Ian Lougher continued his racing career encore with another impressive display at his final appearance at the Southern 100 Road Races.
Following on from what was an emotionally charged TT, it was a more relaxed Lougher who returned to the Isle of Man, as the Billown circuit and the event's most successful ever competitor came away from the meeting with another race win and top six finishes in every race he started.

Ian's first outing was in the combined 600/1000cc race and it wasn't long before he was mixing it with Jamie Hamilton, Dan Kneen and Michael Pearson for fourth place. The battle raged for the whole race with Lougher content to let the 'young guns' slug it out just ahead of him. On the fifth lap, Ian put in his fastest lap of the race, and the fastest of the quartet, to apply some pressure on the three riders in front and on the last lap he finally got past Pearson to claim sixth place, just behind Hamilton and Kneen.

The following evening saw Ian out in 3 races, the first of which was the Senior race.

He got a good start from the middle of the second row of the grid and at the end of the opening lap he had slotted into third behind Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop whilst holding off Dean Harrison. On the second lap Ian found himself relegated to 6th but on the next lap he was back into fourth on the WA Corless Joinery/Jackson Racing machine. Jamie Hamilton and Dan Kneen were now both well back.

Guy Martin still led Michael Dunlop but now by only a tenth of a second with Dean Harrison only 0.8 of a second down in third place and as the riders went on to their fourth lap the positions stayed the same with Ian also remaining in a lonely fourth place and indeed he closed the race out comfortably to finish fourth.

Following a short break, it was yet another top six finish for Lougher in the 600cc race as he finished sixth on the WA Corless/Jackson Racing Supersport bike just ahead of Jamie Coward.


The last race of the evening for combined 125/400/450cc machines was eagerly anticipated by the sun-kissed spectators as it promised to be another exciting encounter between Ian and his regular sparring partner Chris Palmer on the smaller capacity bikes.

For this race Ian was on Matt Jackson's 125, a partnership that has proven successful in the past. The battle between Lougher and Palmer soon developed inside the first few laps and on lap four Ian put in the quickest lap of the 125cc race and the third best lap overall to close right up on Palmer. Another quick lap on the next circuit was enough to put him into the lead and in a frantic last lap Ian had to draw on all his experience to fend off a determined challenge from Palmer and as the two raced for the chequered flag it was Lougher who held on for the win in one of the closest finishes seen at Billown.

The last day of racing would see Ian compete in one race, the Solo Championship race over 8 laps.

Again in perfect conditions it was Michael Dunlop who made a terrific start to lead by over a second at the end of the first lap from Dean Harrison and Guy Martin. Jamie Hamilton, Lougher and Michael Pearson where all in close attendance at the end of the lap in 4th, 5th and 6th positions respectively.

By the end of the next lap Dunlop led Harrison and Martin by 1.2 seconds whilst Jamie Hamilton continued to hold fourth place from Ian and Russ Mountford. With two laps to go, Ian was in a strong fifth and he remained here as the race entered the last lap.

At the end Guy Martin crossed the line in first place from Michael Dunlop, Dean Harrison was third ahead of Jamie Hamilton with Ian holding on to a comfortable fifth place from Russ Mountford.

Due to a serious incident in the following sidecar race, the meeting was subsequently abandoned.

So the curtain has come down on Ian Lougher's Southern 100 appearances and a race win was a pleasing way to bring it all to a close.

On a sadder note, the thoughts of everyone at Ian Lougher Racing (ILR) are with the families, friends and racing associates of David Jukes, Mark Madsen-Mygdal and Paul Thomas.



Photo: © Jon Jessop
http://www.jonjessopphotography.co.uk
.