The final day of the Manx Grand Prix brought more delays and schedule changes. The roads were wet everywhere early in the morning; meaning delays were necessary whilst they dried out and mist on the mountain section lifted. First decision of the day was to call off the scheduled re-run of the Junior Race that was halted on lap 2 on Saturday. The result was based on the positions at the end of lap 1. This meant victory for Andrea Majola from countryman Maurizio Bottalico with Daniel Ingham third. Julien Cregniot; Lian Chawke and Michael Gahan completed the top 6. Toby Shann was best newcomer in eighth on the Cowton Racing Kawasaki.
Next decision was the inevitable combination of the Senior and Junior Classic into a single race. Most of those with double entries chose to ride in the Senior. The course was described as “a scary,
scratchy situation” by multiple race winner Chris Palmer. John McGuinness said that he had not expected any racing to take place. The course had a large number of wet patches; it appears that much work will be needed in the winter to address the problem of running water crossing the track after rainfall.
The first race; the Senior and Junior Classic MGP; started 4 hours and 32 minutes after it was scheduled to. The one lap dash gave an exciting finish and new names on the trophies. At Glen Helen, John McGuinness led on the road and on corrected time; his lead 4.45s from Shaun Anderson; both Paton mounted. Mike Browne on the Norton ES2 had closed down the 10s starting interval to Jamie Coward to hold third by 0.876s from Flitwick Enfield mounted Adam McLean. Paul Jordan was fifth with Coward sixth. The Junior leader was Mikey Evans; but he was to retire just up the road. At Ballaugh Bridge, the lead had increased to 4.705s; McLean was up to third, but just 0.12s ahead of Browne. Nigel Moore was the new leader of the Junior class.
We had some fine action for the small number of enthusiasts to enjoy at Schoolhouse Corner in Ramsey where the roads were perfectly dry. Leaving the town McGuinness led by 4.703s; behind him Browne had retaken third by 0.562s and Coward had taken 5th from Jordan. Newcomer Harley Rushton; impressive at Billown; had taken the Junior class lead from the soon to retire Moore. Anderson was fastest on the mountain climb to be 2.365s down on McGuinness at the Bungalow. With 1.1 miles to go at Cronk ny Mona the lead was 1.12s. Anderson was quickest on the wet final section and took victory by 0.163s. McLean won the battle for third by 0.92s from Browne. Jamie Coward took fifth with Jordan sixth. Harley Rushton duly won the Junior class; with returning former Senior Classic winner Glen English second and Mark Johnson third.
Next up was the Senior Manx Grand; for many of us the main race of the meeting. This was to be run over 2 laps, taking pitstops out of the equation. Race favourite Daniel Ingham had the number one plate so was first to plunge down Bray Hill. For Maurizio Bottalico the race was over at Quarter Bridge. Ingham was the fastest on the 9 miles to Glen Helen; he led by 5.562s from Sam Johnson; with Jacque Foley 1.927s behind in third. Julian Cregniot, Chris Cook and Johnny Stewart completed the top six. At Ballaugh Bridge; the lead had grown to 11.27s. Chris Cook was second, Sam Johnson third, Foley; Cregniot and Stewart completed the top 6. The action at Schoolhouse was noticeably faster than in the previous race; with a few riders using some of the bus stop on the exit. The lead at Ramsey was up to 15.278s; the only change being Michael Gahan moving from 8th at Ballaugh, to be sixth.
The Bungalow produced no change in positions; the lead was 20.656s and Gahan had closed to within 0.2s of Foley. A lap at 118.762mph gave Ingham a lead of 23.13s over Cook as they screamed past the Grandstand. Behind them Gahan had edged ahead of Foley to hold fifth.
There was no change to the batting order at Glen Helen; the lead was now 24.885s. Ballaugh saw no change in the top six; just wider gaps. At Schoolhouse the action was excellent; the lead now out to 31.68s with 13.73 miles left to go at the timing beam. Ingham did not ease off; setting the best time to the Bungalow; Crony ny Mona and the finish line. A race average of 118.815mph gave him victory by 35.394s from Chris Cook. It was a much deserved victory after a second and third in the last couple of years. Sam Johnson secured his first podium finish after many years of trying. Julian Cregniot secured another fourth place finish; Gahan was fifth with Johnny Stewart best newcomer in sixth after a superb ride. The podium men were all delighted with the result; with Ingham “over the moon.” Sixth finisher Stewart was more laid back saying it “felt like just another day out on my bike.”
The next race was the Lightweight Race; this incorporated the Ultra Lightweight class. There was another brief delay to the start to allow mist to clear from Brandywell and for an issue with the digital flags to be ironed out. The temperature was now lowering; in itself a problem for the two stroke machines in the race. Winner for the last two years; Mike Browne only made it to Quarter Bridge. At Glen Helen, it was Michael Dunlop on the MD / Crossan Honda who led the way by 0.932s from Ian Lougher on the Laycock Racing Yamaha. Lee Johnston held third on the Reed Honda. Stuart Hall, Rhys Hardisty and James Hind completed the top 6. At Ballaugh, Dunlop had increased his lead to 3.747s over Lougher. Hall had taken third from Johnston, whilst Hind had moved up to fifth. Hind had stop to make adjustments at Sulby Bridge; but he was forced to retire at the Gooseneck. At Parliament Square in Ramsey, Lougher led on the road; with Dunlop next through the right and left turns in the square. Mikey Evans was next on the little Moto 3 KTM that sounded sweet as it powered away. Dunlop led by 6.316s from Lougher; with Hall 13.727s down on Lougher. Johnston, Hardisty and Ultra Lightweight class leader Evans completed the top 6.
The first hint of a problem for Dunlop came at the Bungalow; his lead was down to 3.285s. The extent of he problem was revealed at Cronk ny Mona; he was nearly 40s slower than Lougher on the drop down the mountain to hold fifth. Lougher now led by 31.316s from Johnston who had been 2.8s faster down the mountain. With a lap at 114.1mph Lougher duly took victory; 41 years after he made his debut. His winning margin was 22.206s; with Hall 2.48s behind Johnston. Hardisty was fourth; Evans was fifth overall and first in the Ultra Lightweight; Stefano Bonetti; sixth overall and second Ultra Lightweight. Joe Yeardsley was 8th overall and third Ultra lightweight on Neil Wood’s Kawasaki. Dunlop eventually finished, with the aid of some leg power, he received a good ovation from the crowd on the Grandstand.
The final race of the meeting was the Classic Superbike Race; this was scheduled to be over 2 laps; but was reduced to one, when the mist started marching down the mountain again. There were a large number of non-starters, including Michael Dunlop, who had not managed a practice lap on the big Suzuki.
Fastest on the 9 miles to Glen Helen was Mike Browne on the booming Key Racing Ducati 916. He led past winner Rob Hodson (Greenall Kawasaki); the fastest man in practice; by 3.607s. Dom Herbertson was third on the BHR Kawasaki, 2.714s down on Hodson. Derek Sheils; Craig Neve and Brian McCormack completed the top 6. The order was the same at Ballaugh; where just 2.8s covered fourth to sixth. At Parliament Square, Browne overtook McCormack to take the lead on the road. Sheils held third, 4.41s behind Hodson. Herbertson held fourth but just 0.003s ahead of Neve. McCormack held sixth, 2.23s ahead of Michael Rutter.
Browne was rapid on the mountain climb; he led by 13.548s at the Bungalow. Hodson had an advantage of 4.408s over Sheils. Neve had displaced Herbertson from fourth; Rutter had moved to sixth following the retirement of McCormack. There was no major drama on the descent of the mountain and Browne duly took victory by 13.973s after a lap at 123.919mph; excellent given the number of wet patches and the rapidly decreasing visibility on the mountain. Hodson had 4.193s in hand over Sheils at the finish. Neve took fourth; Herbertson fifth and Ian Hutchinson sixth, after a rapid trip over the mountain eased him past Rutter. With this year’s TT and MGP behind him; he seems set for a full paced assault on the TT in 2025. Mikey Evans was best local in 8th; whilst Amalric Blanc continued his progress with a fine ninth. Stefano Bonetti brought the beautiful Bimota YB4 home in 14th; 1s ahead of the hub centre steering Flitwick YZF750 of Adam McLean; it was a real pleasure to see these machines in race action.
This year provided the most problematic meeting in the 101 years of the event. The Clerk of the Course did a superb job in managing the time that he had available to him. The shortened format seems to find little favour with anyone other than the management group. More practice time needs to be found and more flexibility for the Clerk of the Course would probably be welcomed. A major concern is that the number of spectators seemed to be well down on past years; similarly, the offering at the Grandstand was quite simply underwhelming.
