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Overnight heavy rain, continuing speedy winds pushed originally the start of Friday afternoon qualifying back to 12:15 PM.
An extra hour delay was then added, which extended to a further thirty minutes following an RTC (Mountain Road located).
Finally, at 1:00 PM roads around the Mountain Course finally closed and 45 minutes later, qualifying was go-go.
First on the road, Jim Hind aboard his own TZ 250 Yamaha, was an early retiree at Crosby, Stuart Clotworthy, James Hillier joined him on the side-lines.
Speediest overall towards Glen Helen was 29 times TT winner Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Honda), showing much improved form on two-stroke tackle.
Dunlop continued to light up the timing screens at Ballaugh Bridge, Ramsey Hairpin, averaging a shade over 120 mph.
The TT wins record-holder would go onto register his first completed lap of MGP qualifying week, lapping at 108.945 mph.
John McGuinness MBE (107.921), Michael Browne (106.436) set the initial Senior Classics pace whilst Michael Evans (99.337) led the Junior Classics field.
With an abundance of damp patches allied to continuing blustery wind, most of the riders were taking it’s cautiously albeit still ploughing on as illustrated by Stuart Hall’s ‘Flying’ lap, (111.535 mph).
Andy Hornby, Shelley Pike, Stephen Walsh (slid off unscathed at Parliament Square) were later confirmed retirements as Davies Motorsport’s Paul Jordan cracked the ton barrier (101.223) to lead Junior Classics Q3.
Shaun Anderson (108.41) late on nudged fellow 500 Paton runner McGuinness MBE off the top of the Senior Classics leader-board.
At near to 2:50 PM, the intertwined Classic SBK, Senior Supersport, Junior Super Twin qualifying should have jostled into fruition.
But then it didn’t as a 22-minute delay to competition was announced, due to a non-racing medical emergency. Four-stroke competition got underway at 3:07 PM.
A flurry of ZXR 750 Kawasaki mounted riders were the quickest at Glen Helen, Ballaugh Bridge, Rob Hodson, Brian McCormack, Dominic Herbertson, Craig Neve.
More bad luck would strike qualifying week leader Hodson, stopping at Ramsey Hairpin but then re-starting. Greenall Racing team-mate McCormack now headed the Classic SBK leader-board. It was all change at the Bungalow though with Chasin the Racin host Herbertson P1 by close to four seconds.
Herbertson went onto lap in the mid 120 bracket (120.638), McCormack, Neve (Bathams Racing), Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing), Derek Sheils, Michael Sweeney (Mistral Racing) were all over the 118-mph mark.
Chris Cook (114.654), Andrea Majola (112.500) topped the contemporary Senior, Junior MGP classes.
Sam Johnson retired at Quarter Bridge as did Paul Marley, Julian Trummer (Ballacraine), Don Gilbert (Gorse Lea), Tom Weeden (Greeba Castle) all endured technical problems.
Herbertson on his ‘Flying lap’ with Bob Henderson Racing Kawasaki apparatus improved to 122.6 mph. Sheils (120.441), Neve (119.976) also improved as did Amalric Blanc (118.568), the Senior Supersport top 2, Cook (115.615), Michael Gahan (114.725).
As the session ended, Herbertson, Cook, Majola remained respectively swiftest in Classic SBK, Senior, Junior classes.
Others to improve across late session stages included Dan Sayle (114.447 – Senior), Gerald Dath (new unofficial PB 114.231 – Senior), Sam Johnson (113.674 – Senior).
Caomhan Canny (110.225 – Senior), Darragh Crean (103.678 – Senior) and Dafabet Racing’s Maurizio Bottalico (112.004 – Junior).
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
A flurry of ZXR 750 Kawasaki mounted riders were the quickest at Glen Helen, Ballaugh Bridge, Rob Hodson, Brian McCormack, Dominic Herbertson, Craig Neve.
More bad luck would strike qualifying week leader Hodson, stopping at Ramsey Hairpin but then re-starting. Greenall Racing team-mate McCormack now headed the Classic SBK leader-board. It was all change at the Bungalow though with Chasin the Racin host Herbertson P1 by close to four seconds.
Herbertson went onto lap in the mid 120 bracket (120.638), McCormack, Neve (Bathams Racing), Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing), Derek Sheils, Michael Sweeney (Mistral Racing) were all over the 118-mph mark.
Chris Cook (114.654), Andrea Majola (112.500) topped the contemporary Senior, Junior MGP classes.
Sam Johnson retired at Quarter Bridge as did Paul Marley, Julian Trummer (Ballacraine), Don Gilbert (Gorse Lea), Tom Weeden (Greeba Castle) all endured technical problems.
Herbertson on his ‘Flying lap’ with Bob Henderson Racing Kawasaki apparatus improved to 122.6 mph. Sheils (120.441), Neve (119.976) also improved as did Amalric Blanc (118.568), the Senior Supersport top 2, Cook (115.615), Michael Gahan (114.725).
As the session ended, Herbertson, Cook, Majola remained respectively swiftest in Classic SBK, Senior, Junior classes.
Others to improve across late session stages included Dan Sayle (114.447 – Senior), Gerald Dath (new unofficial PB 114.231 – Senior), Sam Johnson (113.674 – Senior).
Caomhan Canny (110.225 – Senior), Darragh Crean (103.678 – Senior) and Dafabet Racing’s Maurizio Bottalico (112.004 – Junior).
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
