RACE DAY 

Saturday 27th August

1130 Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race 4 laps - Start List

1325 – 1400 MGP Senior & Junior qualifying 2 laps

1355 – 1435 -  Classic TT Junior & Superbike qualifying 1 lap

1445 – 1525 Vintage Motor Cycle Club Parade 1 lap

1615 Lightweight Classic TT Race - 4 laps - Start List

1810 – 1840 - MGP Supertwin & Lightweight qualifying - 2 laps

Click on the Graphic for Manx Radio AM Coverage

Weather Outlook

A dry day Saturday, rather cloudy generally with hill mist at first but some brighter spells will develop during the day. 
Winds light southeast turning northeasterly, temperatures up to 20C.

Dry today although rather cloudy at times, with occasional hill mist, but some brighter spells and sunny intervals during the day. 

Mostly light south to southeast winds turning northeasterly, and temperatures rising to 19 or 20°C at best.

The Bungalow at 09:30

Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race (4 laps) - Results   -  Lap-by-lap

Lightweight Classic TT Race (4 laps) -  Results   -  Lap-by-lap

Twenty-three time TT Race winner John McGuinness, riding the Team Winfield Paton, won his first Classic TT Race in today’s Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race on the Isle of Man.  The Morecambe rider, who has retired in his three previous attempts, set a new lap record of 113.342mph and race record in the process.

McGuinness and Dean Harrison, on the Black Eagle Racing MV Agusta, were separated by fractions of a second on the opening two laps before a decisive late pit strategy by Team Winfield eventually saw McGuinness take the win by twenty seconds.

Speaking from the winner’s enclosure at the end of the race, McGuinness said:

“We’ve been trying hard for the last four years which have been really frustrating but we’ve got it now.  It was nip and tuck all the way with the young fella. I thought I might be able to get a lead and ease off but no chance. It’s been mega, I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve had to really learn to ride the bike, keep the momentum. It’s like riding a 250 round here.”

The sunshine came out on the Isle of Man for the first race day for the Isle of Man Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts and conditions were reported as dry all round the course.

John McGuinness was first away at 11.30am and was first on the road to Glen Helen and on time at the first checkpoint at Glen Helen, establishing a lead of 1.5 seconds from his nearest rival Dean Harrison, who won the corresponding race in 2015 with Maria Costello tucking into third a further seven seconds behind Harrison.  McGuinness’s Team Winfield team-mate Conor Cummins on the second Paton was holding fourth with Alan Oversby on the Davies Motorsport Honda fifth, fifteen seconds behind the leaders.

At the front of the field a close battle was developing between McGuinness and Harrison with Harrison edging in front at Ballaugh, only 0.162 ahead of McGuinness with Maria Costello maintaining third place but with the gap already extended to seventeen seconds from the leading pair.

Conor Cummins was reported to have retired at Quarry Bends which saw Michael Rutter on the Ripley Land Racing Matchless moving into the top five at Ramsey where Harrison had extended his lead to 0.3 seconds while Ian Lougher, riding the late entry John Chapman Racing RC181 Honda was reported to have retired at Union Mills on his opening lap.

McGuinness set a new lap record for the class on the opening lap 112.043 (20:12.289), which he held for less than a minute with Harrison clocking 112.077 (20:11.094), giving the Bradford rider a lead of 0.366 seconds.  Maria Costello held third place with her opening lap of 107.499 (21:03.530) but was already over 50 seconds behind the leading pair.

That remained the top three at the end of the second lap, but with Harrison having opened up a lead of over a second earlier in the lap, McGuinness ate into the lead and set a new lap record of 113.342mph (19:58.394) for the class.  

With Harrison slowing down coming into the pits, posting a second lap of 112.830/ 20:03.826, McGuinness established a lead of five seconds at the Grandstand at the end of the second lap with Costello third with her second lap of 107.846/ 20:59.462.

Meanwhile Rutter had moved up into fourth place by Ballaugh on his second lap ahead of fifth placed Oversby.  However, it was clear that Rutter had machine issues as he came in to the pits and he duly retired at the end of the second lap.  

Harrison’s pit of 46.973 seconds put the Yorkshire rider almost a minute behind McGuinness at Glen Helen on the third lap.  Alan Oversby, like McGuinness, elected to run straight through at the end of his second lap, and edged in front of Costello on corrected time.  

McGuinness came in to the pits at the end of the third lap, with a ‘splash and dash’ stop of 40.218 seconds which meant that his lead over Harrison was down to just over twenty seconds at Ballaugh on the last lap once the pit stops had unravelled.  However, the Morecambe rider maintained the gap with a last lap 108.196/ 20:55.385 to win his first Classic TT Race title by twenty-one seconds in a new race record of 111.559mph/ 1:21.10.189/ from Harrison (111.070/ 1:21.31.627).  

With Oversby coming in to the pits at the end of his third lap Costello duly moved back into the final podium place, which she clinched with a final lap of 108.686, which gave her an overall race time of 106.799/ 1:24.47.253.

James Cowton, due to start 19, set off from the back of the field on the Dave Kennah Racing Norton following machine issues, made a huge effort to get to 6th place before retiring on his third lap at Signpost Corner.

Dom Herbertson finished as the leading privateer in 6th place on the Herbertson Racing Honda in a time of 104.499mph/ 1:26.39.213.

Hefyn Owen riding the Owen Racing 500 Matchless is currently the leading contender for the Peter Williams Trophy, which was created by Rob Ianucci, an enthusiast for AJS and Matchless race bikes made from a titanium conrod from the iconic ‘Wagonwheels’ machine.

The trophy is awarded to the highest placed AJS or Matchless rider in either the Junior or Senior Classic TT races.  All eyes will be on Monday’s Okells Junior Classic TT Race to see if Owen’s 11th placed finish proves decisive.

John McGuinness awaits the signal to start the Bennetts Senior Classic Race

Dean Harrison at Ginger Hall on the Black Eagle Racing MV 500cc Three  

Maria Costello on the Beugger Racing Paton at Ginger Hall

The clock was well and truly turned back with the return of 250cc two strokes to the TT Mountain Course for the first time since 2002.  In a stunning race Bruce Anstey posted the fastest ever Lightweight Mountain Course lap on his way to winning the inaugural Sure Lightweight Classic TT Race, the second race of the day at the 2016 Classic TT presented by Bennetts.  The team, and Bruce, now has the distinction of holding both two stroke records, following the success with the YZR 500 two stroke Yamaha last year.

Anstey later revealed in the winner’s enclosure how much he’d enjoyed the race:

“I thought I’ve just got to make sure that I get away from Ian (Lougher) so he doesn’t see me. I enjoyed that – it’s so good to be back on a 250 it’s such a pleasure.  Once I got on the last lap I just cruised.  They fire up pretty easy so I wasn’t too nervous in the pits. 

Enjoyed it all the way but I’m the one that’s seizing up now.  The bike was so easy to ride I just had to keep the corner speed going from white line to white line.”

After the race, Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles Team Manager Clive Padgett declared his admiration for the New Zealander:

“What a man - he can ride a motorbike. That was phenomenal. The lap record wasn’t something we aimed for I’m but chuffed to have it.” 

The Batley based dealership boss also apologised to John McGuinness for beating his fastest time.

Appropriately Charlie Williams, who won five 250cc TT Races and achieved a further 3 podiums, started the race which got underway on time at 4.15pm.

Dan Cooper, the former 125 British champion, who was due to get away first, failed in a belated attempt to post a qualifying lap earlier in the afternoon and didn’t start. Michael Rutter on the Ducati was also absent from the start line, which meant that the much anticipated Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda 250 ridden by Bruce Anstey was first away.  It was particularly poignant for Anstey, who won the last 250 two-stroke race at the TT in 2002.

Anstey was immediately on the pace and was first to Glen Helen, establishing a lead of almost 2 seconds from Ian Lougher, riding the Laylaw Racing Yamaha, at the first checkpoint with Ryan Kneen on CBG contractors Yamaha in third place less than a second further back.

However news came through shortly after that Kneen had retired at Douglas Road Corner leaving Phil Harvey on the CSC Racing Honda to move up to third place at Ballaugh Bridge. Tom Snow was also an early retirement at Union Mills.

Meanwhile at the front of the field, Anstey was in total control with a lead of almost ten seconds from Lougher by Ramsey with Phil Harvey a further 23 seconds back in third.  Charles Rhys Hardisty, riding the REPS Motorcycles 250 Yamaha and Welshman Paul Owen on the Team 98 Honda completed the top five.

That remained the order at the end of the opening lap with Anstey’s 117.170/ 19:19.242) giving him a commanding lead of over 16 seconds from Lougher (115.486/ 19:36.147) with Harvey third in 111.937/ 20:13.437. Dan Kneen, who was running well in sixth, retired at ‘The Nook’, just before the Grandstand.

Anstey really threw down the gauntlet on the second lap and by Ramsey he held a lead of over 37 seconds from Lougher.  All eyes were on the clock at the Grandstand and even thought he was slowing for the pits, the Kiwi still broke John McGuinness’s outright Lightweight TT lap record of 118.29 (19:08.200) set in 1999, posting a new fastest lap of 118.774 (19:03.876).

Lougher maintained his second place with Harvey continuing to hold third place but Owen moved up into fourth ahead of fellow Wesh rider Rhys-Hardisty on the second lap.

There was no change at the front of the field where Anstey extended his lead over Lougher to over a minute by Glen Helen and his third lap of 112.207/ 20:10.511 gave him an unassailable lead of over 1 minute ten seconds heading into the final lap.

Anstey was able to ride conservatively on the last lap and duly clinched the first Lightweight Classic TT Race with a lap of 116.012/ 19:30.808, which gave him an overall race time of 115.982/ 1:18.04.437. Lougher finished runner up in 114.409/ 1:19..08.846, over two minutes ahead of Phil Harvey with Paul Owen a further ten seconds back in fourth ahead of his fellow Welshman Charles Rhys Hardisty who completed the top five with 109.310/ 1:22.50.368.  Rhys Hardisty had the consolation of finishing as the leading privateer.

Lightweight Winners Podium - Ian Lougher 2nd, Bruce Anstey - winner & Phil Harvey 3rd

Charles Rhys Hardisty in the winners' enclosure as first privateer home in the Sure Lightweight Classic TT Race