The third running of the Ian
Watson Spring Cup National Road Races at Oliver’s
Mount had two additional honours attached to the meeting.
Firstly the event was the first ‘pure’ road
race of the year and the races were the opening round
of the 2009 Duke Road Race Rankings Series.
The fact that grids were full for all of the fifteen
races and the cream of the road racing contingent of
the British Isles and Eire were present showed that
despite the recession road racing ‘between the
hedges’ was as popular as ever.
As is usual practice with the organising Auto 66 Club,
the proceedings got under way in overcast conditions
at the scheduled time of 8.30am with untimed practice,
initially for Newcomers to the 2.43-mile public road
course, followed by sessions for all the other classes.
Qualifying sessions commenced 10.00am and after a short
lunch break to allow marshals, medics and officials
to get a bite to eat the ‘real’ action got
underway at 12.30pm with the first of the 15 races,
a six lap, first leg race for non-qualifiers in the
600cc class.
With the sun trying its best to break through the cloud,
Gary Graves got the hole-shot into Mere Hairpin with
Ross Johnson and Scott Wilson close behind. At the end
of the lap it was Scott Wilson leading the train of
Gary Graves, Ross Johnson Neil Vickers Paul Owen and
Ian Whitlow completing the top six. Johnson moved into
second spot after another lap, as the remaining places
unchanged. At half distance Neil Vickers had moved into
the third place demoting Gary Graves to fourth. Ross
Johnson moved into the lead on the fourth lap, as Paul
Owen slotted into third. Neil Vickers completed the
fourth lap in fourth place, but pulled into the pits
with machine problems. The end of the penultimate lap
saw Johnson 1.707 seconds ahead of Scott Wilson with
Paul Owen a further 6 seconds adrift. At the flag Ross
Johnson took the win by 1.708 seconds from Scott Wilson
and Paul Owen, as Gary Graves, Ian Whitlow and Gareth
Costello completed the top six.
Sidecars were next up for their first six lap race,
as the sun finally broke through. Dave Wallis and Steve
Wareham had been quickest in qualifying. At the end
of the opening lap it was a three-way dice between Greg
Lambert 0.279 of a second ahead of Conrad Harrison with
Wallis third held a second down in third.
Harrison got to the front during the second lap and
had pulled out 3/10th of a second as they started their
half distance lap. At the end of the third lap Harrison
was still in front, but it was Wallis now in second
with Lambert dropping to third half a second down on
Wallis, who was 2.441 second adrift of the leading outfit.
Conrad Harrison stopped at Mountside on the fourth lap,
letting Wallis/Wareham into the lead, Lambert/Kinsella
second 7/10ths down with Tony Thirkell/Nigel Barlow
now third 7.5 seconds down on the men in front. Positions
were the same on the fifth circuit with the lead now
6.790 seconds, as Lambert lost his passenger going up
Sheene’s Rise! At the chequered flag it was Dave
Wallis and Steve Wareham from Tony Thirkell and Nigel
Barlow with Dean Lindley and Mark Sayers third. The
winning margin was 13.205 seconds.
Next up was the first of the two four-lap heats for
the Ian Watson Spring Cup. Guy Martin was in pole with
Ryan Farquhar alongside him. Duke Rankings Title holder
Farquhar got the hole-shot with Dave Hewson tight behind
and Martin third. Martin was ahead by half way round
on the first lap, with Farquhar second as Daniel Frear.
Lap two and Ryan was back in front with Frear second,
Keith Pringle third as Guy Martin slid off the Hydrex
Honda, without injury and retired. Lap three and Pringle
was now second as Dave Woolams moved into sixth place.
At the flag it was Farquhar, 1.836 seconds ahead of
Pringle and Frear third, followed by Richard Gibson,
Dave Hewson and Dave Woolams, with newcomer Damien Mulleady
seventh.
Heat two, with Mick Goodings in pole, but it was Michael
Pearson got the hole-shot. And it was Pearson who led
at the end of the lap followed by Kiaran Hankin, Ian
Lougher, Steve Mercer Mick Goodings and Ivan Shanley
completing the top six. Hankin took over at the front
on lap two, while a lap later it was Pearson, Lougher
and Hankin all covered by just over one second. At the
flag it was Lougher, 0.311 of a second ahead of Hankin
with Pearson third. Steve Mercer, Mick Goodings and
Ian Armstrong completed the top six.
Race five, the first eight lap leg for 125cc and 400cc
machines saw Ian Lougher get the hole-shot with arch-rival
Chris Palmer right behind. At the end of the lap it
was the same order with the lead just 0.446 of a second.
Peter Wakefield was third, with William Dunlop fourth,
Kiaran Hankin fifth and Andrew Neill sixth. Daniel Frear
moved through the field and by lap five he was into
third, as the two veterans battled up front with Palmer
taking over the lead on the sixth lap with positions
remaining the same at the conclusion of the penultimate
lap. At the flag it was Lougher 8/10th of a second in
front of Palmer with Frear taking the final podium place.
The first leg for the 600’s were next, also over
eight laps. Michael Pearson got the hole-shot, followed
by Lougher. Pearson was still in front at the end of
the opening lap, but to no avail as the race was red
flagged during the second lap when Mick Goodings dropped
the plot, without injury. At the re-start, over six
laps, Daniel Frear got the run into Mere Hairpin, and
Frear maintained the advantage of 0.137 of a second
at the end of the first 2.43 miles, with Pearson second
and Farquhar third. Lougher, Hankin and Palmer were
next followed by new boy Mulleady. A lap later it was
Farquhar, Pearson, Lougher, Frear, Hankin and Mulleady.
The race was once again red flagged on the third lap
after an incident at Mountside involving Ryan and Ian-
both OK. A result was declared at lap 2.
Race seven saw the sidecar out for their second leg
race, again over six laps. Thirkell Barlow took the
first hairpin in front, but it was leg one winners Wallis
and Wareham who were leading the pack at the end of
the lap. Harrison and Patterson moved to second on the
second circuit. Wallis and Wareham retied at Mountside
with machine problems on the third lap handing the lead
to Harrison and Patterson, with Thirkell and Barlow
second and Nicholas Duke/Mike Aylott slot into third,
with placings remaining the same on the fourth lap.
Positions remained the same at the end of the penultimate
lap and also at the chequered cloth, the winner’s
advantage 14.922 seconds.
Race eight saw the first outing for the quarter-litre
class and ‘Mini-Twins’ over eight laps.
William Dunlop, Chris Palmer, Ian Lougher and Lee Vernon
made up the front row. Lougher got a flyer from Palmer
and Dunlop and at the end of the opening lap, the Welshman
had opened up a 3.660 seconds gap on Vernon with Palmer
third. Bell was the first of the Mini-Twins. Lap two
and Palmer had taken second place, although the leading
gap had extended to 4.144 seconds. Vernon remained third,
Phil Harvey fourth, Derek Clark fifth and Olie Linsdell
sixth. Positions were the same a lap later, with the
gap extending slightly to 4.311 seconds. Farquhar was
heading the Mini-Twins from David Bell and Ian Pattinson.
Lougher added a further half second to his advantage
on the half-distance lap. By the end of the fifth lap
the gap between the two veterans of two-stroke racing
was up to 6.382 seconds, a lap later it was 8.351 second.
Dunlop was piling on the coals and was up to fifth and
lapping at 76.144mph, the fastest of the race. On the
penultimate lap the lead was now over 9 seconds with
William going faster still at 1m 54.627s = 76.317mph
At the cloth it was Lougher, Palmer, Vernon, Harvey,
Dunlop and Linsdell. The Twins were headed by Farquhar,
Bell, and Pattinson.
Race Nine was the first leg of the Ian Watson Spring
Cup also over eight laps. The front row consisted of
Ryan Farquhar, Ian Lougher, Kiaran Hankin and Michael
Pearson. Guy Martin fluffed his start, and it was Farquhar
from Pearson, Hankin, Frear, Pringle and Gibson in the
top six. Lougher came in to the Paddock at the end of
the opening lap to retire. Martin was up to eighth.
Lap two and still Farquhar from Pearson the gap was
down to 0.340 from 0.360 of a second. Hankin was holding
third. Next time round the gap had increased to half
a second. Martin was up to fifth. Half-distance the
gap had increased to 0.723 of a second with Martin up
to fourth, and then the red flags came out again and
a result declared at the end of the fourth lap. Mick
Goodings was off and became one of the walking wounded.
Race 10, the second leg for 125cc and 400cc machines
was cut from eight to six laps. Chris Palmer was leading
the bunch at the end of the first of the six laps, with
Wayne Hamilton second and Kiaran Hankin third. Next
time round Palmer was enjoying a 5.564 second advantage
over ex-motocrosser Hamilton.
Half distance saw Daniel Frear move into fourth overall,
but top 400, with no change to the leading three 125’s.
Frear was up to second at the end of the fourth lap
and Hankin up to second in the smaller class.
Wayne Hamilton retired on the penultimate lap, bring
Peter Wakefield into the third podium spot. At the flag
it was Palmer for the 125cc class although second across
the line behind the 400cc winner Daniel Frear.
Race 11 the second 600cc, and it was Daniel Frear who
led from the start with Damien Mulleady who was chasing
hard, with Michael Pearson a close third. Hankin, Gibson
and Hewson completed the sixth. Next time round it was
Pearson in front, with Frear, Hankin, Gibson Hewson
and Mulleady completing the top six. Lap three, half
distance, Placings had settled down but the lead was
shrinking to 0.501 of a second between Pearson and Frear.
Lap four, and the gap was down to 0.379 of a second,
with Mulleady moving to fifth. A lap later, and the
gap was closer ay 0.260 of a second, with no changes
to positions, so all attention was centred on the chequered
linen which went to Michael Pearson by 0.263 of a second
from Daniel Frear with Richard Gibson snatching third
from Kiaran Hankin with Dave Hewson fifth and Damien
Mulleady sixth.
Race 12, the second running of the 250’s and
Mini-Twins over six laps saw William Dunlop in pole
position.At the conclusion of the opening lap of six,
Chris Palmer headed a speeding freight train of Phil
Harvey, William Dunlop, followed by Lee Vernon, Olie
Linsdell and Derek Clarke. Ryan Farquhar leads the Mini-Twins
from David Bell and Ian Pattinson. Lap two of six and
Palmer was enjoying a 6.4 second lead, as positions
remained static. At half-distance, William was up to
second, demoting Harvey to third, as Palmer’s
lead was cut to 6.150 seconds. Pete Wakefield retired
to the paddock. Lap four, and positions remained the
same, with the lead extending slightly to 6.758 seconds
On the penultimate lap, Palmer had a lead of 15.438
seconds not over Dunlop, who had slid off at the Esses
- OK, but Phil Harvey from Lee Vernon, Olie Linsdell,
Derek Clarke and Dave Guiney. Positions remained the
same on the Mini-Twins. Chris Palmer took the chequered
flag some 17.414 seconds ahead of Lee Vernon from Phil
Harvey. David Bell snatched victory from Ryan Farquhar
just prior to the finish line.
The second leg of the Ian Watson Spring Cup was the
penultimate race of the days programme. Leg one winner,
Ryan Farquhar got the hole-shot, from Pearson and Hankin.
At the end of the opening lap it was Farquhar from Pearson
and Guy Martin, one second covering the first three.
Pearson took the lead on lap two from Farquhar and Martin,
then a lap later Martin was in the lead by 0.986 of
a second from Pearson, with Farquhar still third. Half
distance, and positions remained the same with the lead
extended to 1.782 seconds. Lap six and Farquhar and
pulled back into second only 0.258 of a second behind
Martin. The positions remained the same at the end of
the penultimate lap, with the lead marginally extended
to 0.292 of a second and at the linen it was Guy Martin
from Ryan Farquhar, with Michael Pearson moving into
third on the final section of the course from Kiaran
Hankin, Daniel Frear and Richard Gibson.
Ryan Farquhar lifted the Ian Watson Spring Cup for
the second year running.
The final race on the programme, the second non qualifiers
over six laps was a start to finish victory for Jules
Croft with Scott Wilson second and David Bell third.
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