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.

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.

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.

For anybody who wants to ride their adventure bike off the beaten tracks, Touratech has developed an extremely robust engine protector, which will stand up to the toughest conditions.

The multiple-folded depressions in the robust aluminium baseplate ensure maximum stability. Thanks to an additional, lower stainless steel mounting plate on the engine, the force of an impact is distributed across the mounting points. In addition, the Expedition engine protector is provided with replaceable plastic slides, which completely cover the already recessed bolt heads and make it considerably easier to slide across stones or tree stumps. This allows you to enjoy off-road trips to their fullest, even when the going gets really tough.

The Expedition engine protector is available for the BMW F 700 GS, F 650 GS (twin), F 800 GS/Adventure, R 1200 GS (from 2013 on) and the KTM 1190 Adventure.

Touratech also offers an engine protector extension for the BMW R 1200 GS (from 2013 on), which is easily attached to the main centre stand and closes the gap between the engine protector and the rear wheel. Parts of the exhaust are also protected from dirt and flying stones. If you prefer an all-in-one solution, you can choose the Expedition engine protector XL option. It begins in front of the engine and leads back in a single piece almost to the real wheel, even protecting the catalytic converter.

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