Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. SWEENEY'S RIVALS GATHER AHEAD OF JUNIOR MGP

   Posted on 10:55am Tuesday 27th Aug 2013

   Monday night's practice at the 2013 Manx Grand Prix saw a number of challengers to Michael Sweeney posting their fastest times of the week ahead of Wednesday's Junior MGP.

   The Irishman still tops the leaderboard with a time of 19:17.580/117.338mph that he set on Saturday's session but Stephen McKnight (19:24.856/116.605), Tim Poole (19:26.730/116.418), James Cowton 19:27.227/116.638) and Colin Stephenson 19:30.806/116.012) all set their fastest times of the week.

   In the newcomers A race, Alexander Picket is clearly the man to beat following the 114.810 he set in Thursday's practice but Anthony Cooper posted his quickest time of the week with 112.730. Callum Collister (109.515), Joe Faragher (106.107) and James Neesom (105.528) all clocked their fastest times in monday nights session, while Ben Rea topped the board in the Newcomers C session with 104.162 from the qualifying session. Rea's time also nudged him into the Lightweight top five board, topped by Alistair Howarth 106.735) from last Saturday's session.

   In the SuperTwin qualifying session, only Rab Davie of the top five qualified riders improved his time, clocking 110.675 with James Cowton's 113.041 set in last Saturday's session the fastest by over a second from Colin Stephenson (111.959).

   Wednesday 28th will see the Newcomers A, B and C Races away at 10.15 with the Junior MGP race scheduled to be away at 13.30. The SuperTwin and Lightweight Race will take place on Friday at 10.15 with the 90th anniversary meeting concluding with the Senior MGP Race at 14.00.

2. 2013 Manx Grand Prix Races - MGP TV set to launch

   Posted on 11:01am Sunday 25th Aug 2013

   The Manx Motorcycle Club are pleased to announce their continued association with Greenlight TV who will film this year’s races. In an innovative development, a free online highlights programme will be available to view through its online channel MGP TV www.youtube.com/themanxgrandprix the Monday, Wednesday and Friday of race week. This link will also be accessible through the Club’s website.

   Club Chairman Harvey Garton commented, “We are pleased to again be working with Greenlight TV who produced the ITV4 programme Grand Prix Racer covering last year’s races. In the new format, we will now be able to make available a practice report and same day race coverage. We have an excellent entry in all classes including the Newcomers Race which attracted a record 65 entries, demonstrating the continued popularity of the MGP”.

   David Beynon for Greenlight TV commented “We’re delighted to be working with the Manx Motorcycle Club again on this the 90th Manx Grand Prix. Road Racing has been at the heart of Greenlight from day one and the Manx GP holds a very special place within the road racing calendar”.

   Practices conclude on Monday 26th August with the Newcomers and Junior races to be held on Wednesday 28th August with Supertwins, Lightweight and Senior races to be held on Friday 30th August.

3. JOHN McGUINNESS AND GIACOMO AGOSTINI RECREATE '67 SENIOR TT RACE WITH ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY PARADE LAP

   Posted on 11:02am Saturday 24th Aug 2013

   The TT Races Paddock turned the clock back to 1967 with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company '67 Senior TT Re-enactment at today's Classic TT presented by Bennetts.

   Giacomo Agostini and John McGuinness recreated the Italian legend's battle with Mike Hailwood in the Diamond Jubilee Senior TT, which was ultimately won by the Englishman after Hailwood clawed back Agostini's lead before Italian's chain broke on the fifth lap, handing victory to Hailwood.

   John McGuinness appeared riding a Mike Hailwood replica Honda owned by John Chapman while Giacomo Agostini paraded his own MV Agusta.

   John Watt, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Commercial Director flagged the pair off at around 4.20pm with Mike's wife Pauline and son David joining the illustrious duo on the start-line.

   At the end of the lap John McGuinness said that it was 'a real honour' to be chosen to represent Mike Hailwood while Giacomo Agostini joked that John had stopped to help him fix his chain on the Mountain.

   In keeping with the 1967 theme, Mylchreest Motors used an Austin Healey 3000 for the course inspection, the same model as the company used at the 1967 TT Races.

4. MANX GRAND PRIX PRACTICE RED FLAGGED FOLLOWING FOUR SEPARATE INCIDENTS ON THE COURSE

   Posted on 11:04am Thursday 22nd Aug 2013

   Tonight's Manx Grand Prix qualifying session was red flagged at around 7.50pm following four separate incidents on the course at Ballahutchin, Kerrowmoar, Ramsey Hairpin and the Bungalow.

   Scott Campbell, Ross Richards and Stuart Hall were involved in the incident at Ballahutchin on the approach to Ballagarey with Richards and Hall taken by airmed to Nobles Hospital. Scott Campbell was reported as OK.

   John Leigh Pemberton came off his machine at Ramsey Hairpin and was taken by airmed to Nobles hospital while Gavin Lupton (Bungalow) and Neil Gregory (Kerrowmoar) were both reported as OK following their accidents.

   The injuries sustained by the three riders taken by airmed to Nobles hospital are not reported to be serious.

    

5. MANX GRAND PRIX GETS UNDERWAY AS MEETING CELEBRATES ITS 90TH ANNIVERSARY

   Posted on 11:07am Monday 19th Aug 2013

   After a short delay moving marshals around the course, the 2013 Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling finally got underway this evening. Conditions were reported as good with dry roads although riders were warned about low sunlight.

   Appropriately it was the Manx Grand Prix newcomers who were first on the track as the MGP celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, getting their first speed controlled 'sighting' lap.

   Six riders were given the honour of being first on the Mountain course - Chris Dixon from Egremont, South African Colin Lehmann, Phil Gibbon from St Helens, Romanian Petre Pop, Lincolnshire man Michael Hand and Xavier Dennis from France under the guidance of head travelling marshal Tony Duncan.

   Shortly before 7pm the established riders took to the Mountain course for the first time this year for an untimed session with leading riders including Michael Sweeney, Adam Jones, Phil McGurk, Tim Poole, Andy Soar and last year's newcomer A race winner Kamil Holan all away early.

   Sweeney, Andy Lawson and Carl Roberts were in the early group of finishers in the Junior Manx Grand Prix session with most of the riders able to get a couple of laps in ahead of the session closing at 7.20pm.

   This year sees the introduction of the seeding system that is used at the TT, with the first ten places pre-allocated and the remaining grid positions determined by qualifying times.

   The Lightweight machines and newcomers B and C will be first away tomorrow at 18.20 with the Senior, Junior, SuperTwin and Newcomers scheduled to start their session at 19.05