The story for the 2017 Isle of Man TT might be the weather, as another day of competition has scraped because of heavy rain.
So after consulting with the Meteorological Office, Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson made the decision that no racing or qualifiers will take place today, due to continued bad weather.
With us now towards the end of the TT fortnight, this means some tough decisions for the TT organizers in order to keep as much racing and qualifying sessions on the docket as possible.
Something had to give though, so the Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2 has been canceled.
Guy Martin is lucky to still be with us, after a frightful off during the Superbike TT on Sunday. Finding “a box full of neutrals” as he sped through Doran’s Bend, just ahead of the Glen Helen timing point.
The result of that technical failure was captured by on-board footage, which saw Martin crashing and thankfully coming away from the incident relatively unscathed physically.
The crash has clearly shaken Guy Martin though, as he sat out the following day’s Supersport TT Race 1 as well as today’s Superstock TT race.
What is between the ears is the most important part of a racer, and after a technical failure lead to John McGuinness crashing at the North West 200, along with this incident with Martin’s gearbox, one can sure begin to wonder about Martin’s confidence in the Honda CBR1000RR SP2 race bike.
You can watch his video interview with Craig Doyle, after the jump, and see for yourself how shaken Guy is over the incident. Coming back to road racing, after a year’s hiatus, one has to wonder if Martin will take to the course again this TT fortnight. Time will tell…something Martin himself notes in the video.
Wednesday’s second race for the day saw the small bikes of the Bennetts Lightweight TT take to the Mountain Course for the 2017 Isle of Man TT.
The four-lap race saw Michael Rutter finish on the top step of the podium, giving Italian marque Paton its first manufacturer win ever at the Isle of Man TT. In the process of that victory (Rutter’s fifth total), Rutter set a new Lightweight TT record, posting a 118.645 mph lap.
Rutter lead the entire race, from the starter’s flag to the checkered flag, with Martin Jessopp finishing second, and Peter Hickman finishing third.
With another fatality today at the 2017 Isle of Man TT, we regret to report that Alan Bonner, from County Meath in Ireland, died during today’s qualifying session for the Senior TT, in an incident at the 33rd Milestone.
The 33-year-old made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2014, and quickly found pace on the Mountain Course. As such the next year, he had his highest finish ever, with an impressive 15th place in the 2015 Senior TT.
Again with a heavy heart, we are sad to report another fatality at the 2017 Isle of Man TT, as The Netherland’s Jochem van den Hoek died today, during the Superstock TT race.
According to the ACU, Jochem had an accident at the 11th Milestone, during the first lap of the race, where the 28-year-old was then treated at the scene.
Wednesday saw a full schedule of racing slated, with the 2017 Isle of Man TT looking to catch up on a week that had been plagued with adverse weather. First up, was the RL360 Quantum Superstock TT, where competitors race 1,000cc machines in near-stock form.
Just because there was racing, doesn’t mean that the weather was perfect though, with riders advised that there were cross winds at Crosby Hill, along with damp patches at Ginger Hall, the Ramsey Hairpin, and Hillberry.
We are sad to report that the 2017 Isle of Man TT has claimed its first fatality, as Davey Lambert of Gateshead, England passed away this evening, after sustaining injuries during the Superbike TT race on June 4th.
Lambert crashed near Greeba Castle, during the third lap of the Superbike TT, and was treated at the scene before being flown by helicopter to Noble’s Hospital on the Isle of Man. He was later transferred to Aintree Hospital in Liverpool, where he then passed away.
The Isle of Man TT is one of the most iconic motorcycle races on the planet, and part of the allure that comes with the TT is the great spectacle and danger that comes from road racing on tiny city streets.
It is a high price to pay for entertainment – one that competitors do not take lightly. On average, the TT claims the lives of two riders each year, and the casualty list sometimes isn’t contained just to racers, as it is very easy for spectators to be collected in an incident on the track.
Such was the case yesterday, during the Sure Sidecar TT Race 1, when the #47 machine, with Deborah Barron and Alun Thomas on board, veered left after running the turn wide at the Ramsey Hairpin on the race’s third lap.
Fortunately, the Ramsey Hairpin is the slowest point on the TT course, and spectators were able to get out of the way in time, as the sidecar plowed through the spectator section.