McGuinness leads challenge for fastest qualifier and Graham award

Fifteen time champion John McGuinness is leading the solo challenge for the Graham Award for fastest qualifier but a number of the leading contenders are breathing down his neck and any one of nine or ten riders is capable of overhauling his time.

HM Plant Honda rider John, who set a time of 130.242mph in qualifying on Wednesday 2nd June, is closely followed by Padgetts Motorcycles rider Ian Hutchinson who recorded a time .137 slower in Thursday’s practice. Guy Martin, Conor Cummins, last year’s Graham Award winner Cameron Donald, Keith Amor and Adrian Archibald have all also gone over 128mph.

Tonight’s final qualifying will start with a sidecar practice at 6.20pm (GMT) with the solo riders expected out at around 7.50pm. The session will again give the solo riders the chance to practice the new speed restricted pit lane ahead of Saturday’s first race.

In the sidecars Dave Molyneux and Patrick Farrance have posted the fastest times every night apart from Monday, when his closest challenger Klaus Klaffenbock topped the first qualifying session.

The prestigious award for fastest qualifier comes with a special limited edition Chronofighter Espace TT Watch, complete with Triskelion emblem courtesy of Graham Watches who are the TT’s official timing partner.