17.20 - 17.45 : MGP & CTT Newcomers (Speed Controlled) (Untimed)

17.35 - 18.20 : MGP Senior / Junior & CTT Lightweight / Superbike (No Newcomers)

18.35 - 19.30 : MGP Lightweight & CTT Lightweight / Junior / Senior

19.35 - 20.05 : All Newcomers (Untimed)

Continuing mostly dry for the rest of the day, with sunny intervals and only one or two isolated passing showers possible.

However, the westerly winds will still be fresh to strong this afternoon, before gradually easing through the evening.

Maximum temperature 18 Celsius.

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Best of luck to everyone out there tonight and hope that we have a safe and enjoyable session.

17:20 - Practice held up due to numpties leaving unattended vehicles on the circuit (10 to 15 minute delay hopefully, to start)

17:40 - Slightly revised schedule (to be announced), due to idiots leaving their vehicles on the circuit

17:45 - A 30 minute delay announced, due to idiot leaving a car on the circuit with the steering lock ON.

18:30 - And this years event is GO (Finally)

After a frustrating delay of over an hour due to cars being left parked on the course, the 2017 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts finally got underway on the Isle of Man at 6.30pm.

Eleven newcomers had the honour of being first on the track with their obligatory speed controlled ‘sighting’ lap, under the guidance of experienced campaigners John Barton, one of the Rider Liaison Officers, and 1993 Formula 1 TT Race winner Nick Jefferies. 

With the newcomers first Mountain Course laps untimed throughout the evening, the action really got underway shortly before 6.30pm and it was local rider Dan Kneen on the Mistral Racing Kawasaki who was first away in the Superbike session. 

In the absence of Michael Dunlop, who switched to a four-wheeled challenge in the weekend’s Ulster Rally and who will begin his qualifying campaign on Monday, Austrian Horst Saiger, riding the Greenall Racing Kawasaki, clocked the fastest lap of the evening with his opening lap of 117.18mph.

Double Manx Grand Prix race winner Andrew Dudgeon, also riding a Kawasaki, was second fastest on the night with 115.39mph from Australian David Johnson (114.67) and the returning Lee Johnston (114.14) on the Team York and Team Classic Suzuki’s respectively.

In the Lightweight class Kiwi Bruce Anstey, on the Padgetts Motorcycles Honda, predictably picked up where he left off last year with an opening lap of 113.07 while former British 125 Champion Dan Cooper showed his two-stroke experience with a lap of 109.84.

Jamie Coward posted the fastest (108.04) and third fastest laps (105.69) in the Senior Class, which got underway shortly after 7.10pm with Alan Oversby (106.52) separating his two laps while Maria Costello signalled her intention to follow up last year’s Senior Classic TT podium with an opening lap of 103.31 on the Team Beugger Racing Paton and Dominic Herbertson (103.22) on the Davies Motorsport Honda completing the top five. 

In the Junior Classic TT session, Australian Cameron Donald put down his TV microphone and clocked 94.65mph on the much anticipated McIntosh Racing Norton with Lee Johnston, the 2014 Race winner opening up with a lap of 93.98 on the Black Eagle Racing MV Agusta.

Monday evening sees the Lightweight and Superbike machines away at 6.20pm with the Senior and Junior bikes scheduled to be away from 7.10pm before the newcomers’ session shortly before 7.50pm.

After a frustrating delay of over an hour while parked cars were removed from the course, the first qualifying session for the 2017 Manx Grand Prix finally got underway on the Isle of Man at 6.20pm.

Thirty-eight newcomers enjoyed their compulsory speed controlled ‘sighting’ lap, under the guidance of experienced current TT racers including James Coward, Dominic Herbertson and Alex Sinclair as well as Jim Hunter, the 1986 Senior MGP Newcomers race winner and experienced TT and MGP competitor Roger Wibberley. 

With the newcomers first mountain course laps untimed throughout the evening, the action really got underway shortly after 6.30pm and it was Barry Lee Evans from Wales who was first away in the MGP Senior/ Junior session on his Suzuki GSX-R600. 

Santon based Michael Evans topped the qualifying board on his Senior Martin Bullock Motorsport Suzuki with 114.518 while Brendan Fargher (114.236), Tom Robinson 113.988 and Glenn Harrison 113.828 all posted competitive times on their 600 machines.

In the Lightweight class Douglas rider Jamie Williams posted the fastest on the night with a credible 110.683 closely followed by Cheshire’s Jonathan Perry (110.671) with Victor Lopez Santos, from Spain, following up his Senior lap of 109.439 with the third fastest lightweight lap – 110.593.

Six newcomers slid off on their opening laps Ramon Basomba, Steve Tobin and Derek Wilson all at Governors Bridge,  Lief Williams (Westwood), David McConnachy (Union Mills) and Fabrice Faivre (Mayhill).  All were reported as OK although Williams and McConnachy were both taken by ambulance to Nobles for check ups.