REVISED SCHEDULE – RACE DAY TWO – 29/08/2017
ISLE OF MAN FESTIVAL OF MOTORCYCLING :
TUESDAY 29TH AUGUST 2017 :
road
2017 Classic TT : Saturday 26th August 2017 : Bennett’s Senior Classic TT Race Results :
Congratulations to Josh Brooke’s (who also took the fastest lap of the race) on his 2017 Senior Classic TT win.
See below for official race timings and speeds.
2017 Manx Grand Prix: Friday 25th August 2017 Evening Practice Results and Average Speeds :
Results per class from tonight’s (and the final practice session of 2017) (Friday 25th August 2017) Manx GP practice session :
Carole Nash East Coast Racing Festival : 9th – 10th September 2017 at Killalane
East Coast Motorcycling Club : Press Release :
The East Coast Motorcycling Club is delighted to announce that they are running 2017’s Irish road race finale. The circuit previously run as Killalane road races, which was the traditional road race season closer, is now the Carole Nash East Coast Racing Festival. Following a brief sabbatical in 2016, this new Killalane circuit race will take place this year on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September 2017.
The new East Coast Motorcycling Club was formed in 2016 following the cancellation of the Killalane Road Races last year, with a view to ensuring this fantastic annual motorcycle racing event, held since 1984, was retained as the finale on the Irish road race calendar.
This two day road racing festival kicks off with practice races on Saturday, followed by two of the first official races, which includes two non-championship races for 125’s and a 600cc race in memory of Darren Lindsay.
On Sunday 10th a packed programme of ten races for Junior and Senior Support classes, Classics, Supertwins, 400’s / 250’s, 600’s and Open Superbike Classes.
This makes for a fantastic day’s road racing on this famous 3.6mile southern Irish road race circuit. Past winners over the 32 years of the event reads like a who’s who of Irish motorcycle racing including the legendary Joey Dunlop and his brother Robert and the late great Flying Finn, local boy Martin Finnegan. More recently it’s been Ryan Farquhar, with the Dunlop brothers William and Michael.
The 2017 MCE Ulster Grand Prix is Here : Where to Watch – Vantage Points
The Ulster Grand Prix – the fastest road race in the world – is now underway. Today will see a qualifying session and then a series of five scheduled races concluding with the Charles Hurst Dundrod 150.
Racing will resume on Saturday 12th August 2017 taking us to the feature race – 2017 MCE Ulster Grand Prix.
The hardest question is 'where should I go to watch it?'
Thankfully the organisers have put together a very helpful list of the a the Vantage Points and how to get to them :
Has Guy Martin Quit Road Racing? The Full Story…So Far…
The internet has went crazy today reporting on Guy Martin retiring from Road Racing. As a Guy Martin fan, that is of course devastating news, and I honestly believe that most pure fans of road racing will also agree that Guy was / is good for the sport and its profile. However following an ‘exclusive interview’ with MCN it looks like his road racing days are over…
With huge publicity surrounding the partnership of John McGuiness and Guy Martin on the new Honda FireBlade things looked perfect for the 2017 season.
Then it all started to unwind. A poor Tandragee 100 started the season with Guy crashing out on his first lap, followed by an uneventful Cookstown 100 and North West 200 (at the same time as losing team mate John McGuinness to a horrific crash) which led us to the Isle of Man. After the ‘box of neutrals’ incident Honda withdrew from the rest of the event. Guy went onto a second place in the TTZero with Team Mugen, his team mate Bruce Anstey taking the win in that event.
Then the press release came that Honda and Guy would not be participating in the Ulster Grand Prix, a circuit that has brought Guy great success as well as proving almost deadly in 2015.
At this point I think most of us thought the writing on the wall was now here.
Guy Martin’s Road Racing days are over.
Explaining his decision to call it a day in an exclusive interview with MCN’s Matt Wildee, Guy said: “Racing’s been good to me, but I’m bored of it. You spend the early part of the year preparing for the season – testing, racing, talking about it, and then doing it all over again. It’s like Groundhog Day. It’s time to stop.”
Or are they?
Irish Road Racing ‘in Danger of disappearing for good’ – a stark warning from Team Owner…
Read the full article here : http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/irish-road-racing-in-danger-of-disappearing-for-good-1-7813238
Respected team owner John Burrows says he fears the unique spectacle of Irish road racing could disappear for good unless swift action is taken to safeguard the future of the sport.
As exclusively revealed by the News Letter in January, the cost of providing insurance cover for National road races in 2017 has risen by as much as £4,500. Clubs are also facing potentially crippling excess payments, which have soared from £1,000 per claim in 2016 to £2,500 this year.
In the past week, two popular races in the Republic of Ireland – the Killalane and Kells events in North Dublin and Co Meath respectively – have been called off as a direct result of spiralling insurance premiums.
Only three races are due to go ahead in the South, including the famous Skerries 100 (July 1), Walderstown (July 9) and the Faugheen 50 meeting on July 23.
Read more at: http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/irish-road-racing-in-danger-of-disappearing-for-good-1-7813238
It was only yesterday that I posted about this problem, and I mentioned the need for us all to support our local clubs, and buy programs when we go to the events. We really need to make sure we safeguard the future of this unique sport for many more generations to come!
Guy Martin will Race at NW200 and Isle of Man TT in 2017!
After yesterday’s rumours and my theory that’d we know more by Wednesday / Thursday, guess what? It is Wednesday and we know more! Without further ado here is the news and it is good!
Oh and before the internet warriors and those who specialise in the keyboard and living under bridges, a chap can change his mind and like it or lump it, this is a huge boost for the Road Racing Scene. Welcome back Guy Martin!
Looks like TT tickets may be even harder to get this year!
Taken from Guy Martin’s Official Facebook Page :
John McGuinness and Guy Martin complete Honda Racing dream team.
Honda Motor Europe is delighted to announce an exciting two-rider line-up for its 2017 Road Racing assault at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT in the Superbike classes. Re-signing for the Honda Racing team is TT legend John McGuinness, who will be joined by Guy Martin on the all-new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.
Making his return to racing after a year away, fan favourite Martin will form a formidable team with McGuinness and the brand new Fireblade SP2 on the roads. Martin has enjoyed huge success on the roads during his career securing wins at various races including the Ulster GP, Scarborough Gold Cup, Armoy, Cookstown and also the Southern 100. He has also stepped on the TT podium 15 times and will be chasing his elusive maiden TT win with the Honda Racing team.
Meanwhile, McGuinness will be looking to add to his impressive tally of 23 TT wins, and riding the new Fireblade SP2, will also be aiming to recapture his lap record which was broken during last year’s race.
The Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade is the most successful 1000cc machine ever at the Isle of Man TT and Honda aims to add to its remarkable record with the new SP2 version, which is the ultimate expression of the Fireblade’s Next Stage Total Control concept.
The SP2 is a road legal homologation special based on the Fireblade SP that is specifically developed for racing and features a revised cylinder head with larger valve sizes and lightweight Marchesini wheels for even greater performance.
The all-new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 will make its road racing debut at the North West 200 in May.
For all the latest news and information on the Honda Racing team follow @HondaRacingCBR on Twitter.
John McGuinness:
“I’m back with Honda for another year; really I’m part of the family, and I can’t wait to see what the new Fireblade SP2 can do! I know the old model like the back of my hand and have taken a lot of my TT wins with the old girl, so I can’t wait to get out on track and try the new machine out. I have a good feeling about this year and think we have a really good package to show that we mean business. I of course would like another TT win and I would quite like my lap record back! I always say when it’s broken that the lads are just borrowing it and I hope this year that this is the case. I am sad to say bye to the old Fireblade; I have a lot of history and good memories with that bike, but testing the new model can’t come soon enough and neither can the race season. I’m excited to have Guy as my new team-mate; we’ve enjoyed many a racing battle over the years and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can both do.”
Guy Martin:
“Neil [Tuxworth] has been talking to me for a while about joining the team, but I had a lot of thinking to do before I committed and said yes. I spent a lot of time on my push bike to and from work, thinking about what to do. I didn’t want to grow old regretting not giving the Honda a go, and the more time passes since making the decision, the more time I’ve thought it is the right decision. Honda is a great team and the Fireblade has always been a weapon on the roads, so with the new bike, I‘m keen to give it a go. We’ve got a busy testing schedule coming up and I’ve put some other stuff off to make time. John [McGuinness] is the man, I’ve got massive respect for him and I’m looking forward to racing on the Fireblade against him.”
Neil Tuxworth:
“We have two new members joining the Honda Racing team this year with Guy signing and the new 2017 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2. John is part of the furniture really, but it’s great to have him back with us for another year – it wouldn’t be the same without him! I really feel with Guy and John, and of course the new Fireblade, that we have a strong team ready to tackle the roads this year. Guy is hungry for his first TT win and John wants another and his lap record back, so this mixed with the new CBR1000RR means we should be in for some exciting racing action. The new Fireblade SP2 is so important to the team and also Honda and it’s vital we continue its legacy at the TT and add more to its 23 wins. We’re all looking forward to testing and I think everyone from the riders and the team are all excited to get on track and put the new machine through its paces.”
Photos: Honda Racing
#GuyMartin
Thanks for joining me for the Live Coverage of the Ulster Grand Prix 2016
Thanks to everyone who joined me for my live Twitter Coverage of the 2016 Ulster Grand Prix.
Seven races, a monster meeting for Hutchy, with 4 wins a great show from Bruce, with a win, a super looks and a number of podiums and an always keep going from M. Dunlop earning him a load more UGP Podiums.
All of this covered live with hundreds of tweets, so if you were with me thanks. If not hopefully you can join in next time.
Something must have been done right though…
If you missed the action you can catch it tonight 15/08/2016 @ 21:00 GMT on BBC 2 Northern Ireland and tomorrow, 16/08/2016 @ 21:00 GMT also on BBC 2 Northern Ireland and I’m sure the BBC iPlayer shortly afterwards.