By First and foremost when reflecting on the opening day of competitive action at the Barry Sheene Classic, I must state a huge congratulations to the One Nine Four Six Marshals Association and the Two Four Three Road Racing Association.
Without these two organisations, and all the individuals involved giving up hours, hours and hours of their time to get the ‘Mini TT’ back on the pure road racing calendar, racing at Scarborough as we know it, would have ceased to exist.
Saturday’s race action at England’s sole roads course, began with the opening Supersport A race, which was won by Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1 victor, Lee Johnston.
Johnston piloting the Ashcourt Racing Yamaha took him last month to TT success, experience told in the battle for class honours, keeping at bay the tenacious challenge of Spada supported Mike Norbury.
Norbury who registered the fastest lap of the race, still had positives a plenty to take from the middleweight class encounter, finishing only 2.214 seconds behind eight times International Road Race winner Johnston.
Following the (A) race, the opening class (B) Supersport encounter took centre stage. Taking the race victory was local favourite Paul Marley.
A racer who epitomises the term ‘Grass Roots Racing’, you could sense how much it meant to him doubling his Oliver’s Mount victories tally.
Concluding the top three finishers behind Marley, were early class pace setter Kevin Barsby and Dan Booth.
Pete boast got the better of Ruthless Racing’s Julian Tillotson in the battle for Senior Classics honours, whilst combined Lightweight/Junior race spoils were acquired by popular Scarborough returnee, leading Welsh roads competitor Rhys Hardisty.
Joe Thompson’s maiden race outing aboard the high spec 690 Kramer Motorcycles steed, proved quite tumultuous and prodigious, as the York racer powered to Super Twins race victory.
Victorious by well in excess of eight seconds, Thompson’s performance showcased again the potential of the Kramer Super Mono mount, which will grace next month’s Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling affiliated Manx Grand Prix.
Runner up behind runaway Twins class victor Thompson, was Senior Classics runner up Tillotson, whilst the battle for third was won by experienced Mountain Course competitor Ian Gardner.
The sole six lap Sidecar race from today’s ‘Mount’ action, yielded another momentous triumph for renowned Scarborough specialists, persistent front runners Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie.
Team ARC’s Crawford/Hardie finished just over 4.28 seconds clear of nearest chasers, John Lowther/Tom Christie.
Former TT champions Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle placed third, whilst additional impressive performances came from three wheeling Scarborough debutants Michael Kirkup/Arlo Brown & Michael Russell/Tom Bryant who finished respectively fourth, fifth.
Words by Stevie Rial
