22/08/2024
LOUGHER LEADS THE LIGHTWEIGHT CLASS
After three days of inactivity, qualifying for the 2024 Manx Grand Prix resumed on Thursday afternoon and despite damp patches around the Mountain Course, Ian Lougher lead the Lightweights (114.317mph, Lightweight), however it was Mike Browne (Key Racing Ducati) that set the fastest lap of the day with a speed of 123.225mph seeing him top the Classic Superbike leaderboard.
In the other classes Daniel Ingham (Senior, 116.997mph), Maurizio Bottalico (Junior, 113.245mph, Shaun Anderson (Classic Senior, 109.694mph) and Jamie Coward (Classic Junior, 103.585mph) were fastest.
The session commenced with the Lightweight, Classic Senior and Classic Junior classes first away at 1.20pm with Jamie Coward (Classic Senior), Ian Lougher (Lightweight), John McGuinness (Classic Senior), James Hind (Lightweight), Mike Browne (Classic Senior), Adam McLean (Classic Senior) and the Lightweight machines of Lee Johnston, Stuart Hall, Chris Moore and Michael Dunlop the first riders away.
Lougher (Laycock Racing Yamaha) set the pace all around the lap and he was first to pass the start line with a speed of 113.230mph. That put him quickest on the leaderboard ahead of Hall (Whippet Racing Yamaha, 109.975mph) and Gareth Arnold (Jenarracing Yamaha, 107.300mph).
Joe Yeardsley (Neil Wood Painting and Decorating Kawasaki) was the quickest 400cc machine at 105.737mph with fellow Manxman Michael Evans slightly slower on the Faraldo Racing Honda at 105.243mph. Johnston had to stop at Quarter Bridge but got going again to post a speed of 103.360mph but neither Hind nor Dunlop completed their laps stopping at Glen Lough and the Bottom of Barregarrow, respectively.
Browne (Eureka Racing Norton) topped the Classic Senior times on the opening lap with a speed of 107.260mph and that put him ahead of the Patons of Shaun Anderson (105.857mph) and McGuinness (105.345mph), Coward (Craven Classic Norton, 104.421mph), McLean (Flitwick Motorcycles Royal Enfield, 104.217mph). Paul Jordan was quickest in the Classic Junior class with a lap of 99.377mph on the Davies Motorsport Honda.
Second time around and Lougher upped his pace to 114.317mph, which made him the quickest Lightweight rider of the week so far, with Hall (110.872mph), Arnold (109.577mph), Yeardsley (108.799mph) and Johnston (Reed Racing Honda, 106.383mph) also going quicker. Hall then put in a third lap, improving again to 111.338mph whilst a late lap of 111.280mph by Rhys Hardisty elevated him to third.
The Classic Senior class followed a similar pattern with Anderson (109.694mph) going to the top of the leaderboard with Michael Russell (Izzard Racing Norton, 105.275mph) and Will Loder (MRE Seeley, 100.960mph) also improving. Jordan jumped on his Classic Senior Yamaha, lapping at 104.092mph and with Coward going out on the Craven Classic Racing Honda, he comfortably took over as quickest in the Classic Junior class with a lap of 103.585mph.
At 2.45pm, it was the turn of the Classic Superbike, Senior and Junior session with the former, understandably, setting the pace throughout the opening lap. Yeardsley (Mistral Racing Kawasaki) was first to complete the lap at 119.490mph and that put him second quickest as Browne was comfortably quicker at 121.965mph.
They were followed by Ian Hutchinson (Steadplan Kawasaki, 118.825mph), the Greenall Kawasaki pairing of Brian McCormack (118.749mph) and Derek Sheils (118.636mph) and Julian Trummer (TC Racing/DP Coldplaning Kawasaki, 117.604mph).
The second lap saw speeds increase throughout with Browne again leading the way at an impressive 123.225mph which put him ahead of David Johnson (Mistral Racing Kawasaki, 122.057mph), Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales Suzuki, 120.628mph), McCormack (120.531mph), Trummer (120.272mph) and Sheils (120.202mph).
Hutchinson and McCormack improved on their third laps to 121.035mph and 120.582mph which saw them move up the leaderboard to fourth and sixth respectively, but it was James Hind who was second overall after a strong lap of 122.519mph on the WizRacing Norton.
In the Senior class it was again Dan Ingham (Castings Technology Yamaha) who led the way initially at 115.630mph followed by Maurizio Bottalico (Motozoo MeAir Kawasaki, 113.657mph), Michael Gahan (Newline Elite Group Yamaha, 112.083mph), Julien Cregniot (Team ILR Yamaha, 111.385mph) and Gerald Dath (Dath Road Race Yamaha, 110.975mph).
As the session wore on, all riders improved with Ingham (116.997mph) remaining quickest ahead of Bottalico (114.902mph), Gahan (113.676mph), Daniel Forbes (113.457mph), Cregniot (113.127mph) and Dan Sayle (112.331mph). Scottish rider Johnny Stewart was the quickest newcomer at 110.635mph.
In the Junior class, one of the pre-event favourites Andrea Majola (VAS Engine Racing Paton) was quickest early on at 112.983mph but he was pushed back to second by fellow Italian and expected front runner Bottalico who lapped at 113.245mph. However, Majola responded on his third lap with a speed of 114.100mph and they were followed by Liam Chawke (109.988mph), Cregniot (109.037mph), Eoin O’Siochru (108.151mph) and Jason Corcoran (107.841mph).
WORDS: PHIL WAIN
