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  1. Gary Johnson took his second TT race win after coming home just 1.5s clear of Bruce Anstey in a thrilling opening Monster Energy Supersport race. Riding the Smiths Triumph, Johnson grabbed the lead on the opening lap. However, the gap to Anstey constantly fluctuated and although the difference was just 0.011s at Cronk ny Mona on the final lap, the Lincolnshire rider grabbed the win to give the British manufacturer their first win since Anstey’s in the same race in 2003.

    The race was delayed by three hours due to overnight rain and fog before it finally got underway at 2.05pm and the theme for the race was set at Glen Helen on the opening lap as only 0.009s separated Johnson and Anstey with Dunlop only a further half second back. Dean Harrison was holding onto a good fourth, a position he held jointly with Guy Martin whilst Conor Cummins slotted into sixth.

    As the lap progressed, Johnson held the lead by the smallest of margins and with an opening lap of 125.766mph, he was 1.6s clear of Anstey as they headed out onto lap two. Dunlop was still in third but had slipped to three seconds behind with Harrison, Cummins and Martin still filling the top six positions.

    By Glen Helen second time around, Anstey was ahead for the first time, albeit by only 0.8s, but it was short lived as Johnson again held the lead by Ramsey his lead now 0.7s. Dunlop had also closed in and only 1.5s separated the three riders as they headed up over the Mountain.

    Johnson and the Triumph were up and down quickest and he came into the pits with the fastest lap of the race – 126.732mph - and a lead of 2.4s as Dunlop also fell back, 3.7s behind Anstey. As has happened in so many races though, the Valvoline Racing/Padgetts Honda crew turned their man round the quickest and the gap at Glen Helen on the third lap was back down to just a third of a second.

    The lead had extended to 3.8s by Ramsey, Johnson again having a great run from Glen Helen, but with a bit of rain falling over the Mountain, Anstey had brought the gap down to 2.8s down as the riders headed out onto their final lap.

    Johnson again proved the quickest to Glen Helen, almost doubling his lead, but Anstey was on a charge and the gap continued to fall throughout the lap. Down to 2.3s at Ramsey Hairpin, the two could barely be separated at the Bungalow or Cronk ny Mona but Johnson wasn’t to be denied and he came home for his second TT win, three years after he won the second Supersport race in 2011.

    Dunlop was secure in third but the battle for fourth was in doubt for much of the final lap but when Cummins went out at Ginger Hall, it allowed Harrison to take the position. Team-mates William Dunlop and Guy Martin filled fifth and sixth with James Hillier, Lee Johnston, Michael Rutter and Keith Amor completing the top ten.

    Ivan Lintin took an excellent 12th place and was the first privateer home, and he’s surged clear in the TT Privateer’s Championship after the two races held so far. James Cowton (18th), none the worse for his spill in Saturday’s Superbike race, and Russ Mountford (19th) were the second and third privateer’s to finish.

     

  2. Essentially a communication system, the F3MC connects wirelessly to a mobile phone, sat-nav and a music player, and allows two units to share music. It also includes a rider-to-pillion intercom that can be paired to another device - of any brand.

    The Bluetooth units can easily be mounted on any brand of helmet, with functional and easy to use controls. The device is also compatible with Interphone's remote control, which is fixed to the handlebars and allows control without having to move away from the motorbike.

    Standard features – that are also present on other units in the MC range - include music sharing mode, so rider and pillion can listen to the same stereo music. There's also a two-way volume setting that increases conversation in the intercom mode as the volume can be set in two ways; one for open-faced helmets and another for full-faced.

    The F3MC is available as a single unit priced at £119.99, or as a twin set priced at £199.99 and is available in UK dealers.

    For more information or to find your local dealer call Nevis Marketing on 01425 478 936 or visit www.nevis.uk.com

  3. Michael Dunlop took his eighth TT victory when he won Saturday’s 6-lap Dainese Superbike race in record-breaking style. The BMW Motorrad rider took control from early race leader James Hillier at Ballaugh on the opening lap and, aided by two laps inside the old outright lap record, he surged clear and was able to control the race in the closing stages to take the win by 20.5s from Guy Martin (Tyco Suzuki) with Conor Cummins (Honda Racing) in third.

    There was also sensational news on the final lap when Bruce Anstey, outside the top ten on the opening lap after overshooting the Nook, tore round the Mountain Course on the Valvoline Racing/Padgetts Honda to become the first man ever to have lapped at more than 132mph with a final lap of 132.298mph.

    Hillier was quickest to Glen Helen on the opening lap on his Quattro Plant/Muc-Off Kawasaki and he led Dunlop by one second with Martin, a rapid starting Dean Harrison (RC Express Racing Kawasaki), Gary Johnson (Lincs Lifting Honda) and Dan Kneen (Cookstown BE Racing Suzuki) close behind.

    As the lap unfolded though, it was clear Dunlop was charging and having overhauled Hillier at Ballaugh, he increased his lead all round the opening 37 and ¾ miles and with a new lap record of 131.730mph, he rocketed clear with Martin 9.4s in arrears. The leaderboard was constantly changing and Cummins moved up into third with Hillier, Harrison and John McGuinness completing the top six with Johnson reported retired at Creg ny Baa.

    Dunlop was in determined mood and was closing in on Martin, who had started twenty seconds ahead of him on the road, the gap between the duo after two laps almost 17 seconds as the Ballymoney man went quicker still at 131.890mph. The Tyco Suzuki rider was six seconds clear of Cummins as they took their first pit stop with Michael Rutter up to fourth on the Bathams BMW.

    Dunlop, Martin, McGuinness and Hillier were circulating in close formation on the roads but Dunlop’s lead was increasing and he was first into the pits at the end of lap four, the gap to Martin now a very healthy looking 25s after another 130mph+ lap. Martin was coming under pressure from Cummins though with his advantage now under five seconds for the first time while Rutter was still in fourth with McGuinness and William Dunlop completing the top six.

    As the race went into it’s final third, Dunlop and Martin were still together on the roads and the 25-year rode to his signals to control the race for his eighth victory and BMW’s first ‘big bike’ win since German Georg Meier won the 1939 Senior.

    Martin took his 14th podium in second with Cummins three seconds further back after doing his all on the final lap. Anstey really put the hammer down after his early race mishap and his lap of 132.298mph was some six seconds quicker than McGuinness’ lap set in the same race last year

    Rutter ensured it was a good day for BMW with a strong fifth with William Dunlop making a late charge to overhaul McGuinness on the final lap, the gap between the pair just 0.8s after six hard laps.

    The 20-times winner had to settle for seventh with his wrist injury, as expected, unable to run the pace for six entire laps but it was a solid effort by the Morecambe man. Harrison and Hillier both dropped back as the race wore on, finishing in eighth and ninth with Josh Brookes completing the top ten.

    Newcomer Peter Hickman had a brilliant ride into 14th place with his final lap of 126.195mph making him the second fastest newcomer in TT history and it also meant he was the first privateer home with Ivan Lintin (17th) and Russ Mountford (18th) second and third in the early TT Privateer’s Championship.

    Debutantes Martin Jessopp and Danny Webb both picked up bronze replicas in 26th and 37th also posting their best laps of the event so far at 123.470 and 120.508 respectively.

  4. Once again, almost 600 Veteran and Vintage motorcycles will ride en masse when the Heritage Motor Centre hosts the nostalgic Vintage Motor Cycle Club Banbury Run™.

    The event which is in its 66th year will run over two days with the Vintage Training Day taking place on Saturday 7 June offering Vintage Virgins the chance to ride the Motorcycles in a safe “off road” environment. The main Banbury Run™, which will take place on Sunday 8 June, is the largest gathering of pre-1931 Motorcycles & 3 Wheelers in the World.

    The Banbury Run™ is aimed at those who enjoy the thrill of riding with other Vintage, Veteran & Pioneer bikes. The exact route is kept top secret until the day, but we can exclusively reveal that it will venture through the villages of Whatcote and Great Bourton. In addition to the Run, there will also be Club and Trade Stands, over 100 Autojumble pitches and special interest displays.

    Tom Caren, Show Manager for the Heritage Motor Centre stated “The Banbury Run is a fantastic day out for both those participating in the Run and those coming along to watch the bikes in all their glory as they set off for their annual ride around the nearby countryside. Watching the vintage motorcycles ride together is a real spectacle to see!”

    The Museum will be open from 9am – 5pm with the Banbury Run™ beginning at 10am. Tickets for the Run cost £6 in advance or £8 on the day for adults, children and concessions and £25 for a family on the day.

    www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or call 01926 641188. For more information about the Vintage Training Day contact Natalie Thornhill on her email [email protected].

  5. The 40th annual Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza will return to South Cerney Airfield, Cirencester from Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd August 2014.

    This year the show celebrates its 40th show, an amazing feat and something we want to celebrate with everyone especially those born ON 6th & 7th September 1975 - the weekend of the very first show. We will send everyone born over that weekend a complimentary ticket for this year’s show to come and share our birthday cake with us! (DOB ID will be required)

    Since the humble beginnings the show attracted just 500 visitors it now has more than 15,000 over the three days and over the last 40 years has raised thousands of pounds, donating to both local and national charities including the Cobalt Appeal Fund and Diabetes UK.

    The Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza was originally conceived for steam enthusiasts, but the range of vintage transports sections have grown year on year, and now includes exhibits including; buses and coaches, commercial vehicles, tractors, emergency vehicles, motorcycles, caravans, cycles, traction engines, steam engines, tractors, military vehicles, static aircrafts, radio controlled planes, model village to classic cars and much much more!

    The Steam Section is considered by many visitors to be the heart of the show, and is packed with more than 100 full-size Steam Engines of all descriptions, makes and type, several of which are first-timers to the event and have never been displayed in the country before. The infamous 'Demonstration Arena' puts these mighty machines to the test, where the engines are encouraged to display their capabilities to maximum potential.

    The classic car section alone features over 600 vehicles, showcasing veteran, pre-war, post-war, American to modern classics. Alongside regular exhibits are rare and remarkable stories of restoration projects and histories to be told.

    The show is packed full of exhibits, displays and stalls to keep the whole family entertained for hours. Alongside the hundreds of vintage vehicles the famous Ken Fox Wall of Death will be returning to wow spectators with their incredible stunts and high-speed chases on their 1920’s Indian motorcycles. Fun for all the family – the popular steam driven vintage fun fair, 'electric yachts', the waltzer, the big wheel, the steam-driven 'gallopers', face painting, dodgems, a ghost train and traditional arcade games. After all this fun visitors won’t be able to leave without a visit to the vintage tea hut and dancing which will keep little and big kids entertained for hours.

    The show prides itself on encouraging interaction between exhibitors and visitors to provide a ‘hands on’ experience. Chairman of the Stroud Vintage Transport and Engine Club, Martyn Slater, said: “The Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza is the biggest of its kind run entirely by volunteers and I am proud to be involved. As well as raising money for local and national charities, our aim is to provide a safe and happy environment for everyone to celebrate our unique transport history, in hope that we can inspire future generations to get involved in the preservation of historic vehicles.”

    A free vintage bus service will be operating around the perimeter of the show site, and to and from Kemble railway station throughout the show to connect with selected First Great Western Trains.

    For details of the bus schedule and further details, please visit www.glossteamextravaganza.com

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