Classic TT Friday Qualifying Wrap
Riders took advantage of dry roads all round the Mountain Course for a final shakedown in the last qualifying session before tomorrow’s Bennetts 500cc Classic TT Race, the opening race of the 2015 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts.
Ahead of the session competitors were warned of sun dazzle, making a change from conditions earlier in the week, although high winds were reported at Ballacrye and up on the Mountain section.
The session got away at 6.20pm and the Patons were to the fore with Ryan Farquhar on the 1972 Team Winfield Paton topping the leaderboard with 110.006 from teammate John McGuinness (109.090) with Ian Lougher riding the Giovanni Cabassi /Flitwick Motorcycles Paton third fastest (108.043) in the class on the night.
However, there was a war of attrition further down the field with a number of high profile retirements including Gary Johnson on the John Chapman Racing MV. CSC Racing Honda teammates Conor Cummins, who was reported to have smoke coming from his machine at Glen Helen and James Hillier both failed to complete a lap. Lee Johnston riding the Black Eagle Racing MV was also a retirement on the opening lap but teammate Dean Harrison enjoyed better fortunes and posted the fourth fastest 500cc lap of the night with 107.545.
Harrison continued his good form in the F1 class, which got underway shortly before 7.30pm, on the Steelcote Solutions Kawasaki ZXR 750. The Yorkshire rider posted the fastest lap of the night with 122.767, marginally outside Dunlop’s time from Thursday’s session, laying down the gauntlet to Northern Ireland rider on the Team Classic Suzuki GSXR whose fastest of the evening – 121.491 – placed him second in the session.
Australian Dave Johnson on the Team York Suzuki GSXR posted a pair of fast laps with his second – 120.845 – putting him third on the evening’s F1 times with Bruce Anstey on the Yamaha YZR 500 posting his most competitive lap (120.306) of the week to ignite the anticipation for Monday’s Motorsport Merchandise race. Further down the field William Dunlop posted a popular 114.048 on the Rotary Norton, fresh from the National Motor Cycle Museum showroom but pulled in on Bray Hill on his second lap.
In the F2 Class, last year’s race winner Ian Lougher, on the Laylaw Racing Yamaha, again showed that he will be the man to beat in Monday’s F2 Race, posting the quickest lap of 109.381 from nearest challenger Ryan Kneen, who was timed at 109.176.
Pictured are Ryan Farquhar (9), Dean Harrison (11) and William Dunlop (6).
Saturday’s schedule begins with a Qualifying session for 350cc’s and F1/F2 machines at 11.45 before the VMCC parade at 12.50. The Bennetts 500cc race is scheduled for 2.30pm with the Norton the Rotary Years sponsored by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company due away at 6.15pm
