For once the sun was bright as final preparations were taking place in Pit Lane for the start of the four lap Junior Manx Grand Prix at 1015hrs, the roads having closed on time three-quarters of an hour earlier at 0930.

Jules Croft and Philip McGurk were the first pair away as the flag dropped.

At the end of the opening lap 2008 Newcomers’ race winner Ryan Kneen held an eight second advantage over Stephen McIlvenna, with Michael Russell third. First 250 was Neil Kent in 29th position and quickest lady was Maria Costello in 23rd position.

The end of lap two saw the new Pit Lane Speed Control system come into play. McIlvenna was now in the lead by some 14 seconds from Kneen with David Lumsden now third.

Keith McCay will go down in the annuls of Manx Grand Prix history having been given the first pit lane speed penalty of 30 seconds for a speed of 66.001kph!

McIlvenna enjoyed a 5 second advantage at the conclusion of the third lap with Keen 11 ahead of Lumsden. Michael Russell, Si Fulton and Alan Jackson completed the top six.

So after 150.92 racing miles, Stephen McIlvenna took the chequered flag being first on the road as well as time, completing the distance in 1h 17m 35.33s an average speed of 116.707mph.

Second was Ryan Kneen in a time of 1h 17.41.27 a speed of 116.559mph and third was David Lumsden in 1h 17m 59.72 (116.099mph

Ryan Kneen set the fastest lap at 118.738mph a lap time of 19m 03.93s





Only one minor incident today, in the Junior Manx Grand Prix, Ivan Lintin slipped off his machine at Sulby Bridge, without injury and is OK.