TT 2022 BLOG SIX
The comments and views expressed in these bloggs are mine and do not reflect the views of the
TT SUPPORTERS CLUB

Three Races in the Day and great day for the Manx.

The lure of the TT for foreign visitors is here for all to see. They come from far and wide, Canada and the USA, Australia and New Zealand, Japan and right across Europe. Many are making return visits and many are experiencing the TT for the first time. All are drawn by this extraordinary Mountain Course and the exceptional skill and speed of the competitors.

The Manx police are keeping a tally on speeding convictions. This morning the score stood at 19 home (Manx residents) and 28 away (visitors). The message was for all to obey the speed limits.

The race programme was altered for today’s racing with the plan of running a 3 lap Supersport race, a 2 lap Sidecar race and finishing with a 3 lap Superstock race. There would also be a solo warm up lap. It was a fine day. The road closing order begins from 

10am through to 9:30 pm with a gap between 5pm and 6pm to allow the people to get home from work.I would have thought that it would have been more than possible to have planned to run the races their full distance by running the superstock at half past six. The roads closed at 10 o’clock and the first Supersport Race started at 10:45.

The maximum number of starters under the new system is 60 but only 52 bikes lined up on the Glencrutchery road. Not a full grid and not a full distance race! What we lacked in quantity we certainly made up for in quality with the ‘creme de la creme’ of road racing. The only absentees were the injured David Johnson and the much missed Bruce Anstey who is still recovering from illness and didn’t enter the TT.

Favourite for the race was Michael Dunlop, MD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6, who set the fastest lap in qualifying at 126.662mph. It was a cracking race and no matter how hard they rode Dean Harrison, DAO Racing 600 Kawasaki, Peter Hickman, K2 Trooper Beerby PHR Performance 765cc Triumph, Lee Johnston, Ashcourt Racing 600cc Yamaha, and the rest of the field were no match for the mercurial Dunlop. It was Michael's 20th TT victory on a bike that he and his team built. It was the Dunlop family's 51st TT win, an unbelievable achievement. How long will it be before Michael surpasses uncle Joey’s 26 TT wins?

 20 times TT winner Michael Dunlop, MD Racing 600cc Yamaha YZF-R6, at Quarterbridge in the Supersport race.

Michael Sweeney, EM Building 600cc Yamaha and James Hind, Bass Tyre Services 600cc Yamaha, on their way to 14th and 12th positions in the Supersport race

The rate of attrition was much less than the Superbike with only 6 retirements. One of these was Davy Morgan, Shaz Racing 600cc Yamaha, who crashed at the 27th milestone and sadly died from his injuries. This happened on the last lap and the race was stopped with Red Flags being shown all the way around the course. Thirty riders had already passed the chequered flag before the race was stopped. The remaining 16 riders were declared as second lap finishers. It was a very sad end to a terrific race.

It is the 100th anniversary of the presentation of silver replicas, in 1922 they were given to the first 6 finishers. Today silver and bronze replicas are awarded as a percentage of the winners time. There were 12 silver and 29 bronze replicas awarded for the Supersport race. 

Sixty years ago the Lightweight 250cc race was run on the afternoon of Monday 4th June 1962. There were 37 entries but only 25 actually started the 6 lap race over the Mountain course. Bob McIntyre, Honda, led after the first lap followed by Derek Minter, Jim Redman, Tom Phillis and Moto Katano who were all Honda mounted. In sixth place was MIke Hailwood on a Benelli. Hailwood had moved into 3rd place at the end of the second lap behind new leader Jim Redman and Derek Minter. Bob Mac had retired at Barregarroo and Moto Katano at Ramsey.

Tom Phillis moved into third place on lap four with Hailwood dropping to fourth before retiring on the last lap at Braddan Bridge. Minter had moved into the lead on the 5th lap and went on to win by 1 minute 53.6 seconds from Jim Redaman and Tom Phillis with a race average of 96.68mph. There were only 8 finishers with 3 silver replicas and 2 bronze replicas awarded; no club or no manufacturers’ teams were awarded. 

There was a 75 minute delay to the start of the 2 lap sidecar race which eventually got underway at 2:30pm. There were only 28 crews on the start line, this must surely be a concern to the organisers. There is no better place in the world to race a sidecar than the TT Course and it will be a very sad day if they dwindle away into obscurity.   

In 1962 there was an anticyclone over the Isle of Man bringing warm weather and light winds, ideal for racing. There were 35 entries for the sidecar with a strong foreign presence. Florian Camathias / Horst Burkhardt had topped the practice leaderboard from fellow BMW mounted Max Deubel / Emil Horner with Britain’s Chris Vincent / Eric Bliss’s BSA third.

Debel led the first lap of the race from Camathias and Vincent with a standing start lap of 90.70mph, a new lap record. Camathias crashed out at Kerroomooar elevating Vincent into second place, Otto Kolle / Dieter Hesse moved their BMW into third. Camathias was reported to be ‘knocked about a bit’ and Burkhardt had broken a leg. Deubel held a 3 minute 58.4 second lead over Vincent at the end of the lap.

Debel suffered engine trouble on the last lap and retired at Ballig. Chris Vincent and Eric Bliss went to record a first all-British Sidecar win since 1954 and the first ever BSA victory in an International Tourist Trophy race. Otto Kolle and Dieter Hess were second and there was more British success with Colin Seeley with Wally Rawlings in the chair coming third.  A TT ‘Innovation’ was that the first three crews stood on the raised platform in front of the Grandstand a the winners were ‘garlanded’

The Birchall brothers, Haith LCR Honda, claimed their 11th TT win with a dominant two laps, the fastest being 119.222mph, just short of being the first sidecar cew to achieve the elusive 120mph lap. This race was about the battle for second between the Manx Crowe brothers, Haven Homes 600cc LCR Honda, and the FHO Racing 600cc LCR Honda of Peter Founds and Jevan Walmsley. 
 

11 times TT Sidecar winners, Ben and Tom Birchall, Haith 600cc LCR Honda

Ryan and Callum Crowe, the sons of TT winner Nick Crowe, held the advantage on the first lap by 1.540 seconds. The FHO Racing crew fought back on the second lap and it was neck and neck as they crossed the Mountain. Founds started twenty seconds in front of the Crowes and crossed the line first. In only their second TT race and to the delight of the Manx spectators the Crowes snatched the race by just 0.112 of a second. There were tremendous and emotional scenes in the winners enclosure after the race.

 Doing the Isle of Man Proud, Ryan and Callum Crowe, Haven Homes 600cc LCR Honda, on there way to second in the Sidecar TT

The road, apart from the Mountain section, was opened once the sidecar race had finished. The Superstock Race had been pushed back to start at 6:30pm with the road closing at 6pm. It was a lovely evening and I was perplexed that the Superstock was still reduced to 3 laps. A four lap race would take about an hour and a half meaning the road could start to be opened just after 8pm, an earlier than would be required.

John McGuinness, Honda Racing UK CBR1000RR-R SP Honda, starting his 102nd TT race led the field away. For the first time this week there was a full grid of 50 riders to contest a race. Peter Hickman, Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing BMW M1000RR, won his 7th TT with another dominant ride; he appears to be unbeatable in the larger capacity races. There was a terrific battle for second between the Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles teammates Davy Todd and Conor Cummins both riding Honda CBR 1000RR-R machines. Davy led by 3.028 seconds after the first lap, having restored his confidence after his rear tyre delaminated in the Superbike race. 

The master of the big bikes, Peter Hickman, on his way to victory in the Superstock Race on his Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing 1000 BMW

The gap had marginally increased to 3.271 seconds after the 2nd lap. Conor recorded the fastest lap of the race and his fastest ever lap on his final circuit with a lap of 133.116mph. The pace was too hot for Davy Todd and Conor clinched the runner up spot by 7.665 seconds. A fantastic result for the Manxman and a great day for the Manx. There will be a national holiday if he can make the top step of the rostrum!!

#8572 The fastest Manxman around the TT Course, Conor Cummins on his was to runner up in the Superstock Race, Milenco by Padgett's Motorcycles 1000cc Honda 

Mike Hammonds

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