2019 Classic TT
Classic TT competitors finally got the chance to blow away the cobwebs from the weather affected qualifying week with a double qualifying session on the Isle of Man today. The weather gods finally relented and the first Senior Classic TT bikes – Jamie Coward riding the Ted Woof Manx Norton and Michael Rutter on the Ripley Land Racing Matchless – blasted off from pit lane at 1410 after mist resulted in a delayed start to the rescheduled afternoon session.
Dean Harrison posted the fastest time of the week on his Silicone Engineering Kawasaski Classic TT Superbike (124.562mph) while Michael Dunlop completed his first lap on the Team Classic Suzuki with 119.89mph in the afternoon which he improved with a 123.28mph standing start lap in the evening session.
However, the much anticipated head to head between Dunlop and Harrison in Monday’s RST Superbike Classic TT Race looks to be off after Harrison was reported to have sustained a rib injury in the evening Lightweight session after an incident at Laurel Bank on his Laylaw Racing Yamaha.
Conor Cummins (Milenco by Padgetts Yamaha) and Horst Saiger (Greenall Racing Kawasaki) were both over the 120mph mark – 121.640mph and 120.556mph respectively in the earlier session – while times were noticeably quicker in the evening with Derek Shiels topping the leader board in the later session with 124.03mph and Horst Saiger, Cummins, Philip Crowe, Ryan Kneen and Michael Sweeney all posting 120+mph laps in the evening session.
South Australia’s David Johnson has been plagued by machine problems when ever the chance has come to get a lap of the Mountain Course but the 35-year-old finally got a full lap in this morning with a 119.397 mph lap that sees him just inside the combined top ten. However, Johnson again failed to complete a lap in the evening session on the Burns/Cowan Kawasaki.
Bruce Anstey again topped the Classic TT Lightweight leader board in the afternoon session with a lap of 116.99mph, which the New Zealander improved to 117.29mph in the evening session.
Although Harrison posted a lap of 115.87mph on his opening Lightweight lap, he is almost certainly out of Saturday’s race after his accident on the second lap of the session. James Hind also went well in the later session with a lap of 113.542mph.
John McGuinness reinforced his credentials as the man to beat in the Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race with his first timed laps of the week. McGuinness, the 2018 race winner, posted the fastest time in every sector on his first lap to clock 107.52mph and then improved most of his sectors on the second, flying lap before pulling in at the end of his second lap – 109.59mph – which was almost thirty-seconds ahead of Jamie Coward’s best lap (107.16mph) and almost 48s ahead of Rutter (105.51mph).
McGuinness and Rutter took up their customary position at the front of the pack for the evening Senior Classic TT qualifying session and the pair were first away at 1830 after a short delay for an earlier oil spill when the roads were opened between the two sessions.
McGuinness improved his time in the evening session on his only lap with 110.13mph to top the final qualifying leader board ahead of Saturday race which is due to get underway at 1315. Italian Stefano Bonetti, on the Speed Motors Paton, also threw his hat into the ring for Saturday’s race with a lap of 108.94mph, the second fastest qualifying time.
It was a mixed evening session for Rutter, breaking down at Governors on his Senior machine with a broken gear lever, but he managed to get out on his Team Winfield Superbike in the second session.
In the afternoon Junior Classic TT session, 2018 race winner Dominic Herbertson picked up from where he left off last year with a lap of 100.74mph, the only 100mph+ lap in the session, from Michael Rutter (99.66) and Lee Johnston (99.12mph). Johnston then went out on his Senior Davies Motorsport Honda but only got as far as Glen Darragh for another aborted lap after stopping at Crosby in last night’s untimed session.
However, in the evening Junior session Coward moved to the top of the overall Junior leader board with 101.80mph although there will still be additional qualifying sessions during tomorrow’s race programme ahead of Monday’s Locate.im Junior Classic TT Race.
In the afternoon session Keith Dixon was unhurt after coming off his Senior Classic TT bike at Governors Bridge while Robert Saville on his Lightweight bike and James Caswell on his Superbike were also involved in an accident at Guthries which left Saville unhurt and Caswell with a minor ankle injury.
Superbike Classic TT Friday Qualifying Results
- Dean Harrison Kawasaki 18:10.447 124.562
- Derek Sheils Kawasaki 18:15.096 124.033
- Michael Dunlop Suzuki 18:21.778 123.281
- Horst Saiger Kawasaki 18:22.466 123.204
- Philip Crowe Suzuki18:37.098 121.590
- Ryan Kneen Kawasaki 18:37.255 121.573
- Conor Cummins Yamaha 18:40.792 121.189
- Michael Sweeney Kawasaki 18:49.152 120.292
- James Hillier Ducati 18:52.369 119.950
- David Johnson Kawasaki 18:57.614 119.397
Lightweight Classic TT Friday Evening Qualifying Results
- Bruce Anstey Honda 19:18.038 117.291
- James Hind Yamaha 19:56.278 113.542
- Davey Todd Honda 20:12.816 111.994
- Ian Lougher Yamaha 20:33.937 110.077
- Chris Moore Yamaha 20:34.095 110.063
- Carsten Svendsen Yamaha 20:36.678 109.833
- Lee Johnston Yamaha 20:52.314 108.462
- Samuel Grief Honda 21:22.798 105.884
- Tom Snow Yamaha 21:33.815 104.983
- Steven Howard Yamaha 21:45.032 104.080
- Christopher Dowling Yamaha 22:23.423 101.106
- Richard Lambourne Yamaha 22:23.987 101.063
- Adrian Morris Yamaha 22:26.615 100.866
- Hefyn Owen Ducati 22:28.750 100.707
- Andrew Davies Spondon 22:39.787 99.889
- Will Loder Yamaha 22:54.101 98.849
- Lee Jennings Ducati 22:55.538 98.745
- Alex Sinclair Ducati 23:03.749 98.159
- David Glover Yamaha 23:07.621 97.886
- Mike Carter Honda 23:11.681 97.600
- David Madsen-Mygdal Honda 23:51.647 94.875
- Colin Croft Yamaha 24:20.938 92.973
Senior Classic TT Friday Evening Qualifying Results
- John McGuinness Paton 20:33.292 110.135
- Stefano Bonetti Paton 20:46.810 108.940
- Lee Johnston Honda 21:19.441 106.162
- Alan Oversby Honda 21:25.158 105.690
- Chris Swallow Enfield 21:30.373 105.263
- Derek Sheils Honda 21:31.185 105.196
- Maria Costello Paton 21:40.288 104.460
- Chris McGahan Honda 22:18.687 101.464
- Tom Weeden Norton 22:37.006 100.094
- Keith Clarke Norton 23:19.630 97.046
Junior Classic TT Friday Evening Qualifying Results
- Jamie Coward Honda 22:14.258 101.800
- Lee Johnston Honda 23:01.443 98.323
- Derek Sheils Honda 23:04.727 98.090
- Daniel Sayle Honda 23:09.029 97.786
- Bill Swallow Honda 23:28.065 96.464
- Paul Jordan AJS 23:38.436 95.759
- Richard Wilson Honda 23:49.201 95.038
- Dean Osborne Honda 23:59.656 94.348
- Ben Rea Honda 24:03.519 94.095
- Will Loder Greeves 24:18.563 93.125
As a result of the weather disruption earlier in the week, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson has amended Saturday’s Race day programme to ensure additional practice time ahead of racing.
Saturday Schedule
- 1100: Roads close around the Course
- 1130: Classic TT Superbike and Lightweight Qualifying (2 laps)
- 1205: Classic TT Junior Qualifying (2 Laps)
- 1315: BENNETTS SENIOR CLASSIC TT RACE (4 laps)
- 1530: Back to the Future: The Hizzy Years Commemorative Lap
- 1610: DUNLOP LIGHTWEIGHT CLASSIC TT RACE (4 laps)
- 1810: Classic TT Superbike Qualifying (1 lap)
- 1825: Classic TT Junior Qualifying (1 lap)
- 1930: Roads scheduled to open
Source: MCNews.com.au