Fisher took his eighth TT win after a dramatic ending to the early evening affair when race leader Ian Bell retired with 25 miles to go, at the Barregarrow section of the course.

Fisher took up the running and cruised to victory. The Cumbrian driver won by more than a minute from Stephen Norbury and Andy Smith.

Bell held a slender one-second advantage over Fisher a third of the way around the opening 37.73-mile lap, extending that to six seconds by the end of the lap.

Fisher fought hard to challenge Bell and, as the dicing three-wheelers began their third and final lap, the difference was nine seconds. Bell maintained his pace but news came through of his retirement minutes later.

Fisher took up the running and the result never looked in doubt. "I think it was more good luck than anything that we won but I'll take it," he said. "I rode as hard as I could but I made a mistake before the race. I fitted a new exhaust system hoping for more top end power and it didn't work."

Passenger Long added: "It was hard work but we got stuck in and it all came good in the end. It's nice to go home with the sidecar TT double in the bag."

Third place went to former winners Geoff Bell and Craig Hallam, 15 seconds down on Norbury.


Sidecar OB' race result:
1 Rob Fisher / Rick Long (Honda) 1hr 02m 52.20s - 108.02mph,
2 Stephen Norbury / Andy Smith (Yamaha) 1hr 03m 56.10s - 106.22mph,
3 Geoff Bell / Craig Hallam (Yamaha) 1hr 04m 11.80s - 105.79mph,
4 Gary Horspole / Kevin Leigh (Honda) 1hr 04m 30.20s - 105.28mph,
5 Allan Schofield / Ian Simons (Honda) 1hr 04m 51.20s - 104.71mph,
6 Mick Harvey / Stephen Thomas (Yamaha) 1hr 05m 22.50s - 103.88mph,
7 Ben Dixon / Mark Lambert (Honda) 1hr 05m 45.60s - 103.27mph,
8 Tony Baker / Scott Parnell (Yamaha) 1hr 05m 58.50s - 102.93mph,
9 Kenny Howles / Doug Jewell (Kawasaki) 1hr 06m 16.60s - 102.47mph,
10 Stephen Ramsden / Phillip Roberts (Honda) 1hr 06m 30.50s - 102.11mph.