Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. HUTCHINSON SECURES LATE DEAL TO RIDE FOR TEAM TRACTION CONTROL AT 2015 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES FUELLED BY MONSTER ENERGY

   Posted on 11:00am Monday 1st Jun 2015

   Ian Hutchinson has secured a late deal to ride a Yamaha for British championship outfit Team Traction Control in the Supersport class at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   Hutchinson had been due to compete for Tsingtao Racing on an MV Agusta, but the team has opted to skip the event to 'continue development after this year's TT for next year'.

   The Bingley racer - who famously won five races in a week in 2010, is among the top contenders in the Superbike and Superstock races on Paul Bird's Kawasaki and Hutchinson will now also fancy his chances of mixing it up at the front on the TCC Yamaha R6 in Keith Flint's team.

   "It is a privilege to be working with Keith Flint and the team and I know how much they love their racing," said the eight-time TT winner. I have worked with Grant [Bunting] from TTC before so to be able to have this opportunity to work with them is just what I need. I am looking forward to it and as I haven't ridden the TTC bike before we need to have a good practice week and get a feel for it, but I know the team have the ability from what they have done this season and in the past," he added. "We just need to get our heads down and then hopefully my confidence that I have had this year from Superbike and Superstock can cross over into Supersport too. I want to go out and have a good go at it that's for sure." 

    

    

    

    

    

   The Prodigys Keith Flint is team principal for Team Traction Control
   
   www.iomtt.com

2. Weather closes in to curtail first qualifying session for 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy

   Posted on 9:00pm Saturday 30th May 2015

   Qualifying for the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, got underway on Saturday evening and although weather conditions meant the F2 sidecars failed to get out on track, the Lightweight class got a full session under their belts with Ryan Farquhar leading the way at 117.12mph.

   The session got underway with the speed controlled lap for the solo and sidecar newcomers and TT rider liaison officer Richard 'Milky' Quayle, the 2002 Lightweight TT winner, led the solos away with Tom McHale, Robbin Harms and Franck Petricola behind him. Second Rider Liaison Officer John Barton took out his Lightweight machine with Derek McGee, Dan Harrison and Geoffrey Vankoekelnbergh all similarly mounted as they got their first taste of the Mountain Course on closed roads.

   Soon after it was the turn of the F2 Sidecar newcomers with seasoned regulars Roy Hanks/Kevin Perry, John Holden/Dan Sayle and Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Milligan showing the 12 debutantes around including Terry O'Reilly/Aidan Browne, Alan Warden/Stuart Clark and Pascal Gassmann/Olivier Chabloz.

   Also out on track was reigning British F1 Champion Sean Hegarty making his first appearance at the TT since 1996. James Neave partnered him with their 675cc Triumph outfit certainly standing out.

   At 6.57pm it was the turn of the first official session with the Lightweights setting off down Glencrutchery Road and the honour of being first away was Jamie Hamilton and Michael Sweeney. They were followed in quick succession by Junior Manx Grand Prix winner Andy Lawson and Dan Cooper, Michael Rutter and James Hillier and Ivan Lintin and Michael Jessopp.

   All of the newcomers were soon back out on the course whilst Hillier was quickest through the Sulby speed trap at 156mph.

   The first rider to complete the lap was Hamilton at 112.19 swiftly followed by Sweeney at 111.18 and Lintin who briefly went quickest at 114.64. Hillier was also over 112mph but the quickest two riders on the opening lap were Gary Johnson and Ryan Farquhar. The duo had left the line together and lapped at 114.866 and 114.827 respectively whilst Lee Johnston was also going well on another KMR Kawasaki at 113.32.

   Second time around and Farquhar and Johnson were still circulating together and increased their speeds with the Northern Irishman going to the top of the early leaderboard at 117.12, already his fastest ever lap on a Lightweight machine. Johnson wasn't far behind at 117.02 with Lintin also improving to 116.60.

   Johnston was up to 115.40 with Cooper slotting into fifth overall at 113.41mph. Meanwhile, McGee was going well on his Lightweight Kawasaki at 107.60 with McHale, continuing on his Superstock machine, also impressing at 108.12.

   However, rain was beginning to fall at various parts around the course and Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson ended the session early meaning the F2 Sidecars missed out their session and will have to wait until Monday evening to get their first laps.

3. SPLITLATH MAINTAIN EBR MACHINES AND CONFIRM MILLER AND KENNAUGH FOR TT 2015

   Posted on 9:00am Friday 15th May 2015

   The Splitlath Group will be back at the Isle of Man TT races, fuelled by Monster Energy, in full force this year with riders Mark Miller and Hudson Kennaugh.

   Riding under the Splitlath EBR banner, the team will again be campaigning 1190 RS EBR machines in the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock and PokerStars Senior TT races and despite the recent announcement from Erik Buell Racing (EBR) that they were withdrawing from racing, Splitlath is determined to continue flying the U.S. manufacturers colours without factory support. Mark Miller will also race for the team on an ER6 Kawasaki in the Bennetts Lightweight race.

   The Splitlath EBR team used the EBR machines for their 2014 TT campaign with American riders Miller and Brandon Cretu with former Macau Grand Prix podium finisher Miller lapping at a more than impressive 122.996mph in the Senior race while Cretu gave them their first TT finish with 42nd in the Senior. Building upon the lessons learned in 2014 the team now aim to show the true potential of the incredible EBR1190RS.

   Miller is now a stalwart of the TT, having not missed a year since making his debut back in 2006, and is the fastest American ever to have lapped the Mountain Course with a lap of 125.507mph recorded in 2009. He also won the TT Zero race in 2010, finishing second in 2011 and third in 2012 and, having taken four top twenty finishes, he now has 19 replicas to his name.
   
   

   Kennaugh makes his return to the TT after a four year absence. The South African ace made his debut in 2010 when he lapped at 121.759mph and picked up three bronze replicas. He went on to win the 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship and currently occupies second overall in the 2015 series having finished on the podium at each of the first three rounds including taking victory at the opening round at Donington Park.

   Team owner John Dimbylow commented: "We're still confident that we haven't seen the last of Erik Buell and the EBR company so for us it was a simple decision; either give up on this year, or continue fighting and show the world just how incredible the EBR machines are on the roads. We felt we had a responsibility to all of the guys back at the factory to keep their bikes racing this year!"

   The Splitlath EBR team will also return to China with American Cory West to defend their lead in the Pan Delta Series and then return to Macau for the third consecutive year aboard the EBR machines.

4. Reeves and Farrance team up again and target Isle of Man TT Races wins

   Posted on 5:46pm Wednesday 13th May 2015

   Reigning World Sidecar Champion Tim Reeves is gearing up for his assault on the 2015 Isle of Man TT races fuelled by Monster Energy and having gained additional support from sponsors including Isle of Man based telecoms company Sure, he is confident of adding to the single TT win he took in 2013.

   Driving under the AOS/Team E-Aide Motorsport banner, Reeves is reunited with passenger Patrick Farrance for the first time since 2009 and with the Cumbrian having taken three wins with Dave Molyneux in the intervening period, the duo have a great chance of success.

   The pairing took a podium on Reeves' debut in 2008 and with the Kent driver now having stood on the rostrum five times, including the win in the opening race of 2013, they will be one of the favourites for honours in both of this year's three-lap Sure sidecar TT races.

   Reeves will again campaign a DMR Honda this year, although this time the chassis has had a number of modifications to suit his specific requirements with considerable input in the design coming from Dave Molyneux, former World Champion and TT winner Steve Abbott and Bill and Dean Ryde from Metmachex.

   Reeves and Farrance recently conducted their first shakedown test of the new outfit at Silverstone, where they were immediately running under the circuit lap record, with further test sessions planned at Aintree and Mallory Park this weekend prior to the opening TT practice session on Saturday 30th May.

   Tim Reeves:

   "I've got the perfect package for this year's TT and with E-Aide Motorsport and the added support of AOS, Hunts Motorcycles, H&S Contractors and Sure Mobile, I'll be going into the races in the best possible position. I'm back with Patrick for the first time in six years and everything clicked straightaway at Silverstone. Six years is a long time but it was if it was yesterday as Patrick and I were at home immediately. He's a class act so I'm delighted to have him back on board whilst the outfit felt really good and was flying."

   Sarah Jarvis, Marketing Manager, Sure, said

   "We're absolutely delighted to be supporting Tim and Patrick at the 2015 Isle of Man TT. We're trying really hard to raise the profile of sidecar racing through our sponsorship of the races and who better to be involved with than the reigning World Champion. We've worked with Patrick before and know him well and we're really excited about his and Tim's prospects this year so, hopefully, they can be victorious this year."

   

5. Victory Motorcycles to Race Prototype Electric Motorcycle at the Isle of Man TT Races

   Posted on 10:30am Wednesday 13th May 2015

   Victory Motorcycles is announcing their intention to race at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy on a Victory electric race prototype motorcycle.

   The prototype electric race bikes will be piloted by William Dunlop of the legendary Dunlop dynasty and by Lee Johnston known in the racing world as "General Lee".

   Victory Racing will compete in the Isle of Man TT electric class, marking the first time that Victory Motorcycles has entered a professional motorcycle-racing event in Europe and raced an electric motorcycle. Parker, the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, is providing the race-proven, high performance GVM PMAC motors for both machines.

   "The entire Victory team is excited to make history with this effort," said Rod Krois, Victory General Manager. "We know that William Dunlop's experience and the continued Victory Motorcycles development of this electric race bike through work with Parker will propel us into a strong future with electric motorcycles."

   The SES TT Zero Challenge class event for electric motorcycles is a one-lap race round the island's 37.73 mile Mountain Course scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2015.

   "I'm more than excited to race this prototype at the Isle of Man," said William Dunlop. "Electric powertrains have many advantages, and the Isle of Man is one of the greatest tests in motorcycle racing."

   Lee Johnston will be riding the second entry for Victory Racing in the SES TT Zero Race and said, "I'm excited to make history by racing the new Victory electric race prototype. It's thrilling to be part of the emerging electric motorcycle movement."

   Ben Furnish, Marketing Manager for Parker Hannifin said, "Parker is thrilled to be involved with Victory Motorcycles in this historic event with these talented riders. We look forward to working with Victory to develop high performance powertrains for electric motorcycles."

   The Victory Racing prototype electric race bike features a dedicated electric racing motor and power cells as well as highly sophisticated electric controls to maximize the top power, power delivery, and durability under racing conditions. Victory engineers have further refined the electronics and chassis for the upcoming race with private test sessions in North America.

   Victory Motorcycles will host a continuous news feed of updates and photos from the Isle of Man TT and will have more information available on the Victory electric prototype race bike at www.VictoryMotorcycles.com.

   Be sure to follow Victory on Twitter @VictoryBikes and on facebook for additional updates.