2023 Manx GP: Browne Prevails In Reduced Lightweight Encounter

2023 Manx GP: Browne Prevails In Reduced Lightweight Encounter
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
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