The smells, the noises, you just knew it was two stroke, 400cc, 125/Moto 3, Supermono racing time at the 100th Anniversary Manx Grand Prix.
Early drama arose when Faraldo Racing’s Paul Jordan only got as far as Selbourne Drive and then qualifying week leader, 25 times TT winner Michael Dunlop, stopped.
Lap One:
The pace setters on route to Glen Helen on lap one, were the Laylaw Racing TZ 250 Yamaha pair of Michael Browne and Ian Lougher.
3.45 seconds separated the Irish, Welsh riders whilst third was occupied by Sidecar TT legend Dan Sayle.
By Ramsey Hairpin, 2022 class winner Browne was 12 seconds plus ahead of ten times TT winner Lougher.
Now ahead on the road, the signs for another MGP triumph, were already strong for Browne, the Republic of Ireland’s fastest TT exponent.
As mandatory pit-stops loomed, race leader Browne completed his standing start lap, recording a lap speed of 116.98 mph.
Lougher lapping at 115.838 mph, was 11.44 adrift of his team-mate whilst eight plate carrier Sayle remained third, 32.564 further behind.
Paul Jordan, Gareth Arnold, Jonathan Perry, Adrian Skaife joined Supersport TT lap record holder Dunlop as early retirements.
Lap Two:
Early stages of lap two proved prodigious and some for reigning Irish Road Race Champion Browne, who upped his advantage out front to almost twenty seconds post the Glen Helen, Ballaugh Bridge timing points.
Drama of a different kind then struck as the Clerk of The Course announced that this would be the race’s final lap, due to low cloud descending upon the fabled, mythical Mountain Course.
Out front, Cork’s Browne was keeping cool, keeping up a stern pace as Manx GP win no.2 neared fruition.
The quietly spoken Browne went onto comprehensively claim race spoils to make it successive Lightweight race victories.
Twice Duke Road Race Rankings Champion Lougher pocketed second, as the Laylaw Racing squad attained another one-two finish.
Wrapping up the top three finishers, ensuring IOM reputation on the rostrum was RS 250 Honda pilot Sayle.
Finishing fourth and best non two stroke pilot was 690 Kramer mounted, Shaun Anderson.
Soon after the leading race exponents finalised their Saturday MGP racing stints, the Sure Lightweight race was red-flagged due to deteriorating course conditions.
Lightweight Manx Grand Prix Result:
1st – Michael Browne
2nd – Ian Lougher
3rd – Dan Sayle
4th – Shaun Anderson
5th – Adam McLean
6th – Stuart Hall
7th – Rhys Hardisty
8th – Michal Dokoupil
9th – Paul Cassidy – Top Ultra Lightweight exponent
10th – Michael Rees
11th – Dan Ingham
12th – Lancelot Unissart
13th – Ian Stanford
14th – Tom Snow
15th – Simon Hunt
16th – Owen Monaghan
17th – Steve Moody
18th – Stephen Tobin
19th – Adrian Morris
20th – Kelly Carruthers
21st – Will Loder
22nd – Andy McAllister
23rd – Steven Price
24th – Rad Hughes
25th – Colin Croft
26th – Connor Wade
27th – Dave Madsen Mygdal
28th – Leon Murphy
29th – Chris Moffitt
30th – Andrew Jones
31st – Pete Gibson
32nd – Richie Welsh
33rd – Shelley Pike
34th – Jamie O’Brien
35th – David Glover
36th – Russell Roebury
37th – Jeffrey Vromant
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
- August 26, 2023
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