Tourist Trophy: la pioggia ferma le Superbike al TT, in azione Supersport e Lightweight

Quarta sessione di prove per l’edizione 2014 del Tourist Trophy all’Isola di Man caratterizzata nuovamente dal maltempo. Nella serata di giovedì 29 maggio la pioggia, soprattutto nel tratto della montagna, ha imposto al Clerk of the Course di sospendere le attività al “Mountain Course” per le classi Superbike e Superstock (con una speciale deroga per la Norton SG3 ufficiale condotta da Cameron Donald), consentendo la regolare disputa delle prove per le sole classi Supersport, SuperTwins (Lightweight TT) più i Sidecar. Nel poco tempo a disposizione, oltretutto inframezzato da una bandiera rossa per consentire i soccorsi medici ad un residente all’Isola di Man, Michael Dunlop si è rivelato nuovamente il più veloce al “Mountain Course” in sella alla Honda CBR 600RR iscritta dal proprio MD Racing. Reduce da una trionfale edizione alla North West 200, “Micky D” ha fermato i cronometri sul 18’10″724 a 124.530 mph di media annunciando inoltre a sorpresa il ritorno alle coperture Dunlop dopo aver firmato un contratto con un’altra azienda. Il figlio e nipote d’arte resta così uno degli attesi protagonisti del TT 2014 aspettando di rivederlo in sella alla BMW S1000RR ufficiale in vista del TT Superbike in programma sabato 31 maggio, tenendo testa nell’ordine a Dean Harrison (2° con la Yamaha R6 del Mar-Train Racing), al fratello William (terzo su TAS Suzuki), Bruce Anstey (4° su Padgett’s Honda) e Joshua Brookes, confermatosi ad alti livelli con il quinto crono assoluto in 18’33″246 a 122.011 mph di media. In piena top-10 c’è spazio anche per Conor Cummins (con una Honda del Jackson Racing) e per le due Triumph Daytona 675R ufficiali del team Smiths Triumph condotte da Michael Rutter e Gary Johnson, non per Guy Martin (11°) e John McGuinness, quest’ultimo impegnato in prove di rientro in pit lane, tra le tematiche cruciali in previsione delle gare in programma. Rientra pienamente nella top-20 il nostro Stefano Bonetti, con la propria Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R autore di un miglior riferimento cronometrico in 19’30″241 a 116.068 mph di media. Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy 2014 Monster Energy Supersport, Classifica Qualifiche giovedì 29 maggio 01- Michael Dunlop – MD Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 18’10.724 (124.530 mph) 02- Dean Harrison – Mar-Train Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 18’16.397 (123.886 mph) 03- William Dunlop – Tyco Suzuki by TAS – Suzuki GSX-R 600 – 18’24.489 (122.978 mph) 04- Bruce Anstey – Valvoline Racing by Padgett’s – Honda CBR 600RR – 18’30.706 (122.290 mph) 05- Joshua Brookes – Milwaukee Yamaha – Yamaha YZF R6 – 18’33.246 (122.011 mph) 06- Conor Cummins – W.A.Corless/Jackson Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 18’45.625 (120.669 mph) 07- Michael Rutter – Smiths Triumph – Triumph Daytona 675R – 18’46.513 (120.574 mph) 08- Gary Johnson – Smiths Triumph – Triumph Daytona 675R – 18’50.858 (120.111 mph) 09- James Hillier – Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 18’51.880 (120.002 mph) 10- Dan Stewart – SMT/Wilcock Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 18’53.209 (119.861 mph) 11- Guy Martin – Tyco Suzuki by TAS – Suzuki GSX-R 600 – 18’54.425 (119.733 mph) 12- John McGuinness – Valvoline Racing by Padgett’s – Honda CBR 600RR – 19’10.708 (118.039 mph) 13- James Cowton – F W Cowton Joiners – Honda CBR 600RR – 19’11.988 (117.907 mph) 14- Dan Kneen – Cookstown B.E. Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 19’17.942 (117.301 mph) 15- Michal Dokoupil – Motopoint Indi Racing Team – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’21.358 (116.956 mph) 16- Mark Miller – Mark Miller Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’22.068 (116.885 mph) 17- Jamie Hamilton – Wilson Craig Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 19’24.565 (116.634 mph) 18- Michael Sweeney – Tracblast Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’27.554 (116.336 mph) 19- Daniel Hegarty – Barnes Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’28.710 (116.220 mph) 20- Stefano Bonetti – Speed Motor – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 19’30.241 (116.068 mph) 21- Horst Saiger – Saiger-Racing.com – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 19’32.013 (115.893 mph) 22- Daley Mathison – Hol-Taj Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R 600 – 19’32.598 (115.835 mph) 23- James Ford – C and C Ltd – Triumph Daytona 675R – 19’32.658 (115.829 mph) 24- Alan Bonner – thepeoplesbike.com – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’33.050 (115.790 mph) 25- Daniel Cooper – Tsingtao WK HMQ – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 19’37.799 (115.324 mph) 26- Lee Johnston – Pirtek Honda – Honda CBR 600RR – 19’42.409 (114.874 mph) 27- Roger Maher – Ryan Maher Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’50.262 (114.116 mph) 28- Robert Wilson – Stoddart Racing Oban – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’58.904 (113.293 mph) 29- Colin Stephenson – C S Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’59.003 (113.284 mph) 30- Paul Owen – Team #98 – Yamaha YZF R6 – 19’59.701 (113.218 mph) 31- Eric Wilson – Mike Smith Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 20’00.522 (113.141 mph) 32- Alexander Pickett – DP Coldplaning/TCR Honda – Honda CBR 600RR – 20’02.032 (112.999 mph) 33- Stephen McKnight – McKibbin Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 20’03.231 (112.886 mph) 34- Shaun Anderson – Doones Stores – Suzuki GSX-R 600 – 20’04.975 (112.723 mph) 35- Olie Linsdell – SMV/Steve Bond – Flitwick Yamaha R6 – 20’05.628 (112.662 mph) 36- Xavier Denis – Berry Racing Bike – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 20’10.229 (112.233 mph) 37- Alan Connor – Dunshaughlin – Yamaha YZF R6 – 20’11.209 (112.142 mph) 38- Ryan Kneen – Ryan Kneen Racing – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 20’11.233 (112.140 mph) 39- David Hewson – Obsession Engineering – Yamaha YZF R6 – 20’12.645 (112.010 mph) 40- Phil Harvey – Phil Harvey Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 20’12.929 (111.983 mph) 41- Ben Wylie – Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade – Honda CBR 600RR – 20’18.077 (111.510 mph) 42- Jim Hodson – Al Gibbon – Yamaha YZF R6 – 20’18.833 (111.441 mph) 43- Richard McLoughlin – McLoughlin Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 20’20.101 (111.325 mph) 44- Christopher Dixon – Dave Milling Motorcycles Ltd – Yamaha YZF R6 – 20’23.068 (111.055 mph) 45- Sam Wilson – Collision Services/S & R Quarry Plant – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 20’23.092 (111.053 mph) 46- Juha Kallio – 777RR/HRP Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R 600 – 20’25.572 (110.828 mph) 47- Robert Barber – Econoloft – Honda CBR 600RR – 20’26.780 (110.719 mph) 48- Dominic Herbertson – Watson Builders of Prudhoe – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 20’26.872 (110.711 mph) 49- Adrian Harrison – PRS Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 20’30.941 (110.345 mph) 50- Kiaran Hankin – KH Hire – Kawasaki ZX-6R – 21’00.672 (107.743 mph) 51- James Shipley – Heywood Electrical – Yamaha YZF R6 – 21’03.338 (107.515 mph) 52- Stephen Thompson – thepeoplesbike.com – Suzuki GSX-R 600 – 21’04.941 (107.379 mph) 53- David Madsen Mygdal – Gimbert Racing – Yamaha YZF R6 – 21’09.958 (106.955 mph) 54- Paul Duckett – Paul Duckett Racing – Triumph Daytona 675R – 21’17.968 (106.284 mph) 55- Allann Venter – Top Gun Racing – Honda CBR 600RR – 21’25.844 (105.633 mph) Oltre alle Supersport, le bicilindriche 650cc 4 tempi SuperTwins iscritte al Lightweight TT hanno preso parte alle prove di giovedì 29 maggio con una doppietta KMR Kawasaki ai vertici della classifica con due road racers al rientro quest’anno al TT: Keith Amor (1° a 116.206 mph) ed il leggendario Ryan Farquhar (115.593 mph), vincitore nel 2012. Alle loro spalle un ex portacolori della compagine di “Flying Ryan” come Jamie Hamilton (con la SuperTwin motorizzata Kawasaki del Stewart Smith Racing) e la sorprendente WK Bikes/CF Moto condotta da Gary Johnson, quarta assoluta. Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy 2014 Lightweight TT, Classifica Qualifiche giovedì 29 maggio 01- Keith Amor – KMR Kawasaki/SGS International – Kawasaki 650 – 19’28.854 (116.206 mph) 02- Ryan Farquhar – KMR Kawasaki/SGS International – Kawasaki 650 – 19’35.052 (115.593 mph) 03- Jamie Hamilton – Stewart Smith Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 19’49.267 (114.212 mph) 04- Gary Johnson – WK Bikes – CF Moto 650 – 19’53.122 (113.843 mph) 05- Ivan Lintin – McKinstry Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 19’56.952 (113.478 mph) 06- Dean Harrison – RC Express Racing by MSS – Kawasaki 650 – 20’01.361 (113.062 mph) 07- Michael Russell – Track Electronics – Kawasaki 650 – 20’07.270 (112.508 mph) 08- James Cowton – Stuart Smith Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 20’14.084 (111.877 mph) 09- David Johnson – DP Coldplaning/Mick Charnock – Kawasaki 650 – 20’23.537 (111.013 mph) 10- Connor Behan – KMR Kawasaki/SGS International – Kawasaki 650 – 20’29.553 (110.469 mph) 11- Steve Mercer – CMS/Tony Morris – Kawasaki 650 – 20’35.885 (109.903 mph) 12- Tuukka Korhonen – Korhonen Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 20’38.021 (109.714 mph) 13- Martin Jessopp – VRS Performance – Kawasaki 650 – 20’38.781 (109.646 mph) 14- Neal Champion – Frasers Motorcycles – 20’40.332 (109.509 mph) 15- Rab Davie – Davie Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 20’41.945 (109.367 mph) 16- Davy Morgan – CMS Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 20’42.449 (109.323 mph) 17- Scott Wilson – Diamond H Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 20’51.338 (108.546 mph) 18- John Barton – Marks Bloom Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 20’54.427 (108.279 mph) 19- Danny Webb – KMR Kawasaki/SGS International – Kawasaki 650 – 20’54.522 (108.271 mph) 20- Michael Sweeney – Kiely Heating Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 21’00.057 (107.795 mph) 21- Adam Child – MCN/Ken Urwin Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 21’04.524 (107.414 mph) 22- James Hillier – Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki – Kawasaki 650 – 21’06.144 (107.277 mph) 23- George Spence – Shirlaws Motorcycles – Kawasaki 650 – 21’11.106 (106.858 mph) 24- Jim Hodson – RS Security – Kawasaki 650 – 21’11.696 (106.809 mph) 25- Dave Moffitt – JHS Racing – Suzuki 650 – 21’11.914 (106.790 mph) 26- Joe Faragher – Manx Gas Racing/KMR Kawasaki – Kawasaki 650 – 21’16.207 (106.431 mph) 27- Paul Shoesmith – Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade – Kawasaki 650 – 21’17.528 (106.321 mph) 28- Adrian Harrison – PRS Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 21’19.355 (106.169 mph) 29- Lee Johnston – ECC/Pirtek – Kawasaki 650 – 21’27.388 (105.507 mph) 30- Timothee Monot – martimotos.com – Kawasaki 650 – 21’30.312 (105.268 mph) 31- Bob Price – SP Electrical – Kawasaki 650 – 21’32.159 (105.117 mph) 32- Wayne Axon – TART Racing Dorset – Kawasaki 650 – 21’33.110 (105.040 mph) 33- Alan Bud Jackson – Cumbria Radiators – Kawasaki 650 – 21’36.273 (104.783 mph) 34- Allann Venter – Top Gun Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 21’37.746 (104.665 mph) 35- Mark Herbertson – Martin Harrison Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 21’42.066 (104.317 mph) 36- Andy McPherson – A.D.D. Express – Kawasaki 650 – 21’44.427 (104.128 mph) 37- Billy Cummins – Cummins Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 21’48.550 (103.800 mph) 38- Colin Stephenson – C S Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 21’49.095 (103.757 mph) 39- Graham English – Tiva Engineering Ltd – Kawasaki 650 – 21’50.520 (103.644 mph) 40- Callum Laidlaw – www.Laidlawracing.co.uk – CF Moto 650 – 22’03.172 (102.653 mph) 41- Peter Boast – Bike Magazine – Kawasaki 650 – 22’26.003 (100.912 mph) 42- James Shipley – Heywood Electrical – Kawasaki 650 – 22’30.885 (100.547 mph) 43- Mark Parrett – Mark Parrett Racing – Kawasaki 650 – 23’27.594 (96.497 mph)