TWO SILVER TROPHIES FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT TT Mansfield sidecar racers Ben and Tom Birchall collected a brace of silver trophies from their races at the Isle of Man TT festival when they completed race one in seventh position, improving their lap times to finish fifth in the second three lap race around the 37.73-mile mountain road circuit. Practice week ended disappointingly for the Mitchells of Mansfield brothers as they were forced to retire at Alpine after encountering a problem with the chain in the final session on Friday. That lost them precious track time but they had posted some respectable laps times during practice week to become the seventh fastest duo on the course with a lap time of 108.623mph and were looking forward to Saturday and the start of the first race. It’s been a tough week so far for us,” said Ben. “Our first time here was two years ago and as we were unable to return last year it’s like starting again this time. We are both still suffering the after effects of our recent crash at the World championship round in Germany with both of us carrying some severe bruising. But we are keen to get out there and see how we fare. “We only rode the outfit once prior to practice week so it was all new to us. But we put in a lot of preparation throughout the winter and that has paid dividends for us.” In dry and sunny conditions the sidecars headed to the start line for the start of Saturday’s race where they were flagged off one at a time at 10 second intervals, Ben and Tom beginning their campaign in fourth place. They got away to a steady start and were running in ninth place on time at Glen Helen but by the end of the first 37.73-mile lap around the mountain course they had moved up into seventh position. The Mansfield brothers remained in seventh place throughout the two remaining laps to complete their first TT race and pick up a Silver replica TT Trophy. The second race was due to take place on Wednesday but had to be postponed because of rain and the outfits lined up on Thursday to begin their final race of the TT festival. Once again Ben and Tom were the fourth riders away and at the end of the opening lap they had slotted into sixth position and improved their lap time to 110.044mph. Lap two went much the same way and the Mitchells of Mansfield supported pair broke the 111mph barrier and posted their best ever time at the TT of 111.622. Ben and Tom were expecting to complete their race in sixth position but race leader Klaus Klaffenbock encountered a mechanical problem and although able to nurse the outfit home they slowed dramatically leaving Ben and Tom to romp home in a fantastic fifth position with another quick lap of 111.261mph. “We are really pleased with the second race result which saw us put in our personal best time on lap two,” said Ben. “The LCR chassis is working really well and we are improving all the time. This is a learning year for us and I feel there is much more to come in the future. The Yamaha engine worked perfectly but due to limited resources this year it was in a very low state of tune and that reflected in our times through the speed traps. “I would like to thank the TT organisers for their support throughout our time on the island, they have been most helpful. “Our aim was to go faster each time we completed a lap of the course and we did achieve that over the two weeks. We have a strong desire to win here and will return to the Island until we conquer the TT course however long it takes!” More, from a press release issued by Ryan Farquhar’s publicist: Farquhar digs deep for Senior TT finish Ryan Farquhar ensured his 2011 Isle of Man TT races campaign ended on a positive note when the KMR Kawasaki rider took a brave 13th in Friday’s Senior race. Having sustained substantial bruising in a practice spill last Friday evening, Ryan believed he would be out of action for the entire race week but having completed a practice lap on Thursday he stated his intention to race and he did just that, lapping at more than 126mph on his Superstock machine for a solid finish. Despite still being in considerable pain, Ryan’s sole aim was simply to finish the punishing 6-lap race and would have been happy to have finished in the top 20 but a rider of Ryan’s class was always going to give it 100% and a superb first lap of 126.064mph saw him slot into a strong 12th place. He slipped back to 15th second time around the Mountain Course but another strong lap on lap 4, 124.727mph, saw him jump back up to 13th and, enjoying a good on-the-roads battle with Michael Rutter, he was able to consolidate his position over the final third of the race. The duo spent most of the last two laps riding nose to tail and Ryan’s brave efforts were rewarded with a fine, and thoroughly deserved, 13th place and a bronze replica. Speaking later, a tired, but pleased Ryan said; “Six laps around here are tough at the best of the time and I’m really sore now but I’m delighted to have finished the race, and pick up a strong finish at that. Last Friday I thought there was no way possible that I could race but once I’d passed my medical and decided to give it a go and race. I just wanted to finish the race and would have been happy with a top 20 finish. Once the race got going, I rode as steady and as safely as I could but it was hard work especially over the bumps where my injured ribs and back were taking a real pounding. My first board said ‘P12’ so I figured if I could keep going, I might just be able to sneak into the top 15.” “Michael Dunlop came by me and I hung on to him for a bit but I was certainly struggling over the sections of the course where you need to be really committed. Michael Rutter then came by me and I had a real good dice on the roads with him – I’ve been coming here for some time now and I can honestly say he’s the smoothest rider I’ve ever ridden with around here, it was a pleasure to follow him. There was no point trying to pass him as he’d caught up a lot of time and was obviously ahead of me whilst by lap six my legs were completely gone as I was having to try and steer the bike with my knees. If there’d have been another lap I would have pulled in but, luckily, there wasn’t and I was able to take the flag for a finish I’m absolutely delighted with. It’s obviously been a tough TT for me but I just want to thank everyone who’s supported me this fortnight, particularly everyone who looked after me at the hospital. I’m now going to head home, rest up and look at getting back to full fitness as soon as I can.” More, from a press release issued by Keith Amor’s publicist: Amor battles hard for 5th place in Senior TT Keith Amor battled hard in his final race at the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races and the Scottish rider was rewarded with 5th place in the Blue Riband Senior TT, just one second shy of fourth place. Riding the Honda TT Legends Superbike for the second time during the week, Amor also posted his first ever 130mph+ lap of the Mountain Course and ensured he finished all five solo races inside the top 5. With the race delayed by 5 hours due to wet weather on a six-mile stretch of the course, the race eventually got underway at 5.15pm and a solid first lap of 128.485mph saw Keith slot into sixth place and, improving his speed to 128.935mph second time around, he was able to overhaul Gary Johnson and move up to fifth. With a good pit stop and another 128mph+ lap on the fourth lap, Keith moved up to fourth at two thirds race distance but it was tight with Cameron Donald just over a second behind in fifth. The duo exhanged positions all the way round the final lap and although Keith set a new personal best lap of 130.177mph on his final circuit, the Australian rider just edged him out by 1.06s – after 226 miles and almost 2 hours of racing! The result did mean though that Keith finished 2nd overall in the TT Championship on 70 points, with team-mate John McGuinness taking the overall prize. Speaking later, Keith said; “That was a tough day at the office and there certainly wasn’t much left in the tank at the end, I gave it everything! I struggled a bit in the early couple of laps as I was too tense and I got bad arm pump but after the first pit stop I settled down and got into the race a bit more. I rode a lot better on laps 3 and 4 and after the last pit stop there was nothing between Cameron and myself, 4th was definitely up for grabs. My boards kept saying +1 and then -1 so I got my head down and gave it my all but I caught some backmarkers at the top of Barregarrow and Ramsey Hairpin and I just lost a little bit of time. I tried all the way to the end and am completely done in now so to lose fourth by a second is quite gutting. But after all that’s happened this fortnight, I can’t complain.” “I obviously came into the meeting with high hopes and my best ever chance of a TT win but the two spills hampered me although it’s the first time I’ve finished all five TT races in a week – and all of them inside the top 5 – so I’ve got to be happy. After crashing twice I didn’t think I’d end up with the results I got so full credit it to Honda and all the boys in the team whilst a huge thanks to Dunlop as the tyres were absolutely mega – the grip today was absolutely phenomenal, I could do exactly what I wanted to do and they were still in mint condition at the end! I just wasn’t quite strong enough today but, overall, it’s been a good week and to finish 2nd in the TT Championship is a great achievement.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Guy Martin narrowly missed out on a coveted Senior TT victory on the Isle of Man on Friday, but the Lincolnshire rider made it four podiums from five starts at TT2011 for Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing with second place and a personal best lap of 131.038mph. The six-lap race was delayed due to inclement weather conditions around the Isle of Man for five hours, but when the action eventually got underway at 5.15pm with the sun shining all around the circuit, Martin used it to his advantage – leading at the opening checkpoint at Glen Helen and showing the rest of the field he really meant business. Martin held his slender ‘P1’ advantage for two of the six laps before getting embroiled in a tight race-long battle with John McGuinness and Bruce Anstey, in what turned out to be a classic and memorable Senior TT. At the chequered flag, after almost two hours of high-speed action, Martin took his 13th career TT podium and his fourth at TT2011 on GSX-R machinery, just seven seconds down in second place. Guy Martin: “I led the first couple of laps of a Senior TT so I can sleep happy tonight. We had great pit stops and I had the focus and drive, but that was as much as I could give out there today. I hit all my apexes, got on the throttle when I should have and the only places I lost time was late in the race passing backmarkers, as it took me a bit of time getting back up to speed. By heck I couldn’t believe the attention I got out there with people shouting and waving at me all around the circuit. I could actually hear it through my ear plugs! “The job was really going all right and the bike never missed a beat so I’m a happy camper. I still haven’t won one. I’m trying, but I’m glad I was able to push John today and I’ll just have to come back next year and beat him won’t I?” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “What a fantastic end to a very successful TT for TAS Racing and all our sponsors. I would personally like to thank each and every one of our sponsors, as without their support we just would not be here. Our objective in racing is always to try and win, however this is the TT and just to finish a race is an achievement in itself. So to come away with four podiums from five races and a second place in the Senior TT is very pleasing and testament to the effort put in by our whole team, the Suzuki machinery and of course Guy himself. “It was one of the most exciting and close Senior TT races for some time and to hear the fans cheer for Guy when he was leading was unbelievable. Although it would have been great to have won, our consolation is a 131mph lap and being beaten by one of the greatest riders in TT history. “We will now look forward to returning to our BSB campaign and selecting some further outings for Guy later in the season. After that we can prepare for next year’s TT where we will work even harder at getting our hands on that Senior TT winner’s trophy.” Senior TT Results [6 laps]: 1st – John McGuinness [Honda] – 1hr 45 45.80sec 2nd – Guy Martin [Relentless Suzuki] – 1hr 45 53.00sec 3rd – Bruce Anstey [Honda] – 1hr 46 01.50sec 4th – Cameron Donald [Honda] – 1hr 46 54.00sec 5th – Keith Amor [Honda] – 1hr 46 55.06sec 6th – Michael Dunlop [Kawasaki] – 1hr 47 27.35sec Martin’s fastest laps: Lap 1 – 131.038mph/ 17mins 16.55sec Lap 2 – 130.555mph/ 17mins 20.39sec Lap 4 – 129.974mph/ 17mins 25.04sec Lap 6 – 130.803mph/ 17mins 18.41sec