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Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix
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Michael Rutter will have a strong chance of another race victory at the Classic TT presented by Bennetts with the Midlands ace contesting the Sure Junior Classic TT and Bennetts Senior Classic TT races for Ripley Land Racing.
The Bridgnorth rider has ridden for the Guildford-based team since 2014 and gave them a famous victory on their 350cc Drixton Honda in the 2015 Junior Classic TT race before taking a close second to Michael Dunlop in the corresponding race twelve months ago. The duo had a race-long battle with Rutter lapping at 103.974mph on his way to the runner-up spot.
In addition, Rutter will also ride Ian Garbutt’s MkII 500cc Seeley G50 Matchless in the Bennetts Senior Classic TT race, having ridden the machine for last two years. Rutter broke the 500cc single cylinder record in his first year on the bike in 2014 with a stunning lap of 109.102 mph and was leading the race and on course for a fairytale victory until a minor problem on the third lap caused him to retire on the Mountain Mile.
Problems on the opening lap last year saw him lap at just 60.975mph but he gamely carried on and lapped in excess of 106mph before retiring on the final lap. He was also forced to retire from the race in 2016 when lying fifth after more 106mph+ laps.
Rutter will be one of the favourites for victory in both of the races, further highlighting the credibility and importance of the Classic TT while Ripley Land Racing’s intentions are clear to see.
Team owners Ian and Janet Garbutt are staunch supporters of the Classic TT and, with one of the finest Mountain Course riders on their books, they have a strong chance of adding to their already impressive track record, which also includes two race wins with Chris Palmer.
Classic TT Grandstand tickets are available now starting from as little at £5 with race day tickets priced at £20. VIP experiences, tickets for the Classic TT Party on Saturday 26thAugust the RST Classic TT Legends Dinner on Sunday 27th and the Classic TT Prize giving and Closing Party on Monday 28th August are all available to buy now at iomtt.com or our sales hotline on (00 44) (0) 1624 640011.
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The legendary TT Mountain Course will reverberate to one of the most distinctive racing sounds from the 1960s at this year’s Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts as the iconic 250cc Honda-6 will complete a demonstration lap around the 37.73-mile circuit on Monday 28th August, the second race day of this year’s Classic TT meeting.
Owned by Team Obsolete’s Rob Iannucci, the ‘Six’ is the first example of Honda’s ground-breaking machine and is the only surviving RC165. Jim Redman first rode it, followed by Stuart Graham before Mike Hailwood took it to victory in the 1966 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix.
Redman raced what was the first Honda ‘Six’ at Monza in 1964 where it was rushed from Japan in the passenger compartment of a commercial airplane. The Rhodesian took third at Monza and then took the bike to its maiden victory when he won the 1964 250cc Japanese Grand Prix.
The ‘Six’ was one of the most interesting and most technically advanced racing motorcycles of its time and was built to put a stop to the run of victories for the 250cc Yamaha which, in the hands of Phil Read, won the 1964 and 1965 250cc World Championships.
Although the six-cylinder Honda 250 did not win the championship in 1965, it was able to put up a competitive fight against the two-cylinder Yamaha, ridden by Read and Mike Duff. Redman won the 250cc TT that year for the fourth time in a row. Yamaha’s response was to produce an updated two-stroke, four-cylinder motorcycle, built solely to stand up to the competition from the Honda. Ex-factory Honda rider Steve Plater, winner of the 2009 Senior TT Race and current presenter on the TT and Classic TT ITV4 highlights programmes, will ride the bike with the Lincolnshire rider completing a demonstration lap on Monday 28th August, ahead of the Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Classic TT Race.
The “Six” will first appear at the VMCC’s Festival of Jurby on Sunday 27th August for some shakedown laps. Dave Roper, winner of the 1984 Senior Classic TT, will ride the Honda at Jurby on the 27th.
ITV4 will feature the Honda Six in their highlights programme with Plater, as expected, embracing the Classic TT spirit by riding in replica leathers and helmet, evoking memories of the machine’s 1960s heyday.
Team Obsolete owner Robert Iannucci has supported the Classic TT with a series of iconic bikes with Mountain Circuit connections since the event was established in 2013 and both Redman and Graham will attend the Classic TT to talk about their experiences with the bikes.
Iannucci says of the restoration of his bike: "Recently we disassembled and scrutinized the entire motorcycle again. We are carefully rebuilding the motor with new pistons and a new crankshaft assembly. We commissioned two from an Italian Formula One technology company, supplying them with the complete original crankshaft assembly which they reverse engineered. Their engineers said that they got an education from the process. "Team Obsolete has been racing classic bikes since 1978 and have now competed in 1500 races with 50 riders. Our victory in the 1984 Historic TT, and the 1989 Manx GP Milne Shield, sealed our love for the Mountain Circuit, which represents the ultimate challenge. We have made 26 starts in all, with two wins and two fastest laps.”
"The Classic TT has now emerged as the crown jewel of classic motorcycle sport worldwide. We are honoured to have received an invitation every year since its inception to share our historic bikes with our friends. All of us come because we must. Regardless of where we hail from, we are all drawn to something very special. We all know that we belong here. We see it in each other’s faces and we feel it in our bones."
The man chosen to ride the machine at this years Classic TT, Steve Plater added:
“It is an honour to have been asked to ride of the most iconic and technically ground breaking motorcycles ever built on the most famous race circuit in the world. Whenever a bike like this gets demonstrated at other events, it is normally over a very short run, so you have to admire the ambition of Robert Iannucci and Team Obsolete in making this happen for a full lap of the TT Mountain Circuit. I’m sure the fans coming to this year’s event are in for an assault on their senses when this bike comes past!”
Classic TT Grandstand tickets are available now starting from as little at £5 with race day tickets priced at £20. VIP experiences, tickets for the Classic TT Party on Saturday 26thAugust the RST Classic TT Legends Dinner on Sunday 27th and the Classic TT Prize giving and Closing Party on Monday 28th August are all available to buy now at iomtt.com or our sales hotline on (00 44) (0) 1624 640011.
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Oxford Products and Celeres Racing are proud to announce that James Hillier will be campaigning their Ducati 888 in the Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Classic TT Race at this year’s Classic TT presented by Bennetts meeting on the Isle of Man.
Fresh from another successful TT campaign, where he secured a 2nd and two 4th places on the 37.73 mile Mountain Circuit, Hillier remains the 5th fastest rider in TT history. He will be riding the Celeres Racing Ducati 888 that celebrates the 25th anniversary of Oxford’s last TT campaign. To fully authenticate this replica the bike, with the support of Oxford Products, has been painted in classic 1992/3 Oxford livery, as used by Trevor Nation, Robert Dunlop and Mark Farmer.
The Ducati 888 was built last year by Stafford Evans of Celeres Racing to compete in the 2016 Superbike F1 Classic TT race. Wearing Ducati red, Dave Hewson rode the bike to 11th place, with a best lap of 115.769mph. Modifications were made to an original 1991 road frame and an abundance of carbon fibre parts were fitted to replicate the original machine.
Hillier will run race number 5 in 2017, the same number as Trevor Nation did 25 years ago and he will also wear replica leathers for the event. He was upbeat about his prospects.
‘I have a real ambition to win the Superbike race of course, but I will also make every effort to be the fastest man around the Island on a Ducati 888.’
Team owner Stafford Evans was equally optimistic.
‘It’s a real honour to be able to replicate the Oxford team of 25 years ago. I actually think that with this bike and with James at the ‘bars, we have a real shot at bringing home the top prize. I am very excited.’
Hillier is no stranger to the TT course having visited the rostrum several times. These include a Lightweight TT win in 2013 and a 2nd place in the F1 Classic TT in 2014.
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Michael Dunlop won a shortened PokerStars Senior TT race at the 2017 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy on Friday evening with the Bennetts Suzuki rider taking his 15th TT victory by 13.3s from Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) and Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Kawasaki).
The race was restarted over four laps after the original race was red flagged on the second lap due to an incident involving 16-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson at the 27th Milestone. The Tyco BMW rider was conscious but was taken to hospital by airmed where it was later confirmed that he had suffered a fractured femur.
The race had been shaping up to be an epic with just 0.18s between Hickman and Hutchinson and Harrison only 1.2s further back in third but, eventually getting underway at 5.15pm, Dunlop led the restarted race through Glen Helen on the opening lap, with a 1.5s advantage over Bruce Anstey. Harrison was a further 0.9s back in third with Hickman, Michael Rutter and James Hillier completing the top six, the last two getting a second bite of the cherry having experienced problems in the first start.
Dunlop increased his lead through Ramsey slightly to 2s but Hickman was up to second ahead of Anstey who in turn held a 0.2s advantage over Harrison with Rutter still in fifth but with Conor Cummins now up to sixth at the expense of Hillier.
Dunlop added a further second to his lead by the time he reached the Bungalow and an opening lap speed of 132.292mph gave him a 4.2s lead over Hickman who in turn was 3.2s clear of Anstey. Harrison, Rutter and Cummins were holding station in fourth to sixth but Josh Brookes was on the move, going from 12th at Ramsey to eighth at the Grandstand.
At Glen Helen on lap 2 Dunlop had increased his lead by two more seconds and Harrison was now up to third with Anstey dropping back to fourth despite leading on the road and having a clear track. Rutter was still fifth but Hillier had moved back ahead of Cummins for sixth.
By Ramsey, Dunlop was still leading by 6s as him and Hickman practically matched each other every mile. Harrison was losing a bit of time in third but he was pulling away from Anstey who was extending his advantage over Rutter. Hillier was still sixth but just 2.4s covered him, Cummins and Brookes.
Coming into the pits at the end of the lap and Dunlop’s lead was now 9.2s after lapping at 132.903mph with Hickman in second and Harrison third, the latter having lapped at 131.838mph. Anstey was out though at Bedstead with the top six now completed by Rutter, Hillier and Cummins. Brookes was up to seventh having done his first 130mph+ lap around the Mountain Course at 130.551mph.
The lead was down slightly at Glen Helen on lap three to 7.7s as Hillier took over fourth from Rutter with Brookes moving up to sixth and by Ballaugh, Hickman had reduced the deficit to Dunlop further to 7.3s. However, through Ramsey for the third time and the Northern Irishman had got the gap back up to 8.5s.
Indeed, going into the fourth and final lap, the 28-year old was 10.6s clear of Hickman and he duly came home for his 15th TT win, his eventual winning margin being 13.3s.
Hickman made it five podiums from five starts with Harrison repeating his third place finish from Sunday’s RST Superbike race, aided by his first ever 132mph lap on lap four. Hillier and Rutter ended their strong weeks in fourth and fifth, the gap between the duo just 0.64s at the chequered flag.
The battle for sixth also went all the way to the end with Brookes, who lapped at 130.883mph fourth time around edging out Norton team-mate David Johnson. Cummins, Martin Jessopp, who recorded his first 130mph lap, and William Dunlop completed the top ten.
The results meant that Hickman won the Joey Dunlop Championship with 76 points based on cumulative results from the RST Superbike, Monster Energy Supersport, RL360 Quantum Superstock and PokerStars Senior TT Races with Hutchinson second (61) and Dunlop third (60).
Jamie Coward was the first privateer home in an excellent 11th place with Daley Mathison next home in 13th but Horst Saiger’s 18th saw him clinch the TT Privateer’s Championship. He finished with 71 points with Coward in second on 63.
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Ben and Tom Birchall won the second Sure Formula Two Sidecar race at the 2017 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, on Friday afternoon, taking victory by 26.5s from John Holden/Lee Cain in a repeat result of the opening race on Monday.
The Birchalls hit the front for the first time on the run from Glen Helen to Ballaugh on lap one and were never challenged again as they took their sixth TT victory.
Holden took his 17th podium in second with Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle, in their first TT together, took the final podium place.
The crews were warned of a hint of dampness on the exit of Ginger Hall, Ramsey Hairpin, Hillberry and Governor’s Dip and the race got underway at 1.15pm with Holden/Cain leading through Glen Helen on the opening lap.
They held a slender 0.9s advantage over the Birchalls with Dave Molyneux/Dan Sayle in third and Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes, Alan Founds/Jake Lowther and Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney completing the top six.
Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley, sixth in the first race, were early retirements at Quarter Bridge, and Molyneux/Sayle followed them at Sulby Crossroads but by Ramsey Hairpin, the Birchalls had taken over the lead by 1.4s from Holden/Cain. Molyneux’s retirement promoted Reeves/Wilkes into third although they were 7s down on Holden.
The Birchalls surged over the Mountain and an opening lap of 115.567mph saw their lead increase considerably to 7.9s and it was Reeves/Wilkes who were now in second with Holden/Cain a further 1.2s adrift. Founds/Lowther were in fourth with Blackstock/Rosney going great guns in fifth.
At the head of the field, the Birchalls extended their lead to 13.5s but Holden/Cain were now back up to second as Reeves/Wilkes stopped at Glen Helen briefly before getting back into the race. Founds/Lowther were also in trouble and they retired at Quarter Bridge, which saw Blackstock/Rosney move up to fourth.
By Ramsey second time around, the Birchalls had added another four seconds to their lead and there were further changes at the top of the leaderboard as Reeves/Wilkes retired at Lambfell. That put Blackstock/Rosney up into a brilliant third with the top six now completed by Steve and Matty Ramsden, Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle and Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas.
A second lap of 116.423mph meant the Birchalls went into the third and final lap with a healthy 20s lead over Holden/Cain with Blackstock/Rosney maintaining their third position courtesy of their maiden 110mph+ lap around the Mountain Course at 110.599mph.
There were to be no changes in the front two over the final 37.73-miles but Blackstock/Rosney slowed and that allowed Harrison/Winkle to take third, the former having to settle for fourth.
Karl Bennett/Maxime Vasseur came through for fifth but there was disappointment for the French female pairing of Estelle Leblond/Melanie Farrier who, after lapping at 109.394mph, were forced to retire from sixth on the final lap. Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Holden, Rob Handcock/Ken Edwards, Greg Lambert/Julie Canipa, Wayne Lockey/Mark Sayers and Gary Knight/Dan Evanson completed the top ten.
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