2009 TT Round-up |
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The 2009 Isle of Man TT will go down in the record books as one of the most historic and exciting in the events 102 year history with race and laps records falling in just about every race. So you too can use the word drama when reporting every race in a programme affected by weather conditions. For many though with an eye to the future it was also a landmark event which saw the first running of the TTX GP for electric motorcycles. You could argue that one lap does not constitute a race, but those pioneering machines did race against each other with a view to combining outright speed and battery longevity. While at the beginning of week there was a great deal of scepticism, by the end of Fridays inaugural race there was admiration and a belief that those present had witnessed the dawn of the future of racing, not only at the TT but also globally. With speeds being clocked in excess of 100 mph (106.5) and the winners lap time smashing the 1966 record for 50cc bikes et by Honda mounted Ralph Bryans, it was not a boring lap by any means. Unfortunately though it was a quiet lap, with many feeling the lack of noise detracted from the ‘race’ angle of the proceedings. By the end of the practice week all the signs were there for a record breaking week of racing. Australian Cameron Donald had posted not only his, but the fastest ever time around the 37.73 mile course on his Suzuki, albeit an unofficial record at over 131mph. Unfortunately he was unable to confirm this under race conditions as he came off on the last practice session and while only suffering minor injuries, it was enough to put him out of racing for the week. However, as Saturday’s race day dawned it quickly became clear that nobody was going to be racing due to inclement weather conditions. By 10.00 am the organisers had announced that no racing would take place until Monday. Monday’s races would be moved to Tuesday and Saturdays schedule would be run instead complete with the proposed lap from Moto GP legend Valentino Rossi.
In Laxey at the Woollen Mills was the best of all such exhibitions run by acknowledged expert TT historian, Bill Snelling. ( amulree@mcb.net). However, the weather did improve allowing a few out onto the course in the evening prior to Mad Sunday. This itself went off relatively OK although the Mountain section was closed four times due to incidents, thankfully none particularly bad. Down on the coast Steve Colley and the Purple helmets entertained at Peel, while sprinting took place on the promenade at Ramsey. At a slightly slower pace the Vintage Club started the first of many runs that make up their weeks activities.
His HM Plant Honda teammate Steve Plater came home in second place with Guy Martin in third to give Honda the top three slots. McGuinness also took the race record and his win made him the second most successful TT rider behind Joey Dunlop (26 TT wins) with 15 wins pushing ahead of the great Mike Hailwood with 14 wins. Watching this historic win was none other than Valentino Rossi, who had flown into watch the race with fellow Italian GP legend Giacomo Agostini, himself a former TT winner. Rossi then presented the trophies to the winner, before both Italians set out on a lap of the course behind the TT travelling marshals. Rossi was quick to say that he was very impressed but he would definitely not be riding in the TT in the future!
Molyneux stayed in front to take the flag for his fourteenth win at the end of the three lap race giving Suzuki what would prove to be their only win of the week. He did it is style though with a race record, winning by almost a minute from Phillip Dongworth/Gary Partridge in second, with Simon Neary/Stuart Bond third. One of two former World Sidecar Champions entered, Tim Reeves, was fourth in only in his second year at the TT, one place down on last years best! Molyneux now equals Mike Hailwood’s record of 14 wins and is the most successful sidecar rider ever around the TT course. Tuesday again started with ideal conditions and all looked good for a repeat of Monday’s record breaking pace. The bookies firm favourite was Michal Dunlop who had set an unofficial lap record during practice, along with previous winner, Suzuki mounted Kiwi Bruce Anstey. But, it was not to be for either rider, with early leader Guy Martin being credited with a lap record from the standing start. Dunlop was never in the reckoning after his engine blew early in the first lap! Anstey though was clearly in the hunt and at the end of lap he was in the lead when he came in for his pit stop he had bettered Martin and had a new lap record of 17.53.32 or 126.549 mph which obviously included slowing down for his pit stop, not bad on a 600 to say the least!
Following on the sidecars went out for a quick practice session, followed by the first practice and qualifying session for the electric bikes in the TTXGP. This session woke most up to the real viability of these bikes, it has to be said! Then it was back to the third race of the TT programme with the 100cc Superstock machines at 18.30. It soon looked like it was going to be a repeat of Monday as at the end of the first lap it was McGuiness leading with a new lap record that would not last long. On the second lap earlier winner Ian Hutchinson had posted a 129.212 mph record, McGuinness having slipped to fourth. Guy Martin desperate to win his first TT led from lap three into the fourth until he and second place man Hutchinson encountered back markers which caused Martin to surrender first place. Hutchinson therefore made it two wins in a day, taking the race record with a 127.612 mph average speed for the 150 miles to go with his lap record, which he again broke on the last lap of 129.746 mph. Totally bizarrely the results for the next places were identical to the morning’s race with Martin, Amor, Plater and McGuinness giving Honda another clean sweep as well as 141 wins. Another record was also broken when the only female rider in the solo class Jenny Tinmouth, lapped at 116.483mph lap to break Maria Costello’s record to become the fastest female ever around the TT course. Wednesday saw clear blue skies and the racing back on track, but nobody could have predicted the drama that would unfold throughout the day. First racing was delayed due to rain falling on a small section of the course while spectators at other parts were getting sunburnt! Delay after delay soon scotched the potential for Ian Hutchinson to be able to become the first man ever to win three TT’s in a 24-hour period. However, it did finally get underway at 14.00 on course that had one wet section on the west of the island, albeit drying rapidly. It was enough though to cause some riders to understandably adopt a cautious approach to the race and others to pull in after one lap.
Despite no records being broken it was an exciting race, although not a good one for Guy Martin who was forced to retire while holding a top three slot. Third home was local Manxman Conor Cummins on a Kawasaki, after four years of trying to get on the podium, a feat he was unbelievably later to repeat in the Senior. This was followed by the second lap of the electric bikes before the second sidecar race lined up at 18.30 on clear dry roads. After a good start the second Sidecar race was red flagged and stopped after less than half a lap of the three scheduled laps. The Manx radio commentary reported an outfit was on fire at Ballacob as the reason for the stoppage. They later confirmed this as the number one outfit of Nick Crowe and Mark Cox which had crashed on the approach to Ballaugh, home to the famous bridge that aviates most machines. It was later reported that the pair had been airlifted to Noble's Hospital, with extensive fractures and that the outfit was extensively fire damaged. Witness reports later suggested that a rabbit or hare ran out and hit Crowe knocking him unconscious causing the outfit to crash.
Thursday was day of rest and most people either headed out on the course for a last lap before returning home. But, for many it was the small coastal village of Laxey hosting a free to enter bike show on the foreshore that proved the main draw, especially in the warm sun! Friday the final day and the main event the Senior dawned clear and bright with the chance of showers later on in the afternoon. However, first up was the TTX GP followed by a solitary lap of the Norton for the crowds. This would then be followed by the prestigious six lap race.
At the halfway point Barber had established a 1minute 32second which he kept to the finish, with a race average of 87.434mph, although he did not set the fastest lap. That honour went to second place man Schoenfelder who recorded the fastest ever speed by an electric bike of 106.5mph through the Sulby speed trap. Mark Buckley on the Team Brammo entry was third. With the celebrations still going on for this historic event news came through of a delay in the start time of the Senior due to weather conditions. However, it was only a 30 minute delay and the final race for 2009 started at 13.30 with expectations running high as the course was now reported dry all round. First man away Gary Johnson was flagged off by Murray Walker, former F1 and motorcycle commentator. McGuinness at number two was quickly on the pace and broke his own outright lap record with a 17.17.23 lap, an average of 130.953 mph from the start. Not content with this he pushed the outright lap record above the 131 mph barrier recording 17.12.39 and a lap time of 131.578 despite slowing for his pits stop at the end of the second lap. But, he was to be deprived on anything else in the way of records or silverware when he retired at Cruickshanks due to a broken chain. Teammate Plater took over the lead, himself having posted some 130 mph plus laps. Martin was now third, but again bad luck struck when he lost his chain after his second pit stop! He was not the only one to drop out as the list of retirements was growing as fast as the race pace!
Plater, brought his Honda home to a comfortable win by 19.5 seconds from the 23year-old Kawasaki mounted Conor Cummins in second. As a result of his near 130 mph times, he became becomes the fastest Manxman around the TT course. Gary Johnson on a Honda took third, another clean sweep for the Japanese brand who now equal Norton with 19 wins in the Senior. It was also a race record for Plater, with an average of 128.278 mph.
Apart from this tragedy the racing was spectacular and apart from a few gripes about the lack of attractions and atmosphere in and around Douglas on the prom, most are fans are already booking for next year. My advice is to do the same, as obviously as the bikes and tyre technology improves so does the racing which will become even closer and dramatic as the mountain course takes its toll on the bikes, adding real drama into the race equation. See you there!
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