By Isle of Man TT 2013 – Lightweight TT race preview
Leading the entry for this years lightweight TT race for super-twins bikes is Ryan Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki powered by Vauxhall team. Ryan’s team is set to run up to 4 riders in the lightweight TT which includes Jamie Hamilton, Conor Cummins, Michael Rutter and newcomer to the TT this year, Gavin Hunt.
Having finished on the podium last year and being the current lap record holder for the lightweight class, Michael Rutter will go into the lightweight TT race confident of achieving another TT win.
Conor Cummins will be competing for the first time in the lightweight TT race but will no doubt be a potential podium and race winner. Jamie Hamilton is a fast rising talent on roads circuits and is one of many riders to watch out for in this year’s lightweight TT.
Runner-up in last years lightweight TT James Hillier lines up at number 1 on the start line for this years race competing on a Quattro Plant Kawasaki prepared super-twin. Plus having most recently achieved a podium finish at the North West 200 James is heading into the lightweight TT race with good confidence.
Two time Isle of Man TT winner Cameron Donald is back for his second entry into the lightweight TT race on the DP Coldplaning/TCR Honda ER6 super-twin. Cameron finished 4th in the lightweight TT in 2012 and will be aiming to go one or two places better in 2013.
The naturally talented Dean Harrison will be looking for a top result in this years lightweight TT race competing on the Stewart Smith racing ER6 Kawasaki. Dean has already had a run out on the bike achieving top 3 finishes in the super-twins at Oliver’s Mount during the Ian Watson spring cup road races meeting.
Multiple times TT winner Ian Lougher is sure to be a contender in the lightweight TT race. Competing on a CMS racing prepared Kawasaki ER6 Ian will be aiming for at least a top 6 finish.
Super-twins specialist Ivan Lintin is a rider who is getting better and better with everytime he competes at the Isle of Man TT. This is in particular being sure during the lightweight TT where Ivan in 2012 achieved a fabulous 7th place finish. Now armed with a Mckinstry racing ER6 Kawasaki Ivan is aiming for a good result plus is one of many a rider capable of taking a podium finish during the lightweight TT.
Russ Mountford already has achieved a podium finish in the super-twins class at the Southern 100 and will be looking to achieve this feat at the TT. Competing on the Northpoint racing ER6 Kawasaki Russ is heading to the TT confident in his machinery that it will give him a top result.
Lee Johnston is competing in the lightweight TT on an ER6 Kawasaki prepared by Millsport racing. At the recent North West 200 Lee achieved a 5th place finish in the super-twins event, the aim for Lee at the TT will be to achieve the same result or better.
The JHS racing team made their debut at the Isle of Man TT in 2012 running Dave Moffitt in the supersport and lightweight TT races and for 2013 the team are back again and once again running Dave Moffitt in the lightweight TT.
Dave is set to compete on a Suzuki SV650 super-twin and given Dave’s top 15 result in last years lightweight TT there is the potential to achieve an even better result. Team mate to Dave in the JHS racing team is newcomer to the Isle of Man TT in 2013 from Finland, Juha Kallio.
One of the most interesting entries into the lightweight TT this year is from the WK bikes team which are set to run a CF moto prepared super-twin. The bike is made in China which means for the first time there will be a bike made in China competing at the Isle of Man TT.
Competing for the WK bikes team is up and coming TT star David Johnson. David who has not competed as yet in the lightweight TT has already achieved in his TT career top 15 finishes in the superbike and superstock TT races.
Ben Wylie is aiming for top results in the lightweight TT race competing for the second year in a row on the AFC motorsport Suzuki SV650 super-twin. Having finished in the top 20 last year Ben is looking to break into the top 10 and to try and achieve a top 5 finish.
Top Suzuki finisher last year in the lightweight TT, Ollie Linsdell is back this year and is looking for better results when competing on the Flitwick motorcycles Suzuki SV650.
Paul Shoesmith’s Ice Valley racing by Motorsave ltd team will be aiming for some good and consistent in the lightweight TT. Paul and TT newcomer this year Branko Srdanov lead the team’s entry into the race.
Rising stars on roads circuits Dan Cooper and Shaun Anderson are both entered for the first time in the lightweight TT race and both will be competing on Kawasaki machinery.
One of the most enterprising teams in the paddock the Splitlath Redmond motorsport team are entering the lightweight TT for the first time this year. Competing for the team are TT zero winner in 2010, Mark Miller and TT newcomer from China, Cheung-Wai-on, both riders will be competing on Kawasaki machinery.
125 TT winner Chris Palmer is back at the Isle of Man TT this year competing in the lightweight TT race on a Mannin Collections racing sponsored ER6 Kawasaki. The bike campaigned by Jamie Hamilton during the 2012 road racing season is a top spec super-twin machine which is sure to give Chris a good result during his TT comeback this year.
Isle of Man TT newcomer this year Michael Pearson is an entant into the lightweight TT competing on a Rod Lee racing ER6 Kawasaki. Michael who has achieved many a top result on roads circuits is one to watch out for in the lightweight TT.
So all in all what an entry for this years lightweight TT race. We have current TT stars, up and coming road racers, a returning TT winner and lots of exciting newcomers to the TT.
