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Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix
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Honda Racing will not participate in today’s six-lap Senior TT with Guy Martin, bringing an end to a fortnight on the Isle of Man in which poor weather severely limited on-track action.
Honda Racing will now continue its preparation for the Southern 100 and Ulster Grand Prix with the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.
Jonny Twelvetrees, Honda Racing team manager:
We’re disappointed not to be taking part in today’s Senior TT, a decision that is ultimately due to a lack of track time for Guy on the Fireblade. We came here to race and everyone in the team – who have worked extremely hard over the last few months – was looking forward to seeing what the new bike could do. Guy informed me that he wouldn’t race in the Senior, which is a tough decision to make but one I can understand given the lack of practice we’ve had.
The good news is that Guy has told me that even though the TT hasn’t worked out, he’s keen to take part in the Southern 100 next month and try to get the most from the Fireblade there.
We wish a safe race to all the competitors and teams involved.
Guy Martin:
I came back to the TT this year to race and try to win with Honda Racing. I’ve done loads of testing and the team have been flat out, before we got here and at the event. But we’re not doing the times needed to be competitive here, we need more time to set up the bike and doing six laps will not achieve what we set out to do and I’ve always reckoned this is not the place to be out riding just to make up the numbers, so as a team we agreed it wasn’t right competing in the Senior TT. With the weather and my crash I’ve done plenty of tea drinking and dog walking.
I’m looking forward to racing the Mugen, it’s a real honour to race the most interesting bike in the paddock. I’ll see how I can do and I’m looking forward to then getting back to work Monday.
www.hondaracingcbr.com
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The six-lap Superbike race at the Isle of Man TT came to an early end for Honda Racing and Guy Martin on Sunday afternoon, after a crash on the opening lap saw the team out of contention.
With near-perfect conditions around the 37.73-mile Mountain course the rescheduled race got underway at 2pm. However it wasn’t meant to be after a false neutral caused Martin to crash out of the running at Doran’s Bend, just before the first sector at Glen Helen.
Walking away from the incident, Martin is OK, but has some swelling to his wrist, so sat out of TT Zero practice that evening. With limited track time due to bad weather affecting practice sessions last week, this is another blow to Honda’s TT, where track time for the all-new Fireblade is vital.
The team will now regroup and prepare for Wednesday’s Senior TT practice, ahead of the final blue-riband race on Friday 9th June.
Click here to view full results & standing
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Ben and Tom Birchall took a record breaking Sure Formula Two Sidecar race win on Monday afternoon at the 2017 Isle of Man TT Races with the Mansfield brothers taking their fifth TT victory and setting a new outright lap record of 117.119mph.
Their eventual winning margin over John Holden/Lee Cain was 25.6s with Dave Molyneux/Dan Sayle holding onto third as the weather closed in on the final lap. It was the Manxman’s 30th podium in his 50th TT start.
The Birchalls made their intentions clear from the outset and opened up a 3.4s lead over Holden/Cain through Glen Helen on the opening lap with Molyneux/Sayle a further second behind in third. The Founds brothers, Alan and Pete, with Jake Lowther and Jevan Walmsley in the respective chairs, were occupying fourth and fifth as Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes held sixth.
Throughout the lap, the Birchalls extended their advantage and an opening lap of 115.965mph gave them a 12s lead over Holden/Cain with Molyneux/Sayle holding station in third. Founds/Lowther were only 1.6s behind in fourth but Reeves/Wilkes had relegated Founds/Walmsley to sixth.
On lap two, it was clear the Birchalls were really piling on the pressure as their lead increased at each and every timing points and, sure enough, they flashed across the line at the end of the second lap with a new lap record of 117.119mph, the first ever 117mph+ lap by a sidecar.
Holden/Cain were almost 25s in arrears but over nine seconds clear of Molyneux/Sayle with the Manx pairing 7.6s ahead of Founds/Lowther.
With just one lap of the Mountain Course to go, the Birchalls were able to ride to their signals and with some drizzle falling on the Mountain, they brought the IEG Racing machine home for yet another TT victory.
Their eventual winning margin over Holden/Cain was 25.6s and although Molyneux/Sayle came under extreme pressure from Founds/Lowther, largely due to Sayle suffering damage to his ribs during the course of the race, they held on for yet another TT podium.
Reeves/Wilkes took fifth from Founds/Walmsley with Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle, Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Holden, Karl Bennett/Maxime Vasseur and Wayne Lockey/Mark Sayers completing the top ten.
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Ian Hutchinson took his 15th victory at the Isle of Man TT races fuelled by Monster Energy when he took a thrilling RST Superbike race on Sunday afternoon by five seconds from Peter Hickman, after Hickman had closed the gap down to 1.6s on the final lap.
Hutchinson’s final run over the Mountain on the Tyco BMW saw him edge clear from Hickman’s Smiths Racing machine, who claimed his maiden TT podium, with early race leader Dean Harrison taking third.
James Hillier (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) led at Glen Helen on the opening lap by 0.8s from Harrison with Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop tied for third but on the run to Ramsey Hairpin, Harrison was 1.3s quicker to turn his deficit into a lead of 0.5s. Dunlop was now in third, 0.7s behind Hillier, with Hutchinson, Hickman and Conor Cummins completing the top six. The returning Guy Martin on the Honda Racing machine was out though having crashed, fortunately without injury, at Doran’s Bend.
By the Bungalow, Dunlop was now in the lead and with an opening lap of 131.135mph he led Harrison by 1.8s. Harrison in turn was only half a second ahead of Hillier with Hutchinson and Hickman holding onto fourth and fifth. The leading five were all above 130mph with Dan Kneen up to sixth on the opening lap.
Second time around and Dunlop still led at Glen Helen but Harrison was quicker over the first nine miles to reduce the gap to 1.4s and by the time the riders passed through Ballaugh, he was leading Hillier by 5.3s with Dunlop and the Bennetts Suzuki out after retiring at Handley’s.
At Ramsey, Harrison’s extended his lead to 7.5s but Hutchinson was now up into second although he was only 0.4s clear of Hillier and at the Bungalow the latter had turned the tables, also reducing Harrison’s lead to 6.5s.
A second lap speed of 130.907mph meant Harrison’s lead was 5.4s at the pit stop with Hillier still in second and 1.6s clear of new third placed man Hickman. Hutchinson had dropped back to fourth but Hillier lost time getting away. The Manx pairing of Cummins and Kneen were now in fifth and sixth but they too had trouble at the pits with Cummins having a lengthy stop and Kneen picking up a 30s speeding penalty.
Early on the third lap, the leaderboard read Harrison, Hutchinson, Hickman and Hillier as Kneen dropped back to ninth and Cummins 17th and that meant David Johnson moved up to fifth on the Norton and Michael Rutter sixth.
By half race distance, Hutchinson led for the first time but only by 0.4s and only ten and a half seconds covered the top four with Hickman and Hillier holding station in third and fourth. Johnson and Rutter were still in fifth and sixth as Kneen, Bruce Anstey, William Dunlop and Brookes completed the top ten.
On lap four, there was little between the leaders. Harrison moved back into the lead at Glen Helen by 0.6s, the same margin at the next point through Ballaugh. However, by Ramsey Hutchinson was marginally back in front with just 0.07s separating the leading pair. Hickman was only five seconds further back in third but Anstey stopped at Ramsey hairpin before continuing and Steve Mercer and Gary Johnson were out at Cruickshanks and Sulby Bridge respectively.
Coming into the pits at the end of lap four and there was still only ten seconds covering the leading quartet but Hutchinson’s prowess up and down the Mountain gave him a 4s lead and it was now Hickman in second. His gap to Harrison was only 1.6s with Hillier a further four seconds back in fourth.
The pit stops saw Hutchinson lead with a 10s lead over Hickman but Hillier was back up to third with Harrison losing time and dropping back to fourth. Indeed, Hillier was up to second at Glen Helen as he circulated on the road with Hutchinson and the latter’s lead had risen considerably to 9.5s. Two more retirements though were Cummins and last year’s Privateer’s Champion Dan Hegarty.
Going into the final lap, Hutchinson still led but the gap to Hickman was only 7.9s at Glen Helen and by Ballaugh it was only 2.5s. Harrison was now in third as Hillier experienced fuel problems and the thrilling race still saw just 9.5s split the top four.
Hickman had reduced the gap further still at Ramsey Hairpin to 1.6s and it was all going to come down to the final run up and down the Mountain. And with a final lap of 130.738mph, it was Hutchinson who prevailed by 5s despite Hickman the quicker over the final 37.73 miles at 131.103mph.
Harrison claimed third ahead of Hillier with Kneen overcoming his pit lane penalty to take fifth from Rutter albeit by only 0.135s. Johnson, Brookes, William Dunlop and Martin Jessopp completed the top ten.
Horst Saiger was the first privateer home in 11th ahead of Sam West (12th) and Philip Crowe (14th).
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Despite weather conditions affecting practice sessions at the Isle of Man TT, the Honda Racing team is making progress with its only rider Guy Martin at the 37.73-mile course, ahead of tomorrow’s six-lap Superbike TT race.
The opening week of practice was disrupted with four of the scheduled practice sessions cancelled due to wet weather affecting play. The lack of track time has resulted in Martin having only completed nine laps of the Mountain course, ahead of the rescheduled Superbike race.
The lack of crucial track time has affected the Honda Racing team with the all-new Fireblade, as well as Martin, who is making his return to racing. The team has been working hard with Martin to find a setting he’s comfortable with, but limited time aboard the CBR has made matters difficult.
The six-lap RST Superbike TT has been rescheduled and is due to take place tomorrow (Sunday 4 June) at 1400.
Guy Martin
I am enjoying being back at the TT; the first night we were able to practice reminded me why I go racing, the course out there really is something else! We haven’t had the best of starts with the weather and we really needed some more track time. We are making progress and I have the best team for the job. We just have to see what tomorrow now brings and I’m looking forward to giving it a good go!
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