Thursday Qualifying Schedule

Roads Close - 18:00 hrs Until No Later Than 21:00


18:20 ~ 19:10 - MGP Senior / MGP Junior / CTT Lightweight / CTT Superbike / Newcomers A

19:15 ~ 20:00 - CTT Junior / CTT Senior / MGP Lightweight & Ultra Lightweight / Newcomers B & C

Evening Practice Coverage on Manx Radio AM1368 :

Saturday 18th  –  Thursday 23rd  August : 6pm - 9pm (Saturday coverage begins at 5pm)

Outbreaks of rain this morning, turning heavy at times, then becoming mostly dry and bright from about early afternoon with sunny intervals developing.

Highest temperature around 17 Celsius, with a freshening westerly wind.

12.30: - All roads closed around the Course

13.00: - Classic TT Junior/ CTT Senior/ MGP Lightweight & Ultra Lightweight, MGP Newcomers B session

14.30: - Classic TT Superbike, CTT Lightweight, MGP Senior, MGP Junior and MGP Newcomers A session (start from pit lane exit)

16.30: - All roads open around the Course

18.00: - All roads closed around the Course

18.20: - MGP Senior/ MGP Junior CTT Lightweight/ CTT Superbike and Newcomers A session

19.15: - CTT Senior/ CTT Junior MGP Lightweight and MGP Ultra Lightweight Newcomer B session

21.00: - All roads open around the Course

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Bungalow at 11:15 hrs Thursday

Not really looking very good is it ?

11:45 - Announced that there will be a one (1) hour delay to Road Closure

13:30: Roads close

14:00: Start of CTT Senior/ CTT Junior/ MGP Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight/ MGP Newcomers B session

14:55: Start of CTT Lightweight/ CTT Superbike/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior/ MGP Newcomers A session

16:30: Roads open

This evening's schedule has not changed.

This afternoon's practice session has been cancelled due to weather conditions around the course, meaning roads will not close at 13:30 as planned.

This evening's practice session is still set to go ahead with roads closing at 18:00.

Practice will also take place tomorrow (Friday) afternoon and evening, with roads closing between 12:30 and 16:30, and 18:00 and 21:00.

Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson has switched the two sessions around for this evening's (Thursday) Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix qualifying session.

18.20: CTT Senior/ CTT Junior MGP Lightweight & MGP Ultra Lightweight/MGP Newcomer B session (starting from pit lane exit)

19.15: CTT Lightweight/ CTT Superbike/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior/Newcomers A session

21.00: All roads open around the Course (no later than 9pm)

18:20 - And believe it or not, the Session is GO

18:42 - McGuinness goes through first for a 2nd lap on the Paton

19:15 - Assessment being made on suitability for Big Bikes to go out (Rain on the West of the Island)

19:23 - No further activity over the mountain tonight, so NO Big Bike Practice

Pit Lane Practice can be undertaken by those who wish to do so.

Perhaps some additional practice on Saturday before planned racing.

After a frustrating three days kicking their heels while ‘Manannan’s Cloak’ enveloped the island, competitors were finally able to get some much-needed track time at the 2018 Classic TT presented by Bennetts as the TT Mountain Course again reverberated to the unique, ear splitting sound of Classic bike racing.

The session got underway at 6.20pm after the earlier afternoon session had been rained off and although the grandstand was bathed in sunshine at the start of the session, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson advised riders that there were a number of damp patches around the course, particularly under the trees, which would be highlighted with stationery flags.

The opening session featured the Senior and Junior Classic TT machines, who started from Pit lane, although Lightweight machines were also permitted to run in the earlier session. John McGuinness and Michael Rutter and were first away from Glencrutchery Road on the Team Winfield Paton and the Ripley Land Racing Matchless respectively that they will race in Saturday’s Bennetts Senior TT Race while Dan Sayle was one of the riders who took his Lightweight machine out in the earlier session.

The leading pair made good progress to the first checkpoint at Ballacraine but Dean Harrison, on his Laylaw Racing 250 Yamaha was reported as an early retirement at Ballacraine although he at least managed to get a lift back to the Grandstand.

John McGuinness continued to belie his two-year absence from the Mountain Course with an opening lap of 104.270 and went straight through as did a number of other competitors putting the frustration the week behind them to rack up some vital Mountain Course miles.

However, Michael Rutter was enjoying no such luck, a retirement on the opening lap at the Mountain Box and therefore stuck out on the course and missing out on valuable track time. McGuinness posted a second lap of 106.585 and the Morecambe missile told Radio TT’s Chris Kinley in pit lane after his second lap that it was great to be back on the Mountain Course.

Jamie Coward on the Ted Woof Craven Manx Norton posted a pair of 103mph laps while Chris Swallow riding a Linsdell Enfield, Lee Johnston (Davies Motorsport Honda), Ian Lougher (John Chapman Racing Honda) and Maria Costello (Team Beugger Racing Honda) all posted 100+mph laps.

Dan Sayle showed his two stroke talent with the overall fastest lap of the evening (109.406) although gear linkage issues on his second lap forced him to stop at Sulby while Charles Rhys Hardisty also went well in the Lightweight class with two 104mph laps.

In the concurrent Junior session Phil McGurk was quickest on the night with an opening lap of 95.988mph from Adam McLean (95.054) and Peter Boast (94.558) with Chris McGahan (93.055) and Mark Herbertson (92.464) completing the top five for the session.

However, with the Superbikes in Parc Ferme itching to get on the track, at 7.15pm the weather gods again betrayed the riders and with reports of rain at Kirk Michael and wet roads on the West of the Island and the Mountain section, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson had no option but to cancel the second session.

Tomorrow’s sees the addition of a second, afternoon, qualifying session to the schedule to compensate for the lost sessions earlier in the week. The timetable, subject to weather, is:

13.30 - Roads close around the course

14.00 - 14.55. CTT Superbikes/ CTT Lightweight/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior

15.00 - 15.50 CTT Senior/ CTT Junior/ MGP Lightweight/ MGP Ultra

16.30 - Roads open around the Course

18.00 - Roads closed around the Course

18.20 - 19.10 CTT Superbike/ CTT Lightweight/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior

19.15 - 20.00 CTT Senior/ CTT Junior/ MGP Lightweight/ MGP Ultra Lightweight

21.00 - Roads open no later than 9pm

John McGuinness on the Paton during Thursday's qualifying session.

Photo: Kevin Clague

Daniel Sayle (Yamaha/Steelcote Solutions Ltd) at Ballaugh Bridge

during Thursday evening's Classic TT qualifying session.

Jamie Coward (500 Norton/Ted Woof/Craven Manx Norton) at Ballaugh Bridge

during Thursday evening's Classic TT qualifying session.

After a frustrating three days kicking their heels while ‘Manannan’s Cloak’ enveloped the island, competitors were finally able to get some much-needed track time at the 2018 Manx Grand Prix.

The session got underway at 6.20pm after the earlier afternoon session had been rained off and although the grandstand was bathed in sunshine at the start of the session, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson advised riders that there were a number of damp patches around the course, particularly under the trees, which would be highlighted with stationery flags.

The Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight competitors were first out on the track as well as the Newcomers B competitors. Dave Butler on the Fingal Motor Club Kawasaki was on the pace and recorded a lap of 106.51while Gareth Evans was just over three seconds behind Butler with a lap of 106.218.

Victor Lopez Santos was third fastest on the opening lap with 105.764 with Dave Lumsden three seconds behind the Spaniard and Andrew Farrell a further 8 seconds behind completing the top five. However, Dave Lumsden, on the Martin Bullock Manxsport Kawasaki went out for a second lap and topped the evening’s Lightweight board with 107.56.

In the concurrent Ultra Lightweight class Darryl Tweed’s opening lap of 102.29 was comfortably the fastest which he improved to 103.24 on the second lap. Steve Moody and Daniel Ingham completed the top three.

Japan’s Yoshihiro Kishimoto (98.94) narrowly pipped James Hind (98.91) by less than half a second with Barry Sheehan the third fastest Newcomer B on the night with 98.47mph.

However, with the Senior and Junior MGP machines assembled in Parc Ferme itching to get on the track, at 7.15pm the weather gods again betrayed the riders and with reports of rain at Kirk Michael and wet roads on the West of the Island and the Mountain section, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson had no option but to cancel the second session.

Yoshihiro Kishimoto (2014 Kawasaki Ninja 650) at Ballaugh Bridge

during Thursday evening's Manx Grand Prix qualifying session.
PICTURE BY DAVE KNEEN

Tomorrow’s sees the addition of a second, afternoon, qualifying session to the schedule to compensate for the lost sessions earlier in the week. The timetable, subject to weather, is:

13.30 - Roads close around the course

14.00 - 14.55. CTT Superbikes/ CTT Lightweight/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior

15.00 – 15.50 CTT Senior/ CTT Junior/ MGP Lightweight/ MGP Ultra

 16.30 - Roads open around the Course

18.00 – Roads closed around the Course

 18.20 – 19.10 CTT Superbike/ CTT Lightweight/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior

19.15 – 20.00 CTT Senior/ CTT Junior/ MGP Lightweight/ MGP Ultra Lightweight

21.00 – Roads open no later than 9pm