Fourth place for McGuinness in Superbike TT opener
John McGuinness got his 2015 Isle of Man TT races campaign underway on Sunday afternoon when he placed a strong fourth in the opening Superbike race on the Honda Racing machine.
The Morecambe Missile had been second quickest in a truncated practice week and knew strong challenges would be coming from fellow Honda rider Bruce Anstey and Ian Hutchinson but it was James Hillier who set the early pace. Indeed, despite lapping in excess of 130mph on his opening lap, John found himself back in fifth place, seven seconds behind new race leader Hutchinson.
Hillier had caught John on the road on lap two and they circulated together for the next few laps as the top five positions remained the same. John put in another 130mph lap on lap four and next time around he’d edged ahead of Hillier on the road and began to try and cut back the gap on corrected time.
Try as he might though, he couldn’t pull away enough but with Michael Dunlop crashing out less than a mile from the finish after tangling with a slower rider. John crossed the line in fourth place for yet another silver replica.
John McGuinness: “I’m a little bit disappointed with fourth place as I felt I rode pretty well but that’s the TT for you now – it’s so hard and so competitive and TT wins and podiums don’t get given out in Christmas crackers. I lost my tear-offs on the first lap and was a bit of a fly sweeper, but it’s no excuse. My first lap felt pretty good to be fair but James used me as a good target and caught me on the road pretty early whilst we didn’t quite have the quickest of pit stops – the wheel change was perfect but the fuel seemed to take an age to go, it was almost as if the filler was playing up.
“In the last third of the race, I got back in front of James and tried to break away but then Bruce came by and with him having taken 40 seconds out of me, he was really on it. I kept plugging away and gave it my all until the end and I wasn’t that far off the podium but fair play to the front few riders. It’s good to see Bruce get a Superbike win at last and Hutchy back on the podium but I’ll be firmly aiming to be on there myself later this week.”
John has a busy day in store on Monday with two 4-lap races where he’ll be on board the EMC2 Superstock Honda and Jackson Racing Supersport Honda.
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Superb Superbike TT podium for Hillier and Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki
James Hillier opened his 2015 Isle of Man TT account in superb fashion on Sunday afternoon when he took a brilliant third on the Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki in the 6-lap Superbike TT race. It was his first TT podium in the Superbike class and fourth in total.
A difficult practice week for everyone in the paddock meant many of the riders came into the race a little bit behind where they wanted to be and James’ best lap had been 126.444mph, not slow by any means but not where he wanted to be.
However, he flew out of the traps when the race got underway just after 2pm and, after slotting into third place at Glen Helen, he took over the lead as the riders swept through Ramsey in the north of the island. At the end of the lap, he’d been pushed back to third again but his speed of 130.709mph was his fastest ever from a standing start and meant he was just 1.9s behind new race leader Ian Hutchinson.
Half way round lap two, James had caught 21-times TT winner John McGuinness who had started ten seconds in front of him, and as they made their first pit stop at the end of lap two, James was in fourth, just 0.7s behind an improving Michael Dunlop.
Positions remained the same for the next few laps with James, McGuinness, Dunlop and Anstey circulating in close formation on the road. However, whilst Bruce Anstey went on to take the win from Hutchinson, Dunlop crashed out on the final lap just a mile from the finish and this meant James was promoted back up to third, 13 seconds clear of McGuinness.
James Hillier: “With John starting ahead of me, my plan was always to try and chase him down and I couldn’t have been happier with my opening lap. I got a glimpse of him in a few places and tried to close him down and I eventually caught him on the second lap. I knew I’d be fairly close to the podium if I could do that but Bruce, Hutchy and Michael were lapping just that little bit quicker. There were a few rain showers on the west part of the course as well and I had a pheasant come out in front of me in Kirk Michael so that unsettled me a bit.”
“After the 2nd pit stop, John came by me again and I could see he was going hard so I made sure I kept him in my sight. Bruce and Michael caught and passed us both and doing a bit of high-speed maths told me I was probably going to finish in fourth, which would still have been a good result. As it was, Michael had a coming together with a slower rider and I brought the bike home for third. I feel about 20 years older now and my knees are killing me but it’s a good start to the week. It was an amazing job by the team and a massive effort whilst the pit stops were superb.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “It’s been an amazing start to the week and it hasn’t sunk in yet. James was building his pace during practice week but to go from a 126.4 to a 130.7 lap out of the blocks was incredible. The pit stops were faultless and the fastest on each occasion whilst James rode a fantastic race throughout. Getting third place was a little bit fortuitous with Michael going out but James was in the hunt throughout and it’s thoroughly deserved by the whole team. Thank you to everyone at Quattro Plant, Muc-Off, Bournemouth Kawasaki and, of course, all our sponsors.”
James is back in action on Monday in the 4-lap Superstock and Supersport races.
More, from a press release issued by Dan Kneen’s publicist:
Seventh place for Kneen in Superbike TT
Manxman Dan Kneen got his 2015 Isle of Man TT week underway on Sunday afternoon and the Braddan rider didn’t disappoint with a strong seventh place in the 6-lap Superbike TT race.
Riding the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Honda, an opening lap of 129.189mph was just a fraction outside his personal best set 12 months ago and it placed him in seventh place and ahead of fellow Manx rider Conor Cummins. Despite lapping in excess of 127mph, Dan slipped back to ninth at the end of the second lap when he made his first of two pit stops but by half race distance he was back up to eighth.
That became seventh again on lap four but half way round the final lap, he was up to sixth and splitting the BMWs of William Dunlop and Michael Rutter. But with less than two miles to go, the race was red flagged due to an incident involving Michael Dunlop and a slower rider. And although Dan was in sixth and ahead of Rutter at Cronk ny Mona, he had to stop whereas Rutter was able to complete his lap. That meant that he was awarded seventh place and despite his and the team’s obvious unhappiness, the result stood.
Dan Kneen: “I enjoyed the race and although I felt like I was trying a bit too hard at the beginning, I settled down as best I could and let the race come to me. It was difficult to know how hard to push at times but I focused on building up my speed as the race wore on and although I thought I’d got sixth sewn up, the red flag put paid to that and I had to accept seventh.”
“I passed through the incident but wasn’t able to complete the lap as I got stopped at Governor’s Bridge. It’s a shame but it’s a solid start and solid result. The bike was working well and it’s nice to get a full race distance under my belt so a big thanks to the team for giving me a great bike. It gives me a good platform to build on and we have plenty of races still to go.”
More, from a press release issued by RC Express Racing:
Disappointment for Lintin and RC Express Racing in Superbike TT
The RC Express Racing team had a disappointing start to their 2015 Isle of Man TT Races campaign when Ivan Lintin was forced to retire from Sunday’s six-lap Superbike TT race.
The Lincolnshire rider was having his first TT race on a Superbike machine but the race started well on the Kawasaki ZX-10R and an opening lap of 125.633mph put him comfortably inside the top twenty. It was also his personal best lap of the 37.73-mile Mountain Course.
However, on the second lap, a problem with the clutch lever meant Ivan had to stop to make adjustments at Ballaugh and although he got going again, the problem didn’t go away and he eventually retired at the pits just as he’d begun to move up the leaderboard.
Ivan Lintin: “I was really happy with my first lap and managed to catch Ryan Kneen pretty early. I didn’t want to push too hard too soon though and just sat behind him for a bit whilst I got into my rhythm. At the start of the second lap though, the clutch started slipping and I pulled in at Ballaugh to adjust it. It never got better and I had to pull in so it was a bit of a disappointing start. I would really have liked to have got the full six laps under my belt but I was happy with my pace and we’ve made further progress with the bike and in the right direction whilst we’ve still get five more races to go.”
Ben Constable, Team Co-Owner: “We’re gutted for Ivan today as it was such a small problem and one that no-one could have foreseen. Ivan felt that the clutch was slipping but it was actually the clutch lever that had seized, something that’s never happened before and probably won’t again. On the plus side, Ivan was doing a great job and to set a personal best lap from a standing start was excellent. He was up to 17th on lap two and going well so we’re confident a top 15 finish would have been the outcome and that he’d have gone quicker too.”
“It was a problem that couldn’t be repaired in the pits and was just one of those things. Ivan only had three laps on the bike in practice but he showed what a good racer he is and the pace he has around the TT course so we’re happy and can’t complain. He got his head down from the start and rode well so I’m sure he’ll get some good results in the next few races this week.”
Ivan has a packed day on Monday with outings in both the 4-lap Superstock and Supersport races which get underway at 1.15pm and 6.30pm respectively.
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Honda Racing’s John McGuinness takes fourth in Isle of Man TT Superbike race
The 2015 Isle of Man TT RST Superbike race, which had been postponed to today following yesterday’s high winds, got underway just after 2pm this afternoon in near-perfect conditions. The thrilling six-lap race saw Honda Racing’s John McGuinness place fourth overall, while team-mate Conor Cummins was unfortunately forced to retire.
It was a mixed race for McGuinness who, after setting off first round the 37.73-mile Mountain course, suffered with visibility issues when he lost his visor tear-offs during lap one. Coming into the first pit stop at the end of lap two, the ‘Morecambe Missile’ was still leading on the road, but a suspected problem with the fuel filler meant he and his crew lost vital time and he dropped back going into the third lap.
Over the remainder of the race, McGuinness pushed hard on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, making up time to close the gap on the leading pack. Although the second pit stop at the four-lap mark was quicker than the first, the suspected fuel filler issue still hindered progress in the pits. The Honda man eventually crossed the line fourth, 13-seconds behind the third-placed rider James Hillier.
McGuinness’s Honda Racing team-mate Cummins struggled to find pace on the opening lap, but found his rhythm on lap two, improving his times to make his way from eighth to sixth behind McGuinness by the third rotation. Unfortunately, Cummins was forced to retire at Kirk Michael on lap four with a suspected technical problem and the team is now investigating the cause.
The race was won by Bruce Anstey aboard the Padgetts Motorcycles Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade.
The next outing for the Honda Racing team will be on Wednesday for an evening practice before the blue riband Senior TT race on Friday 12 June.
John McGuinness
That’s one down with the Superbike race; I set off number one and went as fast as I could. It’s going to sound like an excuse, but I lost my tear-offs at Crosby on the first lap and struggled to see where I was going, there were also a few sprinkles of rain about, which was a bit sketchy. Hillier came past me and I managed to stick with him and then re-passed him again. I came into the pits and I think we had the slowest fuel filler there! It was a nightmare; I came in in front of them, and went out six seconds behind Hillier and had to catch him back up again.
It was an eventful race, but I did my best and I’m not too disappointed finishing fourth, of course I would have loved to have stood on the podium, but I couldn’t do any more than my best, which was fourth place. We have the Senior TT at the end of the week, I’m going to sit down with the team and have a look where we can make better, and have another go on Friday!
Conor Cummins
It was a bit unfortunate we didn’t finish today, but it’s one of those things and is no one’s fault. I have every faith in my team that they’ll look into it and have things ready for Friday. I had a really weak first lap, not too sure what was going on, but I need to up my game a little bit and my first lap needs to be stronger. Overall I don’t think my lap times were too dissimilar to John’s. Mid-race I started to find my feet and I was getting stronger, but I’d made hard work for myself having to catch up.
Looking back at the race, it’s not all doom and gloom. I was happy with both the second and third laps, and the fourth was going well. It’s unfortunate we didn’t get a finish, but that’s racing and these things happen. I’m looking forward to giving it another go on Friday!
Neil Tuxworth
A fourth for John today, obviously he would have liked to have finished on the podium so he’s a little disappointed. He had a few issues losing all his tear-offs to start with, which made it very difficult for him and we seemed to have a problem with the fuel filler, which is going to be looked into by the organisers. But having said that the best he would have finished would have been third if he hadn’t had those issues. We have a few ideas to try for Wednesday night’s practice and we’re sure he’ll be a podium contender in Friday’s race.
It was disappointing for Conor, as at one stage he wasn’t that far from John and he moved up to sixth. We know he had an issue at Kirk Michael, we’re not sure what yet as the team need to look into this, but he pulled in and didn’t finish the race. We have to take the positives from today and now look forward to Friday.
More, from a press release issued by RAF Reserves BMW:
Hickman takes eighth place in Superbike TT
Peter Hickman opened his 2015 Isle of Man TT account in fine style on Sunday afternoon when he took the Briggs Equipment BMW to an excellent eighth place in the Superbike race, equalling his best ever result around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course.
After being cancelled on Saturday, conditions were perfect on Sunday and the re-scheduled race eventually got underway at 2.03pm. A strong opening lap from 28-year old Hickman of 127.699mph saw him slot into 13th place and another 127mph+ lap on the second lap enabled him to move up to 11th as he made the first of his two scheduled pit stops.
The Louth-based rider maintained his position on lap three as he circulated on the road with fellow BMW rider David Johnson who had started ten seconds ahead of him. A fourth lap of 127.504mph saw Hicky jump up into the top ten but the final lap saw a number of changes as firstly Gary Johnson crashed out at Guthrie’s fortunately without injury.
Third placed Michael Dunlop then crashed with less than a mile to go on the final lap after a coming together with a slower rider and the race was subsequently stopped. Only six riders completed the full race distance with seventh place onwards taken from the previous lap and this meant Peter was awarded eighth, which equalled his result from last year’s Superstock race.
Peter Hickman: “I’m happy enough with eighth place in the first race of the week, particularly as I was riding a Superstock bike in a Superbike race. It was good to get some laps in at last and I enjoyed myself out there. I caught David Johnson but it was difficult to found a good place to pass as we were both running a similar pace. He was quicker than me in some places and vice versa but I got by him at the Creg on three occasions! Like I say, it’s good to get the first race out of the way and I’m really happy with another top ten finish.”
Lee Hardy, Team Owner: “We’re really pleased with the first race and it’s nice to get a good run in at last. Peter needed time on the road and we spoke before the race, making a few more changes and he was really happy with the bike although he did say it was better with a full tank of fuel as opposed to less so that’s something we need to look at. Overall and from a team perspective we’re very happy. We had some guys experiencing the pit stops for the first time and they were both really slick and eighth place was an excellent result for Peter. It’s a good start to the week so, hopefully, we’ll be able to improve on that later in the week.”
Peter has two races on a busy Monday, riding the Briggs Equipment BMW again in the Superstock race and the Trooper MV Agusta in the Supersport race with both being held over four laps.
More, from a press release issued by Keith Amor’s publicist:
Amor forced to retire from Superbike TT
Keith Amor’s 2015 Isle of Man TT Races got off to a disappointing start on Sunday afternoon when he was forced to retire from the opening 6-lap Superbike race. The Rig Deluge® Road Racing rider had been looking for a strong finish on the BMW S1000RR but a loose nut and bolt on the footpeg meant he had to make a number of stops and he eventually pulled in to retire at the end of the second lap.
After a problematical week of practice for the riders, when weather conditions interrupted proceedings on more than one occasion, Keith found himself a little bit behind where he wanted to as he continued to search for a good set-up with the BMW, handling issues holding him back in the high speed areas.
Conditions were ideal come race day on Sunday afternoon but Keith’s problems began straightaway and he had to stop at Ballacraine to try and tighten up the nut on the footpeg. He had to stop again at Parliament Square and with the time lost, his opening lap was a lowly 109.428mph. He immediately pitted to get the footpeg fixed and also to make some suspension changes, rejoining the race primarily to get some extra track time. However, he pulled in to retire for good at the end of the second lap.
Keith Amor: “It’s massively frustrating but it is what it is and that’s the TT for you. I knew the race was going to be a bit of a gamble after losing the practice session on Saturday and we tried a new suspension setting which we wouldn’t know if it worked until we tried it. No sooner had the race started though, I was in trouble and when I looked down I could see a nut had sheared off a bolt in the footpeg and it kept working its way loose. I stopped twice to tighten it up so I pulled in to the pits after the first lap to fix it.
“We also made some more suspension changes so I went back out but the bike still wasn’t working as I wanted it to. I pulled in at the end of second lap as I’d lost so much time and we didn’t put any more miles on the engine. All the BMW riders are using different tyres and different suspension so there’s no-one we can compare ourselves too so it’s been hard going with the set-up. It’s frustrating as we’ve all put so much effort into everything but the key to a good result here is having a good set up. We’ve three more days of racing though so plenty of time to get some good results.”
Keith has two races on Monday, the Superstock and Supersport, both held over four laps.