24.01.12. RR : Guy Martin flew into Northern Ireland on Friday and officially signed his contract with the Tyco Suzuki Team for the 2012 International Road Racing series. The Lincolnshire based lorry mechanic will partner Isel of Man resident Conor Cummins who has fought back to fitness after his horrific crash at the 2010 TT.

Guy Martin said : "It's taken a while, but it has always been on the cards. I'm happy to be back with a great team for a second year and i love the new Tyco colours - great job".

31.10.11. NW200 : International North West 200 organisers Coleraine & District Motor Club Ltd have confirmed next year's Race Day will take place on Saturday 19th May 2012, following ratification by governing body, the Motorcycling Union of Ireland (MCUI). Technical director Mervyn Whyte MBE recently completed a series of discussions with BSB and Dorna organisers, plus World Endurance teams to ensure the NW200 did not clash with any international racing schedules, following last year's absence of HM Plant Honda stars John McGuinness and Keith Amor due to the World Endurance race in Albacete, Spain.

15.07.11. Isle of Man Southern 100 : After his Superbike victory on Wednesday night, Guy Martin rounded out his week at the Southern 100 Races on the Isle of Man with third place in today's Supersport 600cc race and second place in the solo Championship Superbike event, run over nine laps. He almost had the consolation of setting a new outright lap record for his 112.234mph effort on lap six of the Solo Championship race as he closed in on Michael Dunlop, but the youngster re-claimed the lap record prize on the penultimate lap. It was a solid enough week for Guy, who although disappointed at not taking the Solo title, was happy enough with his performance on the Relentless Suzuki by TAS machinery at the Southern 100.

14.07.11. Isle of Man : The Totals Oils Senior 1000cc Southern 100. A close race was expected in The Total Oils Senior 1000cc race at the Southern 100 last night with five former race winners - Guy Martin, Ryan Farquhar, Michael Dunlop, Ian Lougher and Cameron Donald lining up on the grid. And so it proved as Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing's Guy Martin gained revenge on Michael Dunlop with a narrow win over the Irishman. Martin's winning margin - 0.047 - was the sixth narrowist of any race in the event's 56 year history. Dunlop had the consolation of a new outright lap record time of 112. 393, beating the time he set in Tuesday's race. An earlier diesel spill between Cross Four Ways and Castletown corner shortly before the scheduled 6.20 pm start resulted in a 50 minute delay and the race was eventually began at 7.10pm once the road had been swept. Conditions were perfect but the delayed start resulted in the race being reduced from eight laps to six. Martin began the race in pole position and, as with the previous evening's race, was quickly into his stride. He opened up a 1.1 second lead over Dunlop by the end of the first lap and steadily increased it by lap three.

Behind the pair Ryan Farquhar held third with Conor Cummins taking full advantage from a mistake by Cameron Dobald, where he ran off down the slip road at Cross Four Ways, to move up into fourth. As with the previous night race, Michael Dunlop began clawing back the lead but going into the final lap Guy Martin still in front and it was Martin who crossed the line first - albeit by only half a bike length from Dunlop - with his winning margin only 0.047. Ryan Farquhar took the final podium position with Conor Cummins maintaining his fourth place over Dan Kneen in fifth. In the evening' other race the combined 650/250cc class saw wins for Ryan Farqhar (650cc) and William Dunlop (250cc) with Ryan also setting a new lap record of 99.472, breaking his own lap record of 98.240 that he set last year. Ryan held the lead from the start and came in just of five seconds ahead of Wayne Hamilton with Ian Lougher third. The 250cc class started a minute ahead of the 650's and Chris Palmer established an early lead after a poor start from William Dunlop. However Palmer retired at the end of the second lap leaving William to take victory with Phil Harvey and Jamie Coward taking second and third. The rest of the scheduled racing programme was abandoned due to the state of the road following an incident involving Dave Taylor and Dan Sayle. Sayle was reported unhurt but Taylor was taken to hospital with fractures. A flag marshall was also reported ti have recieved leg fractures in the same incident and a spectator was taken to hospital with an eye injury.

13.07.11. Isle of Man : Steampacket Company Southern 100 : Michael Dunlop won a thrilling Corletts Trophies 1000cc Race with a stunning last lap move on race leader Guy Martin in the first race of the Isle of Man Steampacket Company Southern 100 meeting at the Billown circuit in the south of the island. Australian Cameron Donald fought his way from ninth on the grid to take take third. Guy Martin set the early pace, in perfect conditions, from pole positions on the grid but was tracked from the off by Michael Dunlop. The pair clocked a series of laps inside the old lap record of 2'17. 652, set by Guy Martin back in 2008, and Martin went into the last lap of the 8 lap race woth a slender 0.196 lead. He held the lead through backmarkers at Church Bends but was overtaken at Stadium Bends, just on the approach to Castletown corner. Dunlop also took Martin's Lap record with 2'16. 213 (112. 324mph) finishing with a race time of 18 : 23.260, just 0. 121 ahead of Martin.

16.06.11. Isle of Man TT : Conor Cummins has been awarded the 2011 Spirit of the TT award, following in the foot steps of 2010 winner Paul Owen. Local rider Conor, who lives on the North of the Island, received the award in front of a packed Grandstand after the PokerStars Senior TT Race, the blue riband event in the TT Races Calendar. Conor received mulitple injuries following an accident at the Verandah on the mountain section of the Mountain Course in the 2010 TT Races. His injuries included five broken vertebrae, multiple factures in his left arm, nerve damage to his arm and ligament damage to his knee. A series of rods were inserted to stabilise his spine. His left arm was completely rebuilt with two plates and 16 screws holding the multiple fractures together. Representatives from the Isle of Man Goverment's Motorsport team as well as the TT rider liaison officers Richard Quayle and John Barton judged the award.

Commenting on the award, and his battle back to fitness, Conor said: "It's meant everything to me to be back on the bike racing at the TT. I've worked really hard since the accident but i couldn't have done it without the help and support of all my friends and family. I would also like to thank all my sponsors who stood by me during my recovery."

10.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : John McGuinness wrapped up his 17th Isle of Man TT victory with a fighting performance in the blue riband Senior TT race, denying Guy Martin a long awaited maiden triumph. Having won the first Superbike race last weekend - making it a career tally of 16 -wins. The Morecombe rider also enjoyed podiums in the Superstock and two Supersport races. Still, while McGuinness got underway first aboard the Honda TT Legends CBR1000RR, it took him a while to get into his stride as Martin and Bruce Anstey opened up an adavantage out front.

Indeed an inspired Martin was pushing hard aboard the Relentless by TAS Suzuki GSx-R1000, opening up a good lead over Anstey by the end of the opening lap, while McGuinness was still adrift, but in touch, Anstey and McGuinness began to close down on Martin on the second lap, the trio coming in for their stops with four laps remaining of the race. A poor stop for Anstey allowed McGuinness ahead into second position, enabling the multiple TT winner to begin hunting down Martin. It did not take McGuinness to long to catch the Lincolnshire man, passing him before the third lap, had been completed and duly stretching away, steadily managing his advantage over the three final laps, McGuinness would cross the finish line some seven seconds ahead of Martin.

Martin did well to secure second place, fending off a fast charging Anstey for a fourth podium in five races in his first TT with the Relentless Suzuki Team. Supersport winner Anstey would end up four second behind Martin, the Kiwi ruing another slow change around during the second pit stops. Indedd, the top three were well clear of the chasing pack, with Cameron Donald finishing fourth ahead of Amor in fifth. Respective Superstock and Supersport race winner Michael Dunlop and Gary Johnson ended their TT campaigns in sixth and secenth, while William Dunlop, James Hillier and Micael Rutter rounding out the top ten. TT debutant Simon Andrews out in a fine performance on the Ice Valley BMW to cross the line in 11th.

08.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : Gary Johnson achieved his first Isle of Man TT Races victory when he clinched the second Monster Energy Supersport race on Thursday afternoon winning by 8.4s from fellow Honda rider John McGuinness. Johnson was in control throughout the race, leading from start to finish. He was already three seconds clear of McGuinness by the first check point at Glen Helen on the opening lap, a lead he'd amazingly trebled by the time the riders swept through Ramsy Hairpin. Race favourite Michael Dunlop was already out though, the Sweep Street Yamaha rider having stopped at Ballacraine although he latter proceeded after making lengthy adjustments, his opening lap almost 46 minutes!

An opening lap of 125.587mph gave Johnson the lead though and the Lincolnshire rider had a gap of almost ten seconds but the battle for second was extremely close, with McGuinness, Martin, Donald, Bruce Anstey and Dan Kneen separated by just six seconds. Johnson continued his lead and went quicker still on his second lap of the Mountain Course, a lap of 125.892mph putting him 15 seconds clear of McGuinness, an almost unprecedented margin in the Supersport class. Donald was the man on the move though, the Australain relegating Martin to fourth with Kneen moving up the leaderboard, the Marks Bloom Racing Yamaha man overhauling Anstey for fifth. As the leaders made their pit stops, news from Ramsey Hairpin came through the the red flag was being shown with a number of riders stopping icluding Dave Hewson, Dan Cooper, Bill Callister and David Madsen-Mygdal but there was no word from race control of any issue and the race at the front continued, the riders who stopped eventually getting going, later to be credited for time lost. McGuinness and Johnson were pressing ahead but Martin had now dropped time and, after being only half a second down on Donald at the end of the lap, that lead had stretched to 10 seconds at Glen Helen, later revealed to be due to having seen a red flag as he swept through Union Mills. Indeed at Glen Helen, the order was Johnson, Donald, McGuinness, Martin and Kneen, Johnson's lead now standing at 10.9 seconds, four ahead of McGuinness with Martin now8 seconds further back in fourth.

Going into the final lap and Johnson kept his 11 second advantage over Donald who was now edging away from McGuinness who was circulating on his own at the head of the field. Kneen was out at Crosby, a cruel end to a fine ride, whilst Donald nibbled away at Johnson's lead throughout the lap but his Honda expired at Signpost, less than 2 miles away from home. That enabled McGuinness to move up to second with Martin,Amor and Anstey all promoted up the order to 3rd, 4th and 5th. There was double heartbrake for the Wilson Craig Honda team with William Dunlop dropping out of 8th in the closing stages, his engine having expired. The flurry of retirements allowed Conor Cummins to move up to sixth, his best finish of this year's TT, with Ben Wylie having his best ever TT finish in seventh, again the first privateer to finish. Roy Richardson, James Hillier and Mark Buckley completed the top ten with a superb ride coming from newcomer Dean Harrison in 12th place. The results mean that McGuinness has 76pts at the top of the TT Championship, 17 clear of Amor, whilst Ian Mackman's retirement means its closed up in the battle for the privateers Championship. He remains on 61 pts with Wylie on 50 and Buckley on 49.

08.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : The race programme for Wednesday at the 2011 Isle of Man TT Fuelled by Monster Energy has been cancelled due to bad weather. It is now hoped the Monster Energy Supersport race 2 , which was stopped on lap two due to rain, will be run on Thursday, staerting at 12.15pm and running over four laps. Te Sure sidecars 2 TT and SES TT Zero races were also due to run on Wednesday and plans for those races will be confirmed later. The Arai Parade Lap, featuring Mick Doohan, Nicky Hayden, Cal Crutchlow, Ian Hutchinson and Josh Brookes was completed Michael Dunlop was leading brother William by more than 10 seconds at Ballaugh on lap two when the red flag was shown.

06.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : Royal London 360 Superstock Race. Michael Dunlop made up for his disappointment in the Supersport 1 race earlier today, where he was forced to retire due to mechanical problems. He later went on to win the 4 lap Royal London 360 Superstock race.

Dunlop overhailed lap one leader Guy Martin and promptly romped away, putting in a second lap some 13 seconds quicker than his nearest rival giving him the cushion that allowed him to control the race after the pit stop. His eventual winning margin, the 9th TT win for Kawasaki, was 18.63secs over John McGuinness, the Padgetts Honda rider overhauling Martin on the third lap. However, the Relentless by TAS Suzuki rider had the consolation of his second podium of the day. The daytime sun gave way to cooler, cloudier conditions for the 6.30pm start and it was McGuinness who put his trademark rapid nine miles and he led Martin. It was close though with just 0.2secs between them whilst William Dunlop was only half a second back in third. Indeed, there was only 1s between the top 4 and 2.4secs between the top 7, Gary Johnson, Bruce Anstey and Kieth Amor all right on the pace. At Ramsey, Michael Dunlop was in the lead from Martin and McGuinness but it had all changed by the Grandstand and it was now the Suzuki man in the lead, his opening lap of 127.953mph giving him a buffer of just under two seconds. McGuinness was still in contention, only another 1.7secs in arrears with Johnson, William Dunlop and Amor completing the top six. Leading contenders Dan Stewart was out of luck though, the Cumbrian retiring his BMW at the end of the first lap. The front three were edging away from the rest of the field with Martin circulating on the road with Amor but it was Dunlop who was surging clear at the front, his advantage over Martin 3.5secs which, amazingly, he extended to almost ten seconds by Ramsey. McGuinness was stil only two seconds off Martin but at the end of the lap, Dunlop's lap of 129.709mph was way quicker than anyone else and his lead rocketed up to 13 seconds.

Johnson was out though having retired at Gregny Baa, whilst William Dunlop and Darren Kneen were treating the fans all around the course to a terrific spectacle as they lapped wheel to wheel. The pit stops all went smoothly for the front runners and by Glen Helen, Dunlop's lead was over 15 seconds and, with another 4 added to that gap at Ramsey, it was his race to lose. Behind though, McGuinness was making a move and he was now ahead of Martin by almost two seconds, the latter still circulating - and swapping positions - with Amor. The battle for fifth was also hotting up with little to separate Wilson Craig Honda team-mates William Dunlop and Cameron Donald. Dunlop maintained his advantage over McGuinness all the way to the chequered flag for his second TT win whilst the Morecombe man was delighted to have racked up yet another TT podium. Martin, meanwhile, had to settle for third for a second time today making it his 11th TT podium. Amor enjoyed his second fourth of the day whilst William Dunlop just got the better of Donald by 0.48secs. Kneen, Michael Rutter, Adrian Archibald and James Hillier rounded out the top ten whilst newcomer Simon Andrews put in a brilliant ride to take 11th. McGuinness has opened up a 10-point lead over Amor in the TT Championship while Ian Mackman, 15th in the race, continues to extend his lead in the privateers Championship. 

06.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : Experienced Kiwi racer Bruce Anstey won his 8th Isle of Man TT race on Monday afternoon when he clinched victory in a shortened, and dramatic, 3-lap Monster Energy Supersport Race 1. The original race was red flagged following an incident at Gorse Lea. The Padgetts Honda rider took the win by 8.39s when race leader Cameron Donald retired his Wilson Craig Honda at Kirk Michael on the final lap and the Kiwi was able to come ahead of Keith Amor, who notched up his best ever TT result, and Guy Martin, the Relentless by TAS Suzuki man having been able to make the race after an earlier spill at Creg ny Baa. With conditions perfect all around the Mountain Course, the race was re-started at 1.00pm with pit stops likely to be crucial and it was Donald who led by just 0.1s from Michael Dunlop with Anstey a further second back and Gary Johnson only a further tenth in arrears. Riders were jockeying for position close behind as well with John McGuinness, Amor, Dan Kneen and Martin occupying 5th to 8th and separated by just 3 seconds.

By Ramsey, Dunlop was very much the man on the move and he'd turned his deficit into a 1.5s lead over Donald with Johnson now having overhauled Anstey. The gaps were begining to increase with Amor now three seconds behind Anstey and ahead of McGuinness, Martin and Kneen. At the end of the first lap, it was Dunlop who was surging clear, his opening speed of 125.852mph sending him almost six seconds clear of Donald with Johnson now only 1.7s behind the Australian. Anstey, Martin and Amor that rounded out the top six but, with the exception of Dunlop, Johnson, Ian Lougher and Conor Cummins, most of the front runners pitted for fuel so the race entered a confused state as positions changed and large gaps appeared. By the time they got to Glen Helen, Johnson was the leader by some 37 seconds with Dunlop having gone out at Ballig Bridge, Lougher was holding onto second from Donald and Cummins with Anstey, Martin, Armor and McGuinness in hot pursuit. Johnson's lead was still 37 seconds at Ramsey but it now was Donald in second followed by Anstey, Martin and Amor, the gap between the last two just 0.8s. Amor and McGuinness were circulating at the head of the field but it would all change after the pit stops. Johnson's lead was down to 30s as he pitted for fuel and it didn't look like it would be enough for him to retain the lead and that's how it turned out.

Through Glen Helen and Donald was back in front but it was still tight, his lead over Anstey just 4s. Amor was gaining time through all the sectors, now having moved up to third on time, some three seconds clear of Martin whilst Johnson's strategy had clearly backfired as he slipped back to fifth place. There was drama ahead though when Donald failed to reach Ballaugh, his bike having expired at Kirk Michael, the same fate befalling Cummins who stopped on the approach to the same village. This meant that Anstey now held sway at the front and with the fastest lap of the race 126.595mph - he held on for anther TT victory to firmly make up for the disappointment of Saturday when he retired from the Dainese Superbike race. Amor was secure in second, almost eight seconds to the good from Martin but he only just held onto the final podium spot from fellow Lincolnshire man Johnson, the eventual margin just 1.18s. McGuinness had a solid ride in fifth with Dan Kneen back on forth in 6th whilst Ian Lougher, Ben Wylie, Ian Mackman and Dan Stewart rounded out the top ten. Meanwhile, fine rides came from newcommers Robert Wilson, Dean Harrison and Dan Hegarty, the trio finishing in 23rd, 25th and 26th respectively. McGuinness continues to lead the TT Championship with 36 points, 3 ahead of Amor whilst Wylie was the first privateer to finish although Mackman's second place means he heas 45 points, 16 ahead of Mark Buckley.

04.6.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : Dainese Superbike race. John McGuinness won his 16th TT today when he took victory in the Dainese Superbike race at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. The Honda TT Legends rider overcame an early challenege from Bruce Anstey and a strong pit lane stop at the end of lap 2 saw him reassert himself. When the Kiwi went out at Quarry Bends, John was already 20 seconds clear of the field. With Guy Martin retiring on lap 5, McGuinness eventual winning margin was almost a minute over Cameron Donald who came through to take second, some 10 seconds clear of Gary Johnson who tookk third despite suffering a 30-second penalty for infringing pit lane speeds.

Saturday saw dry, sunny conditions all around the course although a strong breeze kept the riders on their toes over the Mountain and at the first checkpoint at Glen Helen on the first lap, McGuinness was leading by just over a second from Johnson who was carrying over his practice form in to the race. Anstey was only two tenths further back in third with Martin in fourth and James Hillier going brilliantly in fifth just ahead of Michael Dunlop and Dan Stewart. McGuinness was putting in one of his customary fast laps but Anstey was matching him all the way and at the end of the first lap only half a second separated the pair, both lapping comfortably over 130mph. Johnson and Martin broke the 130mph barrier in third and fourth as Michael Dunlop and Donald completed the top six, Hillier dropping back to ninth. There was disappointment though the opening laps for both Michael Rutter and Simon Andrews, the duo retiring at Cruickshanks and Quarter Bridge respectively.

Anstey was really flying on the second lap and he overhauled McGuinness by Glen Helen turning his deficit into a 1.5s advantage. Johnson was a further four seconds back in third still ahead of Martin, Dunlop and Donald but at the head of the field Anstey was pressing ahead on the Padgetts Honda as he completed the lap at 131.378mph. His lead was only 0.9secs though McGuinness also broke the 131mph barrier and his lead unravelled due to a slightly sluggish pit stop and when they left the pits, it was the Morecombe man who was now some 12 seconds clear. Dunlop was also in trouble in the pits losing over 2 minutes. The gap was still 12 seconds through Glen Helen but Anstey was soon reported as having stopped at Quarry Bends and Martin moved up into second ahead of Johnson albeit by less than half a second. Donald was now fifth with Keith Amor putting in a brave rise in 6th given the discomfort of his injured shuolder. Stewart, William Dunlop and James Hillier were next with Conor Cummins riding superbly in tenth. Another local hero, Dan Kneen, was in trouble though, making an unscheduled pit stop at the end of the first lap and then retiring for good at the end of lap 3.

By teo thirds race distance, McGuinness was controlling affairs from the front maintaining a near 20-second lead over Martin who had some breathing space in second when Johnson was handed a 30-second penalty for exceeding the speed limit in pit lane after his second pit stop. Indeed, it was now Donald who was up to third whilst Cummins retired at Signpost. There was drama on the fifth lap when Martin retired at Hillberry but, leading on the road, McGuinness was able to cruise on his final lap, his final winning margin over Donald 56.09 seconds, Johnson lost the runner-up spot due the the pit lane infringement but he was still comfortable in third ahead of Amor who ensured it was four Honda's in the top 4. Michael Dunlop came through from his pit stop problems to secure 5th on the final lap just edging out Stewart by two seconds. William Dunlop enjoyed his best ever ride in the Superbike race to take 7th with Hillier, Adrian Archibald and Iam Mackman rounding out the top ten.

03.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : final qualifying, day five. A beautiful, warm and sunny day on the Isle of Man meant conditions were perfect for the final qualifying session of the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. After the cancellation of the previous evenings solo session, the competitors were champing at the bit to finalise their preparations for the opening day of racing tomorrow. A number of riders who had been beset by problems in the previous session were hoping just to complete a trouble free lap and ensure qualification for the opening 6-lap race. After the problems the previous evening, the solos were granted a longer session and with 100 minutes of track time provisionally scheduled, everyone was looking to get in at least 5 laps with many of the front runners looking to capitalise on the extended session and complete 6.

However, a road traffic accident at Ginger Hall caused a near 25 minute delay and it wasn't until 6.44pm that the action finally got underway. Guy Martin on his Relentless by TAS Suzuki again led them away with Keith Amor alongside him on his 600 for the first time this week. Next to go were the Kawasaki duo of Ryan Farquhar and Adrian Archibald followed by Michael Dunlop, James Hillier, Gary Johnson, Bruce Anstey and Ian Mackman. Johnson was the man setting the pace through the early sectors with John McGinness close behind on time. Less than half a second separated the pair at Ramsey while Martin, Cameron Donald and Dan Stewart were also going well. Dunlop was quickest through the speed-trap at 195.6mph but Martin was the first to complete the lap, posting 128.693mph. Gary Johnson was next at 128.554mph followed by Farquhar at 125.728mph and Dunlop at 126.849mph but McGuinness and Stewart went quicker at 128.635mph and 127.682mph respectively. Anstey clocked a lowly 117.465mph having stopped at the bungalow to make adjustments.

James Hillier, Luis Carreira and John Burrows all lapped in excess of 124mph with Conor Cummins going well too at 123.568mph. Newcomers Dean Harrison, Robert Wilso and Dan Hegarty were also improving up to 115.873mph, 115.532mph and 111.068mph, the latter on his Supersport machine. He then did 116.021mph on his Superstock machine. McGuinness was really flying on his second lap and went quickest at 130.615mph just over 4 seconds ahead of Martin on 130.075mph and Dunlop on 130.024mph. Michael Rutter also pressing on with a lap of 128.261mph. Johnson, meanwhile, jumped on hs 600, putting in a lap of 123.087mph. Also lapping at a good pace was Senior Max Grand Prix winner Simon Fulton who posted a new personal best lap of 121.785mph. Dunlop put in a lap in excess of 135mph on his Supersport machine with McGuinness slightly slower at 123.516mph whilst newcomers Simon Andrews was shining through on 121.039mph and Harrison, who improved to 118.479mph. Meanwhile, local star Dan Kneen put in his best lap of the week on his Kawasaki Superbike with a lap of 123.710mph with Anstey, Donald and Amor lapping in excess of 127mph also on their Superbikes. However, it was bad news for Farquhar who fell off his Superbike at Keppel Gate, and was later reported to have soft tissue injuries and an overnight stay in Nobles. The best lap of the week though was saved right until the final moments of the final practice session when Anstey scorched round at a speed of 131.431mph, just shy of the outright lap record, to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the opposition ahead of race week. Anstey wins the Graham London Limited Edition TT Watch awarded to the fastest solo qualifier.

The session ended at 8.00pm and the sidecars were away ten minutes later with John Holden again leading the field off the line followed by Tim Reeves and Ben Birchall although the latter stopped almost immediately, seemingly having a problem with the chain, eventually getting away last. Last year's double winner Klaus Klaffenbock was slightly back with Gary Bryan, Dougie Wright and Rob Handcock not far behind. Harrison was the quickest to Glen Helen but, as the lap wore on, Holden and Reeves started to get quicker and there was little to choose between the two on the stpwatches, Reeves lapping slightly quicker than Holden at 113.321mph compared to 112.707mph. For Reeves, that represented his best lap of the Mountain Course. Harrison was next across the line at 110.709mph, followed by Elmer who was slightly quicker at 110.788mph whilst Greg Lambert finally got a clear lap in with a speed of 197.043mph. Reeves and Holden spent their second lap circulating in close formation, the former flying through Sulby at 144.3mph, although the duo eased off in the closing stages of the lap. Meanwhile, an impressive lap came from newcomers Carl Fenwick and Mark Sayers, the duo circulating in a fine 104.452mph. Frank Lelias and Jerome Vannier were also going well at 102.079mph. However, despite Reeves best efforts Klaffebock and Sayle narrowly clinched the Graham Watch awarded as the fastest sidecar qualifiers with their time of 113.754 from Wedneday's practice. Saturday's Dainese Superbike TT Race is scheduled to start at midday with the Sure sidecars race 1 away at 3pm,

02.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : qualifying four, day four. Conditions were perfect all around the Mountain Course for the Thurday evening practice session at the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy but a road traffic incident at Ginger Hall caused a lenghty delay to the proceedings. There was further confusion when the sidecars got underway at 7pm as John Holden/Andy Winkle and Klaus Klaffenbock/Daniel Syle were released from the line prematurely and ultimately stopped at Ballacraine.

At 7.07pm they were allowed on their way again as Tim Reeves/Gregory Cluze and Conrad Harrison/Mike Aylott set off down Glencrutchery Road in quick succession swiftly followed by Tony Elmer/Darren Marshall and Roy Shanks/Dave Wells. Klaffenbock was quickest through the Sulby spped trap at 146.5mph followed by Reeves at 144.9mph although the latter did have a brief problem and dropped back on the road, his first lap being 112.106mph. however, ahead on the road, Klaffenbock completed his lap at 113.245mph and Holden at 112.106mph. After the gap on the road, Harrison crossed the line with a speed of 110.546mph, the only other driver to break the 110mph barrier, Elmer lapping at 108.995mph and Gary Bryan/Jamies Winn slightly quicker at 109.286mph. Reeves, unsurprisingly, pulled in for adjustments before continuing but Klaffenbock went straight through and improved second time around to 113.572mph as did Holden at 112.623mph. Harrison failed to go quicker but Elmer did, breaking the 110mph barrier for the first time this week whilst Bryan improved to 109.869mph and the Birchalls at 108.623mph. Meanwhile, Reeves' second lap was 106.854mph.

The chairs' came to an end at 7.45pm but a delay due to oil being dropped between Kirk Michael and Alpine meant it the session was ultimately abandoned leaving just on session remaining before the opening Superbike race on Saturday. The sidecars started the qualifying session before the solo machines to allow the solo's to practice controlled pit speeds.

01.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : qualifying three, day three. Kiwi Bruce Anstey, riding for the Yorkshire based Padgetts Honda Racing Team, showed his hand with the fastest time of the week in the third qualifting session at the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races feulled by Monster Energy. A cloudy day on the Isle of Man gave way to sunny intervals in time for Wednesday's session but with a stiff breeze, competitors would have to take particular care, as expected, over the Mountain although the wind could be felt all the way round the 37 mile course. There was also a lack of grip at Ballagarey reported ahead of practice but with good visibility and dry roads, conditions were otherwise ideal for some high speed laps.

Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop who got the session underway slightly later than scheduled at 6.29pm, both on their Superbikes, and following them were, Gary Johnson, Keith Amor, James Hillier, Bruce Anstey, Ryan Farquhar and Ian Lougher, also all Superbike mounted with exception of Farquhar and Lougher who were on their Superstock and Supersport machines respectively. Dan Kneen was slow to leave the line but after a few adjustments he was soon on his way. Martin was the first to complete the lap at 128.35mph with Dunlop right on his tail at 128.269mph, the Ulsterman later nosing ahead on the road, although it didn't last long as he soon retired at Ginger Hall. Johnson was the quickest though at 128.452mph whilst Amor, Anstey and Dan Stewart were all in the 127mph bracket with John McGuinness further back on 126.029mph, the Honda TT Legends rider immediately pulling in to make adjustments before getting back out on the course. Michael Rutter was going well on the Ducati at 125.69, only slightly slower than Cameron Donald on 125.76mph whilst Lougher was the quickest Supersport machine at 119.85mph.

Johnson and Amor were quickest though the Sulby speed trap at 191.2mph but Davy Morgan again out of luck, this time getting as far as Quarry Bends, whilst Paul Owen, Jim Hodson and Brian McCormack were some of the other riders to experience technical problems. Second time around Martin upped his pace to 129.333mph but it was Anstey who went to the top of the leaderboard with a lap of 129.695mph, his best lap ever around the Mountain Course. Amor, who was trying a different tyre and suspension combination, dropped back to 126.42mph but Rutter was another to improve, this time to 126.811mph. William Dunlop was another to lap quicker than ever before at 125.872mph but McGuinness was slower still at 125.64mph whilst Ben Wylie got his first 120mph lap of the week in on his Supersport machine. Farquhar was again in trouble though, his second lap on the Superstock machine a lowly 95.99mph having stopped at Sulby before being able to proceed. Martin, Johnson, Stewart and McGuinness all switched to their Supersport machines, the former initially quickest at 121.977mph but Donald, who was on his second lap on his 600, was going well at 125.110mph with William Dunlop later going second quickest at 123.959mph. Anstey, meanwhile, put in a speed of 124.396mph on his Superstock bike, the slightly lower speeds most likely due to the bright sun that that was now shining, the clouds having completely dispersed to give way to blue skies. Amor was later off at Quaterbridge on his Superstock bike, and was later reported to have a dislocated shoulder, whilst McGuinness stopped at the Mountain Box before proceeding with Lougher another high profile rider in trouble, this time retiring at Creg ny Baa.

The newcomers again continued to make good progress though and it was again Simon Andrews who was the quickest at a highly impressive 119.465mph but Dean Harrison and Piotr Betlej were also going well at 114.83mph and 114.969mph respectively. At 8pm, the sidecar session commenced with Klaus Klaffenbock and Daniel Sayles leading the field away from John Holden/Andy Winkle, Tim Reeves/Gregory Cluze and Conrad Harrison/Mike Aylott. Klaffenbcok's first lap was 112.488mph with Holden and Reeves second and third at 11.066mph and 109.954mph but Elmer was a retirement at the Creg. Klaffenbock went quicker second time around at 113.754mph but Reeves wa delighted with his lap of 111.379mph whilst Dougie Wright and Ben Birchall were both going well on their return to the Mountain, Wright lapping at 105.33mph and Birchall at 105.42mph. Piotr Betlej was attended to by the Red Cross after an incident at Signpost but was confirmed as okay.

01.06.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : ACU Events Ltd regret to announce that sidecar competitor Bill Currie, 67, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire and his passenger Kevin Morgan, 59, from Shrewsbury were both killed during the second sidecar qualifying session at the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races following an incident at Ballacrye in the North of the Island. The session was immediately red flagged following the incident. Bill was an experienced racer who first competed at the TT Races back in 1969, when he recorded a third place finish. He finished 8th in last year's TT sidecar Race in his fastest ever race time of 107.944mph. Kevin made his TT debut in 1984. This was the first year that the pair had competed together.

Bill was divorced with 2 children and Kevin was single with two sons. The ACU wishes to pass on their deepest sympathy to the family of both competitors. Jim Parker, Managing Director, ACU Events, commented : "I have known both Bill and Kevin for a number of years and i'm deeply saddened by their untimely death. They were a huge part of the sidecar paddock and will be sorely missed by everyone involved in the event."

31.05.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : qualifying two, day two. A dry, sunny evening met the competitors for Tuesday evening's second qualifying session and, apart from a stiff breeze, conditions were almost perfect for the second nigh of the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. After a 10 minute delay, the riders were out at 6.30pm and Michael Dunlop and Guy Martin who, as on Monday, were the first to leave the line, Martin on the Superbike and Dunlop on his Supersport machine. Cameron Donald and Gary Johnson were the next pair to go, swiftly followed by Ryan Farquhar, Bruce Anstey, Keith Amor and Dan Stewart.All were Superbike mounted as was Adrian Archibald out for the first time on a brand new Kawasaki ZX-10R. Fifteen time race winner John McGuinness was in the 8th pairing away.

Meanwhile, Frenchman Guillame Dietrich left at the back of the field in order to complete his sighting lap with Richard Quayle, the Relentless by TAS Suzuki rider having tipped off at Sulby during Monday evening's qualifying. Johnson was the first man back at 127.71mph just ahead of Martin at 126.325mph, followed by Donald at 125.05 and Anstey at 126.24. Amor and Stewart were slightly slower at 125.9mph and 125.8mph whilst McGuinness moved up to be the second quickest on 126.975mph. Meanwhile, Dunlop was the fastest 600 with a lap 0f 123.59mph followed by James Hillier on 118.415mph and Luis Carreira on 118.402. Conor Cummins was also improving steadliy, breaking the 120mph barrier at 120.203. McGuinness clocked the quickest time through the Sulby speed trap at 190.06mph Johnson pulled in and switched to his 600 with Donald doing likewise to the Superstock bike but many of the other riders went straight through, keen to get two early laps on the Superbike. Martin increased his speed to 128.261mph but McGuinness followed him through at 129.041mph. Dunlop increased his 600cc lap speed to 125.464mph with both Hillier and Carreira in the 119mph bracket but Davey Morgan stopped at the Mountain Box, Conor Cummins at Greeba Castle and Michael Rutter at Quarter Bridge although he later was able to proceed.

Donald briefly went quickest in the Superstock class with a lap of 124.447mph as McGuinness reported track conditions to be good except for a slightly dusty road at Ramsey. His only concern was leathers that were to tight but he was soon out on the circuit, this time on his Padgetts Superstock Honda. Impressive laps were also being put in by some of the newcomers with Simon Andrews at 116.26mph, Piotr Betlej at 113.58, Dean Harrison at 112.58mph and Robert Wilson at 111.112mph. Michael Dunlop then topped the Superstock class witha lap at 126.26mph whilst Johnson went quicker through the speed trap at 192.03mph. Rutter's adjustments also paid dividends as he put in a lap of 124.143mph but Farquhar was out at Kerromoar. Most of the main contenders were able to complete 5 laps during the session with Donald putting in a late flyer of 128.08mph on his Superbike.

30.05.11. 2011 Isle of Man TT : qualifying day one. Qualifying for the 2011 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy got underway on Monday evening and although conditions were far from ideal, both the solos and sidecars were able to get in two laps although the solos had begun a third lap when the session was red flagged early due to heavy rain on the mountain. Sunshine during the day gave way to cloud by the time the roads were closed and although Douglas stayed dry, roads around the course were damp with Glen Helen to Ramsey the main section affected. In a break from the usual schedule, the sidecars were out first on the course to give the solo riders who had been racing at the Thruxton BSB round, which included Michael Rutter, Dan Keen, James Hillier and Ian Lougher, time to make it to the Island for the session.

So, at 6.29pm TT2011 was up and running and once Roy Hanks, Tony Baker and Greg Lambert had taken the large batch of sidecar newcomers around for their sighting lap, the session commenced with Simon Neary/Jason Crowe, Klaus Klaffenbock/Daniel Sayle, Tim Reeves/Gregory Cluze, Conrad Harrison/Mike AyLott and Tony Elmer/Darren Marshall the first crews to leave the line. The damp conditions could clearly be seen in the opening lap times as Klaffenbock quickest at 107.407mph followed by Neary at 106.971mph and Elmer ar 103.234mph. Second time around the road conditions improved slightly allowing Klaffenbock to move up to 110.911mph and Elmer to 106.977mph. Reeves was quicker too at 105.576mph despite hitting a pheasent at Kerromoar but Nery was in trouble though, losing passenger Crowe at Ramsey whilst Roy Hanks and Greg Lambert and Gordon Shand were all early retirements.

At 7.30pm the solos went out on the course and rider liaison officers John Barton and Richard Quale escorted Simon Andrews, Dean Harrison, Daniel Hagerty, Poitr Betlej, Robert Wilson and Lee Vernon for their sighting lap before the main contenders got their first taste of the Mountain Course this year. I t was Michael Dunlop and Guy Martin who got the session underway at 7.50pm, the Northern Irishman out first on his Superstock machine and the Lincolnshire man opting for his Superbike. Following them were Bruce Anstey, Adrian Archibald, Paul Owen, Ian Mackman, Luis Carreira and Ryan Farquhar, the latter having his first outing in his new Superbike mount. Meanwhile team-mates John McGuinness and Keith Amor were two of the last to leave the line with Michael Rutter only getting as far as the pit lane before returning back to the paddock on his Ducati Superstock bike. The BSB star had earlier recieved a medical as soon as he reached the paddock after his spill at Thruxton earlier in the day. Martin was the first to complete a lap of 121.380mph with Dunlop and Anstey not to far behind at 119.820mph and 118.793mph respectively, the low speeds indication of the damp roads. However the quickest man on the opening lap was Gary Johnson who took the East Coast Racing Honda round at 122.463mph whilst equally impressive, given the events of 2010, was Conor Cummin's first lap of 116.060mph on the McAdoo Racing Supersock Kawasaki.

Second time around and McGuinness and Amor, who spent the first two laps circulating in close formation, moved to the top of the early Superbike session with laps of 122.838mph and 122.637mph with Anstey sandwiching the pair on his Superstock at 122.752mph but Martin was in trouble, pushing in to the top of pitlane, Dunlop, who swapped his Superstock bike for his Superbike machine was also in trouble, pulling off the course at Crosby and making his way back to the paddock via the back roads.