Lightweight TT race report
The new look lightweight TT started off in not perfect conditions but conditions good enough for racing to commence sadly something that could not be said about the senior TT which had to be aborted for the first time ever since 1907 due to the adverse weather conditions on the circuit. Despite the bad news about the senior TT the new look lightweight TT with now 650 cc machines started off with James Hillier starting at number 1 first off on the road followed by race favorite Ryan Farquhar both on Kawasaki er-6s.
Mid way through the opening lap of the race Farquhar had opened up around a 10 second lead and was now in front of Hillier on the road who was in second position on the Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki er-6. In Third place was Michael Rutter around 7 seconds behind Hillier and who was the second KMR Kawasaki er-6 in the top three. As lap 1 finished Farquhar went into the pits for the mandatory pit stop in the race whilst Hillier and 4th placed at the end of lap 1 Russ Mountford went straight through onto lap 2.
As lap 2 started the order of race positions went a bit up and down to say the least with some of the top runners going through onto lap 2 and some deciding to pit on lap 1. James Hillier now lead Ryan Farquhar by around 25 seconds after the pit stop with Mountford now in 2nd place however as lap 2 went on Farquhar shrunk down Hillier’s lead to 12 seconds by the end of the lap. As Hillier pitted it was obvious that Farquhar had timed it right with the pit stop and would have a comfortable lead at the top of the field.
At end of lap 2 onto lap 3 Farquhar had a 17 second lead over Hillier with Michael Rutter in third, Russ Mountford in fourth place with Cameron Donald and William Dunlop completing the top six. Mid way through lap 3 Farquhar had created a considerable lead with Hillier in a comfortable second with Michael Rutter in third with Russ Mountford and Cameron Donald dicing it out for fourth position on the leaderboard. William Dunlop completed the top six on the Track Day Tools/Emerald racing magazine Kawasaki er-6.
At the end of lap 3 Ryan Farquhar on the KMR Kawasaki passed the checkered flag to secure his third TT win and the first ever in the TT races for the 650 cc mini-twins. 2nd was James Hillier his first TT podium around the mountain course on the Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki. 3rd was Ryan Farquhar’s team mate in the KMR Kawasaki team Michael Rutter who also set a new lap record of 115.554 mph for the mini-twins class around the TT course. Finishing in fourth place was Cameron Donald on the DP coldplaning Kawasaki er-6.
5th was Russ Mountford a personal best finish for Russ around the TT course on the Northpoint racing Kawasaki er-6. 6th was William Dunlop with Ivan Lintin finishing in 7th place in what was another personal best finish for him having finished 10th in the opening supersport race earlier in the week. Best newcomer in the race was Jamie Hamilton finishing in 10th place and the best finish achieved by a newcomer during the weeks racing. Adam Child Motorcycle News road tester finished in 40th place and was 2nd best newcomer in the race.
The best Suzuki SV650 rider was former Manx Grand Prix winner on a 650 Dave Moffitt riding the JHS racing Suzuki SV650. Finishing in 8th place was Ian Lougher 9th was Ollie Linsdell with Dean Harrison rounding off a good week of racing finishing in 12th position. So overall an interesting and top week of racing perhaps there has been some disappointments like the non running of the senior TT and retirements for some of the top running riders in some of the races. But generally what great racing we have had no new winners this year at the TT but there is a host of up and coming riders gaining personal best finishes this year and achieving their fastest laps around the TT course.
Report by Stevie Rial