This is the biggest road race of them all. This race is the Isle of Man TT. This is the fastest track on the open road racing circuit and will be blogged in one entry even though the race itself has two parts to the broadcast. For more of the history of the Isle of Man TT, check out the Wikipedia article on the event.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man_TT
On June 19th, the Bike Road Racing Series ran the Isle of Man TT which is also known as the Southern 100 International Road Races in Northern Ireland, on the Isle of Man. Ryan Farquhar will be running only his 650cc and 1000cc Superbike bikes at this race, not running his 600cc bike. Michael Dunlop says he has some work to do to catch up to his competition in all three classes he'll be riding in. The track being dealt with on the Isle of Man is 4 and 1/4 miles long. Corners include Ballakeighan, Iron Gate, Joey's Gate, Ballabeg Hairpin, Williams corner, Cross Four-Ways, Church Bends, Great Meadow (including a very long, fast straightaway), Stadium Bend, Castletown corner, and over the finish line.
The track is known as the Billown Circuit. The opening race will be a mix of 600cc and 1000cc bikes. This is the Corlett's Trophies race. At the start, Michael Dunlop and Ryan Farquhar both get good jumps off the line in the first wave. The bikes approach Ballakeighan for the first time. There's just one wave of bikes starting this race, so, a smaller field to be sure. Dunlop and Farquhar battle each other early on.
The bikes are now approaching the Ballabeg hairpin. Farquhar seems to take wider entrances into the corners than Dunlop does.
Rookie Jamie Hamilton has also made a good start to this race as the riders wend their way through the stone walls and twisting curves on this track. Guy Martin begins to catch up with the leading duo and this pack is breaking away from everyone else. Ian Lougher runs fifth with Conor Cummins right behind. Michael Dunlop continues pulling out a gap over Ryan Farquhar. Further down the field a battle ensues between bike #40 of Paul Duckett, bike #93 of Paul Cranston, and others. The straightaway coming to the stadium section is the fastest part of this track.
Farquhar clips a curb with his rear wheel, allowing Guy Martin to get by him successfully. The bikes are spread out going into a section of track called the Bomb Hole. Martin seems to be gaining on Farquhar through the twists and turns. The race is approaching halfway on lap three out of a total of eight. Bike #36 Michael Pearson passes fellow rider Russ Malford on bike #72. Ian Lougher is riding well and there are numerous other contenders at this stage including Jamie Coward and Paul Shoesmith. Connor Cummins has fallen behind just slightly. Michael Dunlop tries mightily to keep the front wheel of his motorcycle planted going into Iron Gate.
Ian Lougher on the Kawasaki is the most successful rider in the history of the Southern 100 races, having won 32 individual events coming into this week of racing. Mark Parrott on bike #14 seems to be running well. Jamie Hamilton holds off the charge of another rookie rider in Dean Harrison on the #11 bike. Michael Dunlop sets a new lap record at 2:15.89. Jamie Hamilton is on the ragged edge, nearly sideways into Castletown corner! Veteran rider Michael Pearson on bike #30 is also in this scrap. Farquhar is still in third spot. Michael Pearson passes Jamie Hamilton as it seems as though Martin is catching Farquhar. Dunlop passes bike #49 of Carl Roberts, a backmarker.
It's Conor Cummins who is charging after Ryan Farquhar right now. It's the last lap of this first race combining the 600cc and 1000cc bikes. Conor Cummins wants by Farquhar. He is after a podium spot in this race on the Isle of Man. The top two in the 600cc class are Ivan Linton on bike #12 and Jamie Coward on bike #10. If Cummins wants to pass, he must make his move very soon. It will happen, more than likely in Castletown just before the finish line.
Michael Dunlop easily wins this race. But, Farquhar crumbles under pressure, making a mistake and allowing Martin to go by!
#1 Michael Dunlop Honda 1000
The next race is for sidecars, with a rider and a passenger. It's been a while since riders have gone three wheelin' at this race. Refer to a blog post earlier on strictly about sidecar racing. On pole will be the Birchall brothers, Ben and Tom, with their #3 Honda 600cc sidecar cycle. There are about ten of these bikes on the grid. At the start, the pole winning team of Dan Sail and Tim Reeves jumps into the lead. Conrad Harrison and his partner are now second. Need to figure out the teams and will write out the top five at the end of this race beyond the winners.
Another brother team that won the championship years ago is third. This is the #1 Yamaha 600 sidecar of Ian and Carl Bell. Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle still lead, but there's an outbraking battle. The Harrison/Chauhun Honda runs in fourth. These sidecars have very little suspension travel and the rider in the seat of the sidecar must hold on for dear life! The Bell team is a father and son effort. The distance for this event will be six laps. Martin Wheelock and Kenny Cole are in contention. It's already seeming as if the mantra in this event is, "don't make ANY mistakes, whatever you do."
No new rider has ever won a sidecar race in the Southern 100. Tim Reeves could make history. Craig Lambert and Dickey Gale are fourth. Dickey Gale has been racing on the sidecar circuit for three decades. These sidecar cycles are very aerodynamic, but also very fragile. David Hurst and Ben Bins are running well. Through Church Bend, the race order hasn't changed at all. Conrad Harrison and his passenger have been running well. Reeves has gapped the Bell's and the Bell's have gapped everyone else.
At the end of lap two, Reeves sets a best lap time of 2:37.5. Dan Sail is doing very well and is an experienced rider and sidecar passenger. There is a four way scrap for third spot. The Birchal's try making a move, but it doesn't work. Racing these sidecars is more like racing a car than a motorcycle because of how wide they are. Harrison and Chauhun have been under pressure from the Birchall's and other competitors throughout this event. There was about to be a serious pass made, but the road was WAY too narrow for it to work.
Greg Lambert outbrakes himself but still holds the machine together! Lambert and Gale made the pass and blocked successfully. Conrad Harrison passes Greg Lambert. The Birchall's pass Lambert and his passenger. Ian and Carl Bell are being hounded by other riders at this point. Sidecars #27 and #42 of Alan Walden and John Chandler battle. There is just one lap to go now with five of six complete. Ben and Tom Birchall make a successful pass. Conrad Harrison is trying to pass. Can he make it? Yes! Harrison passes Birchall!
Remember, the Birchall brothers are newcomers to the Bike Road Racing Series and to the sidecar class. Lambert and Gale still challenge. Conrad Harrison almost wipes out his sidecar! The Birchall's pass. Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle win it!
Here's the top five for Sidecars
1. #77 Reeves/Sayle Honda 600
2. #1 Bell/Bell Yamaha 600
3. #3 Birchall/Birchall Honda 600
4. #4 Harrison/Chauhun Honda 600
5. #7 Lambert/Gale Honda 600
Day two of competition on the Isle of Man begins with the Total Oils Senior Race for the Superbikes.
At the start, Ryan Farquhar gets the jump over everyone else going into the first corner. Conor Cummins is coming up the order, but, riding on-board with Ian Lougher, there's contact between two bikes already. Jamie Hamilton and Guy Martin bang into each other. Farquhar leads towards the Ballabeg hairpin. Michael Dunlop is the only one bold and daring enough to make a pass in that corner, getting by Ryan Farquhar. Cummins tries passing Lougher, but it won't work. In the meantime, Michael Dunlop is getting away from everybody.
Ian Dunlop and Cameron Donald are not in this senior race nor even at the TT this year. Dunlop is injured and Donald's father is ill. Lougher and Cummins will keep battling through this race it appears. Ryan Farquhar is out of this race. He's nowhere to be seen among the two battles in the top four that are separated. Lougher gets by Cummins into Castletown corner. Lougher gets by Cummins through Ballakeighan. Cummins comes back around Lougher into Iron Gate. Ryan Farquhar is stuck in a gaggle of maybe half a dozen bikes all battling for position.
Dean Harrison on the #11 Kawasaki chases down Jamie Hamilton and their battle definitely resumes. Guy Martin continues to chase down Dunlop. Michael Pearson makes a pass through the Bomb Hole. Dean Harrison had to hold back briefly to get by the lapped bike of Stuart Osborne (#55), and that gave Pearson a chance to look to pass. Michael Dunlop sets a new outright lap speed record at 130.34 miles per hour. Harrison and Hamilton continue their scrap for fifth spot. In negotiating traffic, Guy Martin has slowed slightly and that will not allow him to win the senior race. It will be Michael Dunlop winning this eight lap, 27 mile event.
#1 Michael Dunlop Honda
Race two of the second day will be a combined event for 250cc and 650cc bikes. This is all one race with no separate classes or podium finishers. This is the Mann Auto Car Sales 250/650cc race without William Dunlop on the grid. At the start, Hamilton takes the lead as riders scramble for position. Just eight 250cc bikes appear on this grid, which shows that (as highlighted in the Cookstown 100 and the North West 200 from earlier on), the category is in decline. There are a bunch of riders all in single file, jockeying for spots in this race so far.
Farquhar continues chasing Hamilton. The 650cc bikes are becoming popular because they have more power and are more controllable than say a 250cc racer. Interestingly, Farquhar and Hamilton are team mates in this division, riding under the same colors. The battle at the top continues even though there's also decent racing for third through fifth place with at least one or two 250cc bikes in the mix. The top two are all over each other through Cross Four Ways and into the next chicane. These riders are now shoulder to shoulder! This is just like a MotoGP race! Yikes!
It's still Hamilton vs. Farquhar for the lead of this race. Hamilton passes Ryan Farquhar again as these riders show their performance on the Super Twin bikes. The highest running 250cc bike is Chris Palmer in third spot right behind the lead battle. Ian Lougher on bike #3 is the fifth placed rider in this event at the moment. The bikes move towards Castletown corner to complete another lap and it's clear that the 650cc Super Twins have an advantage. Some of these guys are taking real risks, passing in spots where they shouldn't.
The 250cc fans want Chris Palmer to do well, getting in front of his rivals on the big bikes. Hamilton passes Ryan Farquhar. Some attention is being paid to bikes further down the order. But, it's really the Hamilton/Farquhar scrap that is being highlighted for this event. Ryan Farquhar will win it over Jamie Hamilton.
#77 Ryan Farquhar Kawasaki
Chris Palmer on the little 250cc Honda gets third! Wow!
The next event is the 600 Supersport race.
This is always a close race. At the start of the Radcliffe Butchers 600cc race, it's Michael Dunlop taking the lead. Conor Cummins also gets a banzai start. He passes the #12 bike of Ivan Linton. Ian Lougher is in second place. Jamie Coward is in fourth place. Lougher and Cummins are second and third right now and it's a good performance for Ian Lougher even though he likes riding the 1000cc machines more than the 600s. It's Cummins, Dunlop, Lougher. Davy Morgan is slightly farther behind.
Russ Malford wants to pass Guy Martin. Michael Pearson and Dean Harrison also are looking in on this battle. This event is eight laps or 32 miles. Dunlop has closed on Cummins. It's a battle of Yamaha vs. Suzuki. Mark Parrot is fourth. Dunlop makes the pass on Cummins successfully. He timed the move perfectly going into Ballakeighan. Cummins passes Dunlop into Iron Gate and Dunlop will not force the issue. Dunlop then goes by Cummins into the Ballabeg hairpin.
Guy Martin apparently has a terminal problem with his bike. He will be a DNF in the 600cc Supersport race. Cummins was going too fast and almost somersaulted over the handlebars! Whoa! It's now a three bike breakaway at the front. No further dramas. Michael Dunlop will win the 600cc race.
#1 Michael Dunlop Yamaha
The finale for the race weekend will be a combined race for the 125cc and 400cc bikes. There will be oh, fifteen or so 125cc machines running here. The race will be six laps and all the heavy hitters are in it. At the start, Chris Palmer gets the early lead over Ian Lougher. Ryan Farquhar should be running a 400cc bike, but he's not entered in this race. James Cowton on bike #52 (a rookie), leads. Sam Wilson on bike #119 is also running well as they approach the Bomb Hole for the first time.
Chris Palmer makes a good overtaking move. Dave Taylor on bike #51 is running fifth behind Sam Wilson. Riders like Ross Johnson and Dave Kennington are also in this battle. Chris Palmer seems to be getting a run for his money by one of the 400cc machines. Ryan Kneen is pulling away from Chris Palmer. Kneen rides bike #85 in second spot. These smaller displacement bikes can be very temperamental. These bikes are going three wide into corners, easily.
There's hardly any space between the groups of bikes in this race. Cowton tries going for the lead, but, he knows he won't have space to make a move on Kneen. Palmer, meanwhile, may lose third spot. Palmer has dropped down to fourth place on his 125cc machine. The two 400cc bikes are pulling away consistently from the 125s. Ross Johnson on bike #22 is being harried by Dave Taylor. James Cowton still wants by Ryan Kneen on bike #85.
Nigel Moore on bike #70 is in sixth place. Dave Corlett and Peter Haymans battle over a spot on bikes #100 and #75 respectively. It's Ryan Kneen and James Cowton who will battle for victory in this race. Sam Wilson beats Chris Palmer to the line. But, indeed, Kneen will be the winner of this event for the Station Garage 125cc/400cc class.
#115 Ryan Kneen Kawasaki
Thus concludes another race for the Bike Road Racing Series. If there are more, they will be blogged here in the future. Stay tuned.
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