Fine but overcast conditions greeted
officials and competitors at Oliver’s Mount as
practice got underway promptly at 9.30am at the start
of the two-day Barry Sheene Classic Road Race Festival
meeting. Practice completed and lunch taken it was time
for past Grands Prix riders Mick Grant and Jim Redman
to set the afternoons Parade Laps off.
The first of the days twelve races, the opening leg
of the 350cc Classic Syd Barnett Trophy race over six
laps, saw Ryan Farquhar in pole position on the K4 Honda,
although it was Paul Coward on another K4 who got the
hole-shot as Farquhar was third into Mere Hairpin. However,
by the end of the opening lap it was number 77 who headed
the field with Paul Coward half a second down, with
Bob Price third. Doug Snow had moved into third after
a further circuit. By half distance Farquhar had opened
the gap to 2.488 seconds from Paul Coward, while Grant
Sellars troubled the lap scorers moving into fifth place.
By the end of the fifth lap Coward had reeled in Farquhar
by half a second, as Snow maintained his third place
some 30 seconds adrift of the leading pair. At the all
important chequered flag only 0.787 seconds separated
Farquhar and Coward with the latter setting the fastest
lap of the race. Bob Price passed Doug Snow to take
third.
Race two was the first leg for 600cc modern machines,
this time over eight laps. Farquhar was once again in
pole position and maintained his advantage into Mere
Hairpin when the lights went out. At the end of the
lap he held a 1.13 seconds advantage over Richard Gibson,
increasing the gap to 3.291 second at the end of the
second circuit. Keith Pringle was holding onto third
spot from Jukes Croft and Mick Goodings. By half distance
the difference between the leading duo was 6.169 seconds,
as Michael Russell moved ahead of Mick Goodings to take
fifth place. Positions remained the same for the final
four laps as the ‘flyin’ Ryan’ took
his 27th victory at Oliver’s Mount by 15.464 second
from Richard Gibson with Keith Pringle third a further
seven seconds down.
Next up was the opening leg of the 500cc Classic Denis
Parkinson Trophy an eight lapper, which saw Olie Linsdell
take the hole shot, closely followed by that man Farquhar.
At the end of the lap it was Farquhar and Linsdell on
the Paton’s followed by Paul Coward on the Honda
Drixton. A lap later and the Dungannon man had opened
up a gap of 5 seconds over the rival Paton of Linsdell,
with Coward almost a second down in third. The lap scorers
weren’t troubled on laps 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 as the
lead remained around the five seconds, then increased
on the penultimate lap to 6.391 seconds and finally
stopped at 4.805 seconds at the chequered cloth, with
Paul Coward third.
After a brief break, whilst a number of European Classic
machines and their riders paraded around the 2.43-mile
hill side circuit, it was time for the first leg of
the 1000cc National class for modern machines, with
Richard Gibson in pole. It was Farquhar on his 600 KMR
machine who got the hole shot into Mere Hairpin, holding
the lead through to the end of the opening lap of eight
from Keith Pringle (1000cc Yamaha) and Richard Gibson
(600cc Yamaha). By the end of the second lap the lead
was up to 3.814 seconds, as Mick Gurnhill moved into
fifth place. Lap three saw Michael Russell move into
sixth place and was chasing fifth placeman Mick Gurnhill,
as race leader Farquhar continued to increase his advantage
over Pringle to 4.2 seconds, increasing it to 4.585
seconds on the half distance lap. At two-thirds distance
places were static as Farquhar eased the pace a little
keeping a 4.656 second cushion between himself and Pringle,
with Gibson maintaining station in third. At the flag
it was Farquhar, by 5.625 seconds from Pringle with
Gibson third another 11 seconds down.
Race five for Classic Superbikes and the first leg
of the Geoff Barry Trophy. Gary Thwaites got the hole
shot, and held the lead at the end of the opening lap
with Paul Coward second, John MacFarlane third with
Ryan Farquhar fourth six seconds down on the leader
who was enjoying a 4.640 second advantage. Farquhar
was up to second at the end of the second lap 5.499
seconds adrift of Thwaites, with Coward now third. Paul
Coward was forced out on the third lap with machine
trouble, letting MacFarlane into third spot. Meanwhile
Farquhar and shortened the gap to 2.413 seconds. At
half distance the lead was down to less than half a
second, 0.436 of a second, and a lap later Farquhar
was leading having turned a half second deficit into
a 1.605 second advantage. At two-thirds race distance
the lead was up to 4.155 seconds with two laps to go,
as placings remained static. At the end of the penultimate
lap the lead had been upped to almost six and a half
seconds. Ryan came home to take his fourth race victory
of four races by 8.539 seconds from Gary Thwaites, with
John MacFarlane third another 14 seconds down.
Race six, another opening leg, this time for National
400 modern machines for solos up to 400cc and Mini Twins.
David Bell had pole, but it was Mick Goodings who got
the hole-shot into Mere at the charge into the first
hair-pin. Bell had got back into the front at the end
of the lap with Lee Vernon second and Goodings back
in third, just 2.4 seconds separating the first three.
No changes in position at the end of the second of the
eight laps, but Vernon had reduced the gap to 1.439
seconds over leader Bell. The advantage was reduced
even further during the third lap, down to 0.719 of
a second, with Goodings five seconds down. At half way
the gap was only 0.675 of a second – could Vernon
turn the tables with fours laps remaining? The answer
was yes, as on lap five the disadvantage was turned
into an advantage of nearly one second (0.928 of a second)
as Vernon set the fastest lap of the race. Lap six saw
the lead increase to 4.782 seconds, with placings unaltered.
Lap seven and the gap was up to 10.173 seconds and at
the chequered flag it was Vernon, who will turn 21 next
week, from Bell with Mick Goodings third. The lead was
16.328 seconds.
Race seven, the first leg for Classic 350 machines
for the Red Rose Trophy, over six laps, had Ryan Farquhar
in pole position, however it Was Paul Coward who took
the hole-shot, with the Ulsterman close behind into
Mere Hairpin. Coward still led at the end of the opening
lap by three-tenths of a second with Doug Snow third.
Lap two and it was business as usual with a half second
lead over his Honda K4 mounted rival, with Snow still
third, with Grant Sellars moving into sixth place. Lap
three and Coward was back in front, by 0.162 of a second.
On the fourth lap, positions were reversed with Ryan
enjoying a 0.480 of a second lead this time round. The
penultimate lap had Ryan still leading, now by 0.906
of a second, as back markers came into play. Paul Coward
retired on the sixth lap with machine problems, as Ryan
claimed his sixth victory of the day, with Doug Snow
now second and Bob Price third.
Race eight was the second leg of the National 600’s,
once again Farquhar was in pole and achieved the hole-shot
when the lights went out, leading at the end of the
opening lap of six. Richard Gibson was second followed
by Jules Croft. By lap two the lead was 3.215 seconds,
with positions remaining the same. Lap three and the
lead increased to 5.852 seconds, despite slowing his
lap speed. Ryan added another two seconds to his lead
on the fourth lap and on the penultimate lap the race
leader slowed and reduced his advantage to 7 seconds.
At the flag it was Farquhar from Gibson by 8.533 seconds
with Jules Croft third.
Classic 500’s were next; yet again Farquhar was
first into Mere Hairpin from Gary Thwaites. At the end
of the opening lap it was the pair of Paton’s
first and second, Farquhar and Linsdell, 1.822 seconds
between them, with Phil Sharp third. Lap two and the
lead was up to 2.939 seconds as the three Italian classics,
two Paton’s and the MV3, looked and sounded magnificent
as they went through the start-finish on full chat.
Lap three and the gap was slightly less as Olie lapped
a fraction quicker than Ryan. Lap four and the gap was
under two seconds as the positions remained unchanged
– Farquhar, Linsdell and Sharp. Lap five, no change,
with both the Paton’s lapping in under two minutes.
Olie Linsdell breaking Bob Heath’s lap record
from 1996! The youngster lowering the record again on
the sixth lap. Lap seven and the gap between the first
and second places suddenly widened to 5.5 seconds, as
they began to overtake the back markers. Ryan Farquhar
took the chequered flag from Olie Linsdell, with Phil
Sharp on the MV third over one minute adrift of the
twins.
Race ten, for 400’s and Mini Twins – Lee
Vernon was in pole, although it was Mike Minns who got
the advantage into Mere Hairpin. David Bell led at the
end of the first lap, but a lap later it was first leg
winner Vernon who headed the field by 0.832 of a second,
with early leader Minns in third. Lee increased the
advantage to one and a half seconds on the third lap.
At half distance, Vernon’s lead was up to two
and a half seconds, with no change in the top ten positions.
Lap five and the gap was just short of six seconds between
first and second with third man Minns a further 17 seconds
down. Last lap and Lee Vernon took his second win of
the day from David Bell by 13.318 seconds with Mike
Minns third.
The second leg of the Geoff Barry Trophy for Classic
Superbikes saw Ryan Farquhar lead from the off, with
Gary Thwaites and John MacFarlane second and third after
the opening lap. By the third lap the leader’s
advantage was 7.407 seconds, with Olie Linsdell moving
into fourth place. Positions remained unchanged on the
fourth lap, and by the end of the fifth circuit Farquhar’s
lead over Thwaites was up to 9.459 seconds. At the chequered
flag it was Ryan’s ninth win of the day.
The final race of the day, leg two of the 1000cc class
for modern machines, and Mr Farquhar was in pole position
for the six lap race and took the hole-shot. At the
end of the lap it was Farquhar, Pringle, Gibson, Mick
Goodings, Percival and Croft, with the leader enjoying
a 0.852 of a second lead.
Words:
Phil Edge
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