Classic TT 2018

2018 Classic TT Qualifying Results

Senior Classic TT Qualifying, August 23rd

1. John McGuinness – Paton 106.585
2. Jamie Coward – Norton 103.646
3. Chris Swallow – Royal Enfield 102.990
4. Lee Johnston – Honda 101.478
5. Ian Lougher – MV Agusta 101.236
6. Maria Costello – Paton 101.118
7. Danny Webb – Norton 98.425
8. Joey Thompson – Norton 97.330
9. Steve Ferguson – Honda 96.642
10. Peter Boast – Honda 96.378
11. James Hillier – Honda 96.183
12. Dominic Herbertson – Yamaha 95.721
13. Bill Swallow – Ducati 95.680
14. John Barton – 95.680
15. Meredydd Owen – Seeley 94.081
16. Richard Wilson – Honda 93.839
17. Hefyn Owen – Seeley 93.381
18. Josh Daley – Honda 93.077
19. David Madsen-Mygdal – Honda 92.668
20. David Johnson – Honda 92.664

Lightweight Classic TT Qualifying, August 23rd

1. Dan Sayle – Yamaha 109.406
2. Charles Hardisty – Yamaha 104.835
3. Paul Owen – Honda 103.509
4. Joey Thompson – Honda 103.067
5. Ian Lougher – Yamaha 101.987
6. Phil Harvey – Yamaha 99.701
7. James Ford – Honda 96.257
8. Neal Champion – Yamaha 96.137
9. Michael Sweeney – Yamaha 95.228
10. Colin Croft – Yamaha 89.198

Junior Classic TT Qualifying, August 23rd

1. Phil McGurk – Honda 95.988
2. Adam McLean – Honda 95.054
3. Peter Boast – Honda 94.558
4. Chris McGahan – Honda 93.055
5. Mark Herbertson – Honda 92.464
6. Sam Johnson – Honda 91.835
7. Bob Owen – Aermacchi 91.346
8. Daniel Cooper – Honda 91.302
9. Dave Moffitt – Honda 91.038
10. Lancelot Unissart – Honda 90.525

Thursday Qualifying – Classic TT 2018

After a frustrating three days kicking their heels while ‘Manannan’s Cloak’ enveloped the island, competitors were finally able to get some much-needed track time at the 2018 Classic TT presented by Bennetts as the TT Mountain Course again reverberated to the unique, ear splitting sound of Classic bike racing.

The session got underway at 6.20pm after the earlier afternoon session had been rained off and although the grandstand was bathed in sunshine at the start of the session, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson advised riders that there were a number of damp patches around the course, particularly under the trees, which would be highlighted with stationery flags.

The opening session featured the Senior and Junior Classic TT machines, who started from Pit lane, although Lightweight machines were also permitted to run in the earlier session.

John McGuinness and Michael Rutter and were first away from Glencrutchery Road on the Team Winfield Paton and the Ripley Land Racing Matchless respectively that they will race in Saturday’s Bennetts Senior TT Race while Dan Sayle was one of the riders who took his Lightweight machine out in the earlier session.

The leading pair made good progress to the first checkpoint at Ballacraine but Dean Harrison, on his Laylaw Racing 250 Yamaha was reported as an early retirement at Ballacraine although he at least managed to get a lift back to the Grandstand.

John McGuinness continued to belie his two-year absence from the Mountain Course with an opening lap of 104.270 and went straight through as did a number of other competitors putting the frustration of the week behind them to rack up some vital Mountain Course miles.

However, Michael Rutter was enjoying no such luck, a retirement on the opening lap at the Mountain Box and therefore stuck out on the course and missing out on valuable track time.

McGuinness posted a second lap of 106.585 and the Morecambe missile told Radio TT’s Chris Kinley in pit lane after his second lap that it was great to be back on the Mountain Course.

Jamie Coward on the Ted Woof Craven Manx Norton posted a pair of 103mph laps while Chris Swallow riding a Linsdell Enfield, Lee Johnston (Davies Motorsport Honda), Ian Lougher (John Chapman Racing Honda) and Maria Costello (Team Beugger Racing Honda) all posted 100+mph laps.

Dan Sayle showed his two stroke talent with the overall fastest lap of the evening (109.406) although gear linkage issues on his second lap forced him to stop at Sulby while Charles Rhys Hardisty also went well in the Lightweight class with two 104mph laps.

In the concurrent Junior session Phil McGurk was quickest on the night with an opening lap of 95.988mph from Adam McLean (95.054) and Peter Boast (94.558) with Chris McGahan (93.055) and Mark Herbertson (92.464) completing the top five for the session.

However, with the Superbikes in Parc Ferme itching to get on the track, at 7.15pm the weather gods again betrayed the riders and with reports of rain at Kirk Michael and wet roads on the West of the Island and the Mountain section, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson had no option but to cancel the second session.

Classic TT Schedule shaken up by weather

Tomorrow’s sees the addition of a second, afternoon, qualifying session to the schedule to compensate for the lost sessions earlier in the week. The timetable, subject to weather, is:

• 13.30 – Roads close around the course
• 14.00 – 14.55. CTT Superbikes/ CTT Lightweight/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior
• 15.00 – 15.50 CTT Senior/ CTT Junior/ MGP Lightweight/ MGP Ultra
• 16.30 – Roads open around the Course
• 18.00 – Roads closed around the Course
• 18.20 – 19.10 CTT Superbike/ CTT Lightweight/ MGP Senior/ MGP Junior
• 19.15 – 20.00 CTT Senior/ CTT Junior/ MGP Lightweight/ MGP Ultra Lightweight
• 21.00 – Roads open no later than 9pm

Images Tony Goldsmith, Kevin Clague and Dave Kneen