Bruce Anstey tops Superbike and Lightweight categories
Josh Brookes tops Senior Classic TT Qualifying
David Johnson 3rd in Superbike – Cam Donald 4th in Junior
Competitors enjoyed the best conditions of the week so far for the third qualifying session of the Isle of Man Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts, which was reflected in the significant jump in lap times.
There was no doubt about the rider who dominated the session – New Zealand’s Bruce Anstey. The ‘flying kiwi’ followed up a session-topping Superbike lap with the fastest ever Mountain Course Lightweight lap – 118.812 (19:03.218) – inside his own lap record of 118.744mph set in last year’s corresponding race, on the Padgetts Motorcycles.com 250 Honda.
The lap, albeit an unofficial lap record as the Isle of Man record books only feature racing laps, was all the remarkable as it was set from a standing start and the Kiwi was estimated to be close to a 120mph average on his second lap before encountering traffic.
The session got underway on time at 6.20pm and Australian David Johnson, as he will in Monday’s Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Race, led away from the Glencrutchery Road start line on the Team York Suzuki Superbike machine.
But it was the man who followed him off the line – Bruce Anstey – riding the Padgetts Motorcycles.com V4 two stroke Yamaha who again set the pace with a Superbike session topping 124.888mph while pre-race favourite Michael Dunlop, who has yet to complete a lap on the Team Classic Suzuki, again retired at Ballacraine on his opening lap of the session as he had done the previous evening.
Dunlop’s Team Classic Suzuki teammate Lee Johnston was reported as another retirement on the opening lap at Kirk Michael where Jamie Coward joined him on his opening lap on the Mistral Racing Kawasaki.
Anstey pulled in at the end of his opening Superbike lap, which was merely a precursor to his stunning Lightweight lap, which set the meeting alight, but Dean Harrison with a 123.288mph lap on the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki and David Johnson (121.86) on the Team York Suzuki were also on the pace.
Gary Johnson, Horst Saiger and Dan Kneen all posted their fastest laps of the week while Josh Brookes was also moving his Rotary Norton through the field, posting a 118.59mph which was the eighth fastest lap in the class on the night.
Dunlop was able to get back to the Grandstand promptly after his earlier retirement and managed to get out on his Turner Racing Yamaha before the end of the combined Superbike/ Lightweight session, clocking a lap of 112.13 but Dan Sayle (115.56) on the Steelcote Solutions Yamaha, Michael Rutter (112.87) on the Red Fox Grinta Racing Ducati, Ivan Lintin (112.69) John Chapman Racing Honda and Ian Lougher on the Laylaw Racing Yamaha (112.46) were all quicker than the Northern Ireland rider on their 250’s.
In the Senior class, which got underway at 7.10pm, Josh Brookes on the Team Winfield Paton was the clear leader on the night with the two fastest laps – his quickest at 109.509mph was over 40 seconds faster than second placed man in the session William Dunlop (105.858) riding the Davies Motorsport Honda. Michael Rutter on the Ripley Land Racing Seeley was a further 5 seconds behind Dunlop with Maria Costello and Bill Swallow – both riding Patons – completing the top five on the night.
In the concurrent Junior class Alan Oversby on the Davies Motorsport Honda posted the first 100mph Junior Classic TT lap of the meeting to top the qualifying board from Lee Johnston (99.612) on the Black Eagle Racing MV Agusta.
Russell Roebury was reported to be unhurt after sliding off at the Gooseneck in the Junior session as was Dave Moffitt following his accident at the Creg Ny Baa.
Superbike Classic TT Wednesday Qualifying Results
- Bruce Anstey Yamaha/Padgetts Motorcycles 124.888
- Dean Harrison Kawasaki/Silicone Engineering 123.288
- David Johnson Suzuki/Team York Suzuki 121.863
- Gary Johnson Formula Classic/Team York Suzuki 121.732
- Horst Saiger Kawasaki/Greenall Racing 121.134
- Derek Sheils Kawasaki/Greenall Racing 118.968
- Dan Kneen Kawasaki/Mistral Racing 118.791
- Joshua Brookes Norton/Advanced Performance Coatings 118.586
- William Dunlop Kawasaki/Herheim Racing 118.581
- Andrew Dudgeon Kawasaki/Rob Brew CBG Contractors 118.061
- Danny Webb Suzuki/Team Classic Suzuki 117.994
- Michael Rutter Ducati/Red Fox Grinta Racing 117.515
- Dan Stewart Kawasaki/MBR / Wilcock Consulting 117.469
- James Hillier Ducati/Oxford Products / Louigi Moto 117.386
- Conor Cummins Yamaha/padgettsmotorcycles 116.881
- Daniel Hegarty Suzuki 116.742
- Matthew Rees Kawasaki/Alasdair Cowan Racing 115.464
- Richard Wilson Norton/Excel Signs, Washington 113.965
- Scott Wilson Kawasaki/Stuart Best 113.470
- Timothee Monot Yamaha/Performances Moto / TMR 113.426
Senior Classic TT Wednesday Qualifying Results
- Joshua Brookes Paton/Team Winfield 109.509
- William Dunlop Honda/Davies Motorsport 105.858
- Michael Rutter Seeley/Ripley Land Racing 105.426
- Maria Costello Paton/Team Beugger Racing 105.290
- Bill Swallow Moto Paton/Gleve Racing / John Poyner 105.042
- Michael Dunlop MV Agusta/Black Eagle Racing 104.377
- James Cowton Norton/Dave Kenah Racing 104.033
- Oliver Linsdell Linsdell Enfield/Flitwick Motorcycles 100.874
- Mark Parrett Norton/Chas Mortimer Ltd 100.414
- Alan Oversby Honda/Davies Motorsport 99.878
- Mark Herbertson Norton/Rob Barker 99.537
- Ian Lougher MV Agusta/John Chapman Racing 98.248
- Chris Swallow BSA/N G Wooderson 97.843
- Philip McGurk Honda/Dave Hardman 97.733
- Meredydd Owen Seeley/Owen Racing 97.613
- Kiaran Hankin Honda/Khhire 97.132
- Bob Owen Seeley/Dave & Alan Green 96.865
- Alec Whitwell Bates Honda/Geoff Bates Racing 96.492
- John Leigh Pemberton Norton/Works Racing 95.407
- Bruno Leroy Vincent/Patrick Godet 95.202
Lightweight Classic TT Wednesday Qualifying Results
- Bruce Anstey Honda/Padgetts Motorcycles 118.812
- Daniel Sayle Yamaha/Steelcote Solutions 115.563
- Michael Rutter Ducati/Red Fox Grinta Racing 112.869
- Ivan Lintin Honda/John Chapman Racing 112.694
- Ian Lougher Yamaha/Laylaw Racing 112.460
- Michael Dunlop Yamaha/Turner Racing 112.130
- Chris Moore Yamaha/Dafabet-Devitt Racing 111.646
- James Cowton Yamaha/Peter Berwick 111.179
- Phil Harvey Honda/CSC Racing 110.015
- Dan Kneen Honda/John Chapman Racing 109.203
- Daniel Cooper Yamaha/Turner Racing 109.198
- Paul Owen Honda/Team #98 108.845
- Charles Rhys Hardisty Yamaha/Kaymac Marine 108.096
- Davy Morgan Honda/Strangford Holiday Park 107.016
- Dan Stewart Yamaha/Wilcock Consulting 106.578
- Rikki McGovern Honda/ 106.243
- Shaun Anderson Honda/Cleaver Brown Racing 105.318
- Chris Swallow Ducati/Sports Motorcycles 104.522
- Carsten Svendsen Yamaha/Skulptur Stoberiet 104.171
- Alex Sinclair Ducati/Fox Classic Racing / Louigi Moto 103.717
Junior Classic TT Wednesday Qualifying Results
- Alan Oversby Honda/Davies Motorsport 101.079
- Lee Johnston MV Agusta/Black Eagle Racing 99.612
- Peter Boast Honda/Ken Rutter Racing 96.822
- Cameron Donald Summerfield Manx Norton/McIntosh 95.935
- Jason Markham Honda/British Army Motorsports 95.354
- Chris Swallow AJS/Ripley Land Racing 95.002
- Chris McGahan Hales Honda/Paul van den Berg 93.525
- William Dunlop Honda/Davies Motorsport 93.497
- Steve Ferguson Honda/Greenall Racing / Rock Oil 93.469
- Michael Rutter Honda/Ripley Land Racing 92.660
Images by Dave Kneen
