A few days late but 3rd June 2019 finally brought racing to the 2019 TT Races. A jammed schedule was planned as a result of the weather that has hampered this years event, but it really did line up well. A racing fan’s dream of a full day’s double session of racing.
After a couple of delays – one off track medical emergency then an uncooperative ‘fan’ things got underway.
Due to time constraints the originally planned 6 lap race was shorted to 4 laps.
Conor Cummins started things of followed by Dean Harrison. Harrison was in the lead by Glen Helen and had caught up with Cummins by the Mountain Road. Deano lapped at 132.47mph – the fastest lap of 2019.
Peter Hickman was on form too and was quickly second on adjusted time, and things were looking like it was going to be another epic duel between Hicky and Harrison. Deano was flying and by Ballagh Bridge on lap 2 Harrison was 4.841s ahead of Hicky. This all changed on the Mountain Road and the route down to pits and by the time of the planned pit stop Hicky was 1.782 seconds ahead. A lead which he held onto.
On the same stretch of the road Conor Cummins took the lead on the road again from Harrison which he later explained was some sort of power / throttle issue with his bike.
Unfortunately on lap 2 of this superbike race the red flag was brought out with the tragic death of rider Daley Mathison.
The race to this point was declared a result with Peter Hickman taking the win, Dean Harrison was second and Conor Cummins third.
John McGuiness on his Norton retired at the end of lap 1 citing low oil pressure as the problem. Irish rider Derek McGee also retired at the end of lap one.
The bike riden by Hicky was a hybrid – mostly Superstock, with a few superbike add-ons. The system clearly worked!