John McGuinness completes TT Festival hat-trick with Senior TT victory John McGuinness shattered both lap and race records as he scorched to his third victory of the week in the Isle of Man TT Festival, finishing ahead of Cameron Donald, Bruce Anstey and Ian Lougher as Honda riders packed three of the top four finishing positions in the prestigious Senior race. The 32 year old Morecambe rider used the tried and tested tactics of powering as fast as possible into the opening to break the challenge of his rivals, and he has a superbly prepared HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR for the race. The machine had been specially prepared for the rigours of racing this difficult 37.73mile public roads Mountain Course and McGuinness used its qualities to the full, taking his career eleventh success and also the 130th TT success for Honda. McGuinness was ahead, but by only half a second, as they charged through Glen Helen for the first time, but mile by mile, he was extending his advantage, and also upping the record speed, taking that opening lap in 17m 39.95secs, an average speed of 128.146mph, faster than the record he set in his winning TT Superbike ride the previous Saturday. But there was better to come with McGuinness revelling in the near perfect, sun-drenched conditions as he shook off the challenges of Guy Martin and then Cameron Donald. As he pitted for fuel and a change of rear wheel, he had powered further into the unknown, with a lap on 17m 29.26mph, an average speed of 129.451mph. That put him 12 seconds ahead of the determined Donald, aboard the Robinson Concrete backed Honda CBR1000RR. The Aussie, riding in only his second year on the Island, and with broken heels, the result of a crash in last month’s North West 200, clocked a second lap of 128.445mph. He was trying everything he knew, but McGuinness had not only speed on the road, he also had the slicker pit-crew, and twice they played a major role in maintaining his supremacy. At that second refuelling halt, McGuinness was running 25 seconds ahead, and he was able to ride within himself over the final two laps, checking his signalling boards to take the victory that puts him level third with Philip McCallen and the late, great Steve Hislop in the list of all time TT winners. “I don’t think that I have ever ridden better round here than that. It was an unbelievable victory, awesome. I decided to push from the very start, the bike did not miss a beat, but they pushed me all of the way. It was a tough race. “The second lap felt good and fast. I had a blistering ride over the mountain, and was able to focus in on Guy Martin as a marker, and then I went ahead of him on the road. It was a terrific lap. “I am not too fussed about speed, rather, I wanted the win, but this time is was a case of going as fast as you could to achieve that,” reflected McGuinness as he took the race, in record time, by 20 seconds from Donald, who commented: “I’m still stunned with that. It is only 18 months ago that they invited me to come over here as a newcomer. I just cannot believe how this race has gone, or my lap times.” Anstey, despite a scary moment or two on the opening lap at Ballacraine when he clipped a bank and some bushes, took third place for the TAS Suzuki team, finishing some eleven seconds ahead of Ian Lougher, riding a Honda CBR1000RR in the Stobart Motorsport colours. Guy Martin, riding Yamaha, took fifth place, ahead of the Kawasaki of Carl Rennie and local rider Davy Morgan riding another Honda CBR1000RR. Raymond Porter, Nigel Beattie and Gary Carswell completed the top ten finishers Results Isle of Man TT Senior Race six laps, 37.73 mile Mountain Course 1. J. McGuinness (GB), Honda, 1:47:38.84, average speed 126.178 mph 2. C. Donald (Australia), Honda, 1:47:59.45 3. B. Anstey (New Zealand), Suzuki, 1:48: 08.79 4. I. Lougher (GB), Honda, 1:48:19.11 5. G. Martin (GB), Yamaha, 1:49:40.71 6. C. Rennie (GB), Kawasaki, 1:50:57.62 7. D. Morgan (GB), Honda, 1:51:39.48 8. R. Porter (GB), Yamaha, 1:51:50.90 9. N. Beattie (GB), Yamaha, 1:52:07.60 10. G. Carswell (GB), Suzuki, 1:52:13.76 20. Jeremy Toye (USA), Suzuki 25. Mark Miller (USA), Suzuki 40. Tom Montano (USA), Honda