Exciting TT Racing Weekend Unfolds
In the buildup to the prestigious TT racing events, an exciting weekend unfolded, featuring a mix of familiar faces and newcomers vying for top honors. Notably absent was Phoenix Open and Powerbike series leader George Edwards, who opted to wild card at Donington Park in BSB Stock1000, creating opportunities for the likes of Dan Nelmes, Dave Mackay, and Chris Pope to close the gap.
Phoenix Open Qualifying
The 1.5-mile circuit proved its mettle as Daniel Nelmes surged to the top with an impressive sub-1 minute lap of 58.929 on his R1 Yamaha. Local rider Lewis Jones on his BSB Supersport Kawasaki ZX6R also broke the 1-minute barrier with a 59.813, while Dave Mackay secured a front-row spot with a 1:00.051. Ricky Elder on his R6 Yamaha was not far behind, clocking a 1:00.182.
Race 1
Pole sitter Nelmes made a blistering start, pulling ahead of the pack into Hatchets and settling into a rhythm. Elder applied pressure, chasing Nelmes to break the 1-minute mark, but Nelmes maintained a comfortable gap to take the win. MacKay and Jones battled for third, with MacKay ultimately prevailing. The margin at the flag was 1.107 seconds to Nelmes over Elder, with MacKay 5.3 seconds adrift of the winner.
Race 2
A surprise 30-second rain shower prior to the race led to a frantic swap of slicks for wets, but the open nature of the track and returning sun made the full wets a questionable choice. MacKay took a gamble with intermediates and started on the front row. At the start, Nelmes and Elder took the lead, carefully navigating the damp track. Elder soon took the lead, with Nelmes slowing and eventually getting pushed back to third by MacKay as the track began to dry. Riders with no grip began to retire, their tires shredded. Elder’s times dropped, allowing Chris Pope to gain ground and move into second, finishing 6.5 seconds behind MacKay, with Elder 12 seconds behind the leader.
Race 3
MacKay made a strong start, determined to secure another win, but a mistake on lap 2 dropped him back down the pack. Nelmes took the lead, with Elder and Pope in hot pursuit. Dark horse Gary Stevens made a push for the top three, briefly holding third until MacKay recovered to pass him. Nelmes used all the R1’s power to stay ahead of Elder’s R6, the pair locked in a fierce battle to the flag, with Nelmes emerging victorious by a mere 0.296 seconds.
IMS National 600 & HM Racing Clubman 600
This category saw a battle royale between Ricky Elder and Lewis Jones, with Elder seeking to recover from a disappointing Cadwell round and Jones upholding local honor. Jones took qualifying with a 59.538, followed by Elder’s 59.752, and Will Jones’ 1:00.113.
“I’m glad to be back at the top after a tough Cadwell round,” said Elder.
In Race 1, Elder stole the start, but Jones pushed through to lead on lap 2, with surprise entry Bobby Varey on a borrowed R6 Yamaha moving up to second on lap 3. Jones controlled the race, increasing his lead to win by 4.3 seconds from Elder and Varey.
Race 2 saw Lewis Jones and his team opt to return home after qualifying, leaving the pole slot empty. Varey seized the opportunity, but Elder pulled away from the lights to establish a lead, using fast and calculated riding through back markers to maintain a gap from Varey of 4.9 seconds. Gareth Roberts finished strong in third place.
In Race 3, it was Elder’s start, but Varey led by lap 2 and held on until lap 5 when Elder retook the lead. Elder gradually built a gap, using back markers to keep Varey at bay and winning by 2.9 seconds. Michael Tustin edged out Gareth Roberts in a tight battle for third.
R E Performance Powerbike & N L Motor Services Sound of Thunder
Dan Nelmes dominated qualifying with a 59.134 pole lap, followed by Tyron Lewis’ 1:01.054 and Howard Burchnall’s 1:01.386 for Powerbike. Caleb Williams was fastest in Sound of Thunder with a 1:02.089, ahead of Chace Collymore’s 1:02.208 and Jay Able’s 1:02.943.
In Race 1, Nelmes asserted his authority, leading from the start and maintaining a gap of over 2 seconds on the first lap. He cruised to victory by 7 seconds from Lewis and Burchnall. Collymore took the SoT win from Able and Ben Broadway.
Race 2 saw Nelmes shoot off at pace, leaving the grid in his wake. Lewis faded mid-race, dropping behind Pope and Burchnell, who got the better of Pope on lap 9 for second. Nelmes took the win by almost 5 seconds, with only 0.167 separating Burchnell from Pope. Able followed Collymore home in SoT.
In Race 3, Nelmes repeated his performance, getting out of the trap quickly and running away with the win. Lewis kept him honest for the opening laps, upping the pace in the closing laps to keep it down to 4.3 seconds. Gary Stevens finished with a solid third-place performance. Collymore secured his third SoT win, ahead of Ben Varley on a Ducati and Aaron Matthews on a Triumph.
T W Suspension Mini Twins
Joe Woodward sweeped all mini twin races so far this season, notching a 200-point maximum. J C R Super Twins was led by Edward Giles, who took top scorer and leads the championship with 2 seconds and a 3rd for the weekend. Love Life & Ride Pre Injection 600 saw Tyler Smith take 2 wins and a 2nd to move to the top of the points table.
Championship Standings
The points in The Open have shifted in favor of Dave MacKay with 112, followed by George Edwards on 102, and Dan Nelmes on 101. Powerbike is now led by Daniel Nelmes with 135, ahead of George Edwards on 107 and Stuart Cooke on 75. National 600 sees Ricky Elder back on top with 152, followed by Gareth Roberts on 105 and Michael Tustin on 88. Clubman 600 is led by Harry Hinchcliffe with 123, ahead of Mike Knorr on 116 and Dave Tilling on 113.
Photo credits: Christopher Price – [email protected]
Source: Martin Bennett, Race Commentator
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