Steve
Plater takes thrilling PokerStars Senior TT race and
Joey Dunlop Championship Trophy
- McGuinness
breaks lap record but later retires from race with a
broken chain
Steve Plater took a highly dramatic Senior TT race
today, taking control after early race leader John McGuinness
was forced out on the fourth lap with a broken chain.
The Morecambe rider had smashed his four-day old outright
lap record with a second lap speed of 131.578mph, the
fastest ever lap seen on the Mountain Circuit, and appeared
to have the race in the bag until he stopped at Cruickshanks.
Plater, second throughout having also broken the 130mph
barrier, took over and came home 19.54seconds ahead
of Manxman Conor Cummins, the third rider to officially
lap at more than 130mph, with Gary Johnson taking his
first podium in third.
The race was delayed half an hour due to slight rain
in the Alpine Cottage area but at 1.30pm the race got
underway and it was McGuinness on his HM Plant Honda
who stormed in to an early lead. Two seconds up at Glen
Helen he stretched his advantage throughout the lap
and with a new outright lap record of 130.953mph he
led Plater, who was also inside the old lap record,
by 3.68seconds. Cummins was in third followed by Ian
Hutchinson, Bruce Anstey and Guy Martin, the last named
having ignition problems before the start.
On lap 2, McGuinness was keen to pull away from his
team-mate and he did just that with a sensational lap
of 131.578mph, quicker even than Cameron Donald’s
practice lap. It meant he was now 14.67seconds ahead
of Plater with Cummins maintaining station in third.
Hutchinson was still in fourth but Johnson was now up
to fifth ahead of Martin whilst Anstey’s miserable
week continued when he stopped at the 33rd milestone
with a smoking engine.
At half race distance, McGuinness was almost 20 seconds
clear but there was drama on the fourth lap when he
was late arriving at Ramsey Hairpin. Plater swept through
to take the lead and the news came through that McGuinness
was out at Cruickshanks with a broken chain. That was
just the start of the drama though as first Martin and
then Keith Amor were both forced out at the second refuelling
stop, the former also with a snapped chain and the latter
with a rear spindle that refused to go in.
Plater now led from Cummins, who lapped at 130.225mph
on his fourth lap, and Hutchinson but there was even
more dramatic news to follow as Tuesday’s double
race winner crashed at Quarter Bridge, not only losing
third but also the £10,000 first prize and Joey
Dunlop Trophy that he was scheduled to win for the overall
championship.
Fellow Honda man Plater had no such problems though
and he was able to push home for his second TT win and,
with Hutchinson’s demise, he also collected the
overall award. Cummins became the first Manxman to stand
on a Senior TT race podium since Gary Carswell in 2004,
whilst Johnson gave team boss Uel Duncan the perfect
birthday present with third.
With a whole list of retirements, that saw just four
riders from the top ten finish, Irishman Adrian Archibald
moved up the order to fourth, winning the inaugural
Martin Finnegan Trophy in the process, whilst privateer
Carl Rennie rounded off a great week with his best ever
TT result in fifth.
Dan Stewart did likewise in sixth with Michael Rutter,
getting his best result of the week, in seventh ahead
of John Burrows, James Hillier and Ian Mackman, all
three posting personal best results.
Luis Carreira was the best of the newcomers in 18th
whilst Jenny Tinmouth lapped faster than on Tuesday
to further strengthen her new tag as the fastest female
ever at the TT but there was disappointment for American
ace Mark Miller who was lying in a superb 10th place
when he broke down at Quarter Bridge on the fifth lap.
The race also ended abruptly for the riders towards
the back of the field as they were flagged off at the
end of their fifth lap due to rain again falling on
the west part of the circuit.
John Crellin, 58, was killed in an accident at the
mountain box during the Senior TT race. John, 58, was
an experienced TT competitor who has competed in a number
of TT races and Manx Grand Prix events. The Department
of Tourism and Leisure and ACU events Ltd extend their
deepest sympathy to John's family.
Joey Dunlop Trophy –
final standings
1 Steve Plater – 84pts
2 Ian Hutchinson – 74pts
3 Guy Martin – 56pts
4 John McGuinness – 52pts
5 Conor Cummins – 52pts
6 Gary Johnson – 50pts
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