DUKE FORMULA 0NE

The last ever Formula One TT was today won by John McGuinness (1000cc Yamaha) at record speed. It was his fourth TT win, but his first on a large capacity machine.

On the first lap, Morecambe’s John McGuinness (Yamaha) shattered the outright lap record for the Mountain Course when he lapped in 17 minutes 43.8 seconds, an average speed of 127.68mph from a standing start! That was 3.2 seconds quicker than David Jefferies (Suzuki) had done two years earlier.

It gave him an advantage of nearly ten seconds over Kiwi Bruce Anstey (Suzuki), with team-mate Adrian Archibald third. Ian Lougher was fourth, Jason Griffiths fifth and Richard Britton sixth. Then came Mark Parrett, Gordon Blackley, Chris Heath and Nigel Davies.

There were early disappointments for Ryan Farquhar, who was black flagged at Kirk Michael for a machine inspection, and local champion Paul Hunt whose Suzuki refused to run properly right from the starting line. Farquhar made adjustments and proceeded but needed more at the pits and eventually was forced to reduce to touring speed.

Martin Finnegan also went out before half distance, but there was no stopping McGuinness, who had overtaken Lougher on the road. At Ramsey he had also overtaken Archibald to lead on the road and on corrected time.

At the half-way point, pit stops were taken and Archibald to nip back past McGuinness on the road, if not on time. McGuinness lapped in 17 minutes 45 seconds, 127.60mph including slowing for his refuelling stop. Archibald did 17 minutes 57.1 seconds, 126.72mph to trail McGuinness by 21 seconds but overhaul Anstey for second.

Griffiths overhauled Lougher for fourth, with Britton still sixth. The rest of the top 10 were Parrett, Heath, Gary Carswell and Ian Hutchinson. Nigel Davies slipped from 10th to 13th.

As the field roared into the last lap, McGuinness had retaken the lead and with Archibald right on his tail the time difference was obviously 21 seconds, as before. Anstey had had a longish pit stop but kept third place, with Griffiths and Lougher fourth and fifth and Britton sixth. McGuinness’s three-lap average speed was 125.38mph and he had only to keep Archibald around him to ensure victory.

That’s what he did, romping home by 18 seconds at a race average speed of 125.38mph from Archibald’s 124.84mph and Anstey’s 124.18mph. Griffths, Lougher and Britton were the second three.

Result:

1, John McGuinness (Yamaha) 1h 12m 13.2s 125.38mph; 2, Adrian Archibald (Suzuki) 1-12-31.8 124.84mph; 3, Bruce Anstey (Suzuki) 1-12-58 124.18mph; 4, Jason Griffiths (Yamaha) 1-13-20 123.47mph; 5, Ian Lougher (Honda) 1-13-27.7 123.26mph; 6, Richard Britton (Suzuki) 1-13-53.1 122.55mph.

Outright Course Record: McGuinness 17 minutes 43.8 seconds 127.68mph (lap one).