The fourth practice session for the
2010 Manx Grand Prix, sponsored by visitisleofman.com,
started as scheduled at 6.20pm with the Senior, Junior,
Lightweight and Newcomers A classes getting first use
of the mountain circuit. Clerk of the Course Phi Taubman
issued a sunlight warning to the paddock with excessive
glare reported from Ballagarey to Ballacraine.
First away were Andy Brady and Wayne Kirwan in the
Junior class, leading the field out from the pit lane
in front of the grandstand. Simon Fulton continued his
good form from the previous night with a quick opening
burst and he was fastest to the first checkpoint at
Glen Helen with Michael Sweeney in hot pursuit in the
Junior Class and Ivan Lintin on his Senior machine.
Wayne Kirwan was first back to the Grandstand on the
first lap with a lap of 116.1, a time that was quickly
exceeded by Sweeney, Fulton and Lintin. Fulton clocked
the quickest time of the week on his second lap at 117.793
with Michael Sweeney also inside the previous night’s
fastest lap at 117.319.
In the Newcomers A group Manx riders Tim Venables and
Andy Fenton both opened with 110mph plus laps, with
Venables recording his fastest of the week at 112.141
while Dan Sayle comfortably clocked the fastest first
lap in the Lightweight’s with 114.603, just outside
Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle’s MGP Lightweight
lap record of 114.8 set in 1999. Fenton later recorded
the fastest newcomer A time on his second lap with 113.192.
The Classic, Post Classic, Ultra Lightweight and Newcomers
B session began on time at 7.10 with Bob Owen on the
’69 Seeley in the Senior Classic and Maria Costello
on one of the Suzuki XR 69’s in the Post Classic
first away in the session.
Olie Linsdell was again the man to watch in the Post
Classic’s on the Yamaha FZ 746 with Michael Dunlop
and Mark Buckley, both riding Suzuki XR 69’s,
following closely behind. Linsdell was quickest at each
of the five timing checkpoints around the course and
clocked the fastest first lap, timed at 113.87 ahead
of Michael Dunlop (112.022) and Mark Buckley (109.125).
MGP Rider Liaison officer Johnny Barton, on an 85 Suzuki
GSXR, was the fourth fastest in the first lap of the
practice clocking 105.409. Linsdell (114.931) and Dunlop
(114.584) both improved their times on the second lap
while Johnny Barton also went quicker with 107.808.
However Michael Dunlop stole their thunder by getting
a third lap in on the Suzuki and posting a time of 115.097.
Mark Buckley also improved his lap time with a third
lap of 110.920.
Chris Palmer, riding a 1962 AJS 7R 350cc, posted the
fastest time in the Junior Classic with 97.776mph. Mark
Parrett on a 1970 Honda K4 350, Alan Oversby (348cc
MV) and Chris McGahan (Honda 346cc) were second, third
and fourth respectively on the night.
Ulsterman Brian Mateer on a Yamaha TZB 249 led the
field in the Junior Post Classic Class with an opening
time of 105.688 with Barry Davidson (Yamaha TZB 3YL)
and Wattie Brown (Yamaha TZ 349) also clocking laps
in excess of 100mph. Mateer (107.681) and Davidson both
posted quicker times on their second laps while Chris
Palmer swapped from his AJS to a 91 Yamaha TZV Twin
250cc and clocked 106.845, the second fastest on the
night in the Junior Post Classic Class.
In the Senior Classic (500cc) Alan Oversby riding a
72 MV posted 105.222 with Roy Richardson on a 1969 Aermacchi
Ala D’Oro 476 and Mark Herbertson on a ’68
Matchless also posting 100mph laps. In the Ultra Lightweight
Practice the first five riders back – Rab Davie,
David Bell, Dave Moffitt, Mike Minns and Andy Lawson
- all posted 108mph laps which augurs well for a close
race a week on Friday while in the Newcomers B Lee Darbyshire
and Scott Campbell both posted 100mph laps.
Peter Simpson came off his machine at the 11th Milestone
but was reported as unhurt after being seen by a travelling
marshal. |
