest of the field with Anstey extending his lead to over 12 seconds as he came into the pits. Even slowing down for the pit stop, the Kiwi still shattered his lap record, posting a remarkable 126.261/ 17:55.769, the first sub 18 minute Classic TT lap. Dunlop was also again inside the lap record from the opening lap with 124.954/ 18:07.021.

Anstey lost 15 seconds to Dunlop in the pits with a pit stop of 1 minute 18 seconds, hinting at the problems that were to come on the third lap, and Dunlop duly held a lead of just over a second at Glen Helen on the third lap, which he extended to almost six seconds by Ballaugh although Anstey again came back and by Ramsey had halved Dunlop’s lead. Farquhar retained the final podium position but with the Team Winfield man 26 seconds behind Anstey, attention was focused on the leading pair when news came through of Anstey’s black flag as they approached the grandstand at the end of the third lap.

Dunlop duly brought his Team Classic Suzuki home to win in 1:13.37.628/ 122.987mph breaking his old race record set in 2013 by over a minute in the process with a last lap of 125.050/ 18.06.187) with Anstey’s last lap charge putting him in second place almost two seconds ahead of Farquhar. South African Allan Venter (Top Gun Racing Kawasaki) , in 14th was the first privateer home.

It was the same story in the Motorsport Formula 2 Race with lap and race records being shattered as Ryan Kneen, on the Yamaha took a dominant victory by over 12 seconds from Peter Berwick rider James Cowton, also on a Yamaha. Kneen broke the old lap record on the opening lap with a time of 112.763/20:04.539 which Cowton went inside on his second lap with 113.232mph/19:59.560, the first sub 20 minute lap for the Classic TT F2 Class. Kneen’s second lap of 112.890/20:03.192 was also inside his lap one time.

Kneen continued to power round the Mountain Course and came home in 1:21.13.592/ 111.481 which included a last lap of 113.075, his fastest of the race, to finish almost 12 seconds ahead of Cowton (1:21.25.526/ 111.208j). Consolation for Cowton in finishing runner up came with his last lap, the fastest of the race, a new lap record for the F2 Classic TT Class of 113.458/ 19:57.162. Charles Rhys Hardisty, riding the EPS Motorcycles Yamaha, came home third, finishing as the leading privateer to boot.

More, from another press release issued by Classic TT Press Office:

RUTTER TAKES VICTORY IN OKELLS 350cc CLASSIC TT RACE

After a delay of almost four hours due to technical issues with the communications system between Sector Marshals and Race Control, the second day’s racing at the 2015 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts finally got underway at 2pm. Conditions were reported as perfect for racing around the Mountain Course with dry roads all round the 37 mile circuit.

The first race of the day, the Okells 350cc Classic TT Race, was cut to three laps from four as a result of the delay which was expected to hand the advantage to the MV Agustas with their greater power as they could now run straight through rather than having to refuel.

However, that didn’t prove to be the case as Dan Cooper, riding the Team Molnar Manx Norton, held a lead of over a second going into the final lap only for the Gloucester rider to retire at Ballacraine with a split fuel tank, leaving Michael Rutter on the Ripley Land Racing Honda with a commanding lead of over a minute and ultimately the race win. Behind the Midland’s based rider, the war of attrition saw only four of the fifteen fastest qualifiers complete the race.

Shortly before the start, Dean Harrison was a late withdrawal leaving Lee Johnston, last year’s race winner and fastest qualifier, on the MV Agusta, as the sole Black Eagle Racing representative. However, the Northern Ireland rider had a poor start, which saw him in 8th at the opening checkpoint at Glen Helen. He was down to 17th by the second checkpoint at Ballaugh and out of contention before retiring shortly after.

Keith Amor on the Tony Dunnell Rig Deluge Manx Norton was first away from the Grandstand followed by Michael Rutter and it was Rutter who was fastest to Glen Helen followed by Dan Cooper almost five seconds back with William Dunlop on the Davies Motorsport Honda in third a further 0.2 seconds back. Jamie Coward moved into third at Ramsey with William Dunlop reported as a retirement in Parliament Square but Coward was then himself forced out on the Mountain Mile.

Rutter opening lap of 100.988mph (22:24.995) gave him a lead of almost 2 seconds from Cooper (100.848mph/ 22:26.848) with Keith Amor (98.429/ 22:59.954)) moving into the top three at the end of the first lap following Coward’s retirement. Chris Swallow was a further five seconds back in fourth with Philip McGurk (97.532/ 23:12.652) completing the top five at the end of the opening lap. However, Swallow’s challenge was effectively ended with a 30 second technical infringement penalty as a result of a reported pit crew infringement, one of four riders to pick up penalties.

Keith Amor was a retirement at Quarry Bends on the second lap, which saw Swallow move into the top three and at the end of the second lap, Cooper remained at the front, (101.229/ 44:43.583) over a second ahead of Michael Rutter (101.176/ 44:44.980).

However with Cooper retiring at Ballacraine on the final lap, Rutter was left to take the chequered flag in a overall time of 1:06.51.993/ 101.566, with last lap of 102.356mph/ 22.07.013 the fastest of the race.

With Cooper retiring, McGurk, the leading privateer, moved into the final podium place but the drama didn’t end there with Chris Swallow retiring at Graham Memorial, McGurk moved into the runner up slot. Nigel Moore was also a last lap retirement when running third, shortly before the chequered flag, leaving Doug Snow to take the final podium place.

Snow had to be brought back from Parc Ferme to the winner’s enclosure, so close was Moore to the finish line before he broke down. David Madsen-Mygdall (Team Gimbert Racing) and James Hillier Honda/CSC Racing completed the top five with Dave Edwards claiming the Phil Read trophy for the first 250cc machine home.

Appropriately six-time TT Race winner Jim Redman, who claimed four consecutive 350cc World Championship titles from 1962 to 1965, presented Michael Rutter with the trophy.

More, from a press release issued by Michael Rutter’s publicist:

Rutter takes superb Classic TT race victory

Bathams-backed Michael Rutter enjoyed an excellent weekend of racing at the 2015 Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling with the highlight being an excellent win in Monday afternoon’s delayed 350cc Classic TT race, which was reduced to three laps.

Riding the 350cc Ripley Land Honda, an opening lap of 100.988mph gave the Stourbridge-based rider a slender 1.9s lead over Dan Cooper and although the latter went ahead on the second lap, it was still close with only 1.5s between the two riders as they started their final lap. It was all set for a thrilling finale around the 37.73-mile course but Cooper went out at Ballacraine and Michael was able to come home a comfortable winner, aided by the fastest lap of the race at 102.356mph.

“I knew the race was close but just kept my head down,” said Michael afterwards. “I was experiencing a misfire now and again and thought it was going to stop on the final lap but fair play, it kept going. It’s a lovely bike to ride but it’s physically hard work and although I initially wanted the race to be the full four laps, I was glad it was only three!”

“You’ve got to keep these bikes going and if you can do that, you won’t be far away so I kept the revs down and concentrated as much as possible. It’s a long way round and it’s fantastic to win both for myself and the whole team. You can never complain when you’re in the number one spot around the Mountain Course.”

Later in the afternoon, he was out in the four lap Motorsport Merchandise Formula One TT where he was riding a Ducati, a replica of what his Dad Tony had ridden in the 1980s. Although down on speed to the front running machines of Michael Dunlop and Bruce Anstey, an opening lap of 119.265mph saw him slot into 11th and going quicker second time around, 119.896mph, he moved up into the top ten. He maintained tenth all the way to the chequered flag and saved the best until last with his final lap being an impressive 120.474mph.

“The Ducati was brilliant and never missed a beat. I wasn’t sure how hard to go as I wanted to get to the finish to reward the team for all their efforts but built my speed up each lap and to do 120mph+ on the last lap was brilliant. The pit stop was perfect and whilst I’d have been happy with a top 15 result before today, I’m over the moon with tenth.”

Michael’s other outing came in Saturday’s 500cc Classic TT, the race which he led twelve months ago until retiring on the third lap. A few technical issues in practice on the Ripley Land Seeley put him on the back foot somewhat and a vibration on the opening lap caused him to stop twice with the fuel tap having been knocked off. His opening lap was some 37 minutes long which placed him 62nd and last but two 106mph laps saw him move up the order only for a tyre problem to force him out for good at Gorse Lea on the fourth and final lap.

“The 500cc race was eventful to say the least and I made two stops on the first lap to try and sort the fuel tap out. I had hardly any road to bump start the bike when I stopped at Sarah’s Cottage and when I did get it going, I nearly disappeared into a field! When I did get going, the bike was working well and although any chance of getting a result disappeared, I was happy to be going round. As it was, the front tyre delaminated and that was why I had to stop at Gorse Lea, this time for good, on the final lap. It’s been a really enjoyable week of racing on the Island again and I’ll be back next year to do it all over again.”

Michael’s next outing will be in two week’s time in Frohburg, Germany where he’ll be riding for the Penz13.com that he enjoyed great success with at the TT earlier this year.

More, from a press release issued by Dan Kneen’s publicist:

Strong top ten finish for Kneen in Classic TT

Manxman Dan Kneen enjoyed a strong ride in Monday afternoon’s Formula One Classic TT race to finish in a fine ninth place in the four lap race.

Riding the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts 750cc OW01 Yamaha, a machine that Rob McElnea rode in the early part of the 1989 World Superbike Championship, the Braddan rider had lapped at 119.765mph in practice week to place ninth quickest on the leaderboard and with his opening lap being a similar speed, 119.647mph, he slotted into tenth place.

He quickened his pace second time around to 120.315mph to move up to ninth and maintained this position after a slick pit stop by the team. Secure in ninth place, the 28-year old went quicker still on the fourth and final lap, at 120.423mph, to secure the position for another excellent result on the island. The result also saw him pick up another coveted silver replica.

Dan Kneen: “I really enjoyed the race and although it took me a while to get going, once I did, I was able to get into a nice rhythm and lap at a decent pace. Peter (Hickman) passed me early on but I was a little down on speed and whilst I could stay with him through the twisty stuff of Glen Helen, along the straights, he pulled away.”

“It was the same when Lee Johnston came by on the last lap. I was pleased to lap at over 120mph and the last lap could well have been over 121mph had it not been for slower traffic and yellow flags. It was quite tricky finding your way past people and I got held up quite a bit so I was quite surprised that my last lap was my quickest. All in all though, it’s been an enjoyable event and I’d like to be back again next year.”

Although nothing’s finalised yet, Dan is hopeful of getting another couple of meetings under his belt before the season ends.