Isle of Man TT: Another exciting year, but now the wait for 2010!

Ron Lieback

AllAboutBikes.com Content Editor/Staff Writer

This year’s Isle of Man TT was all about numbers and record breaking. During the TT, 2,090 practice laps – the equivalent of 78,856 miles – and 1,423 racing laps – the equivalent of 53,689 miles – were completed.

The big name for 2009 is 15-time winner John McGuinness, who set a new outright lap record of 1 hour 46 minutes 7.16 seconds, with an average speed of 127.996 mph in the opening Dainese Superbike TT.

McGuinness, who led from start to finish, moving ahead of TT legend Mike Hailwood in the list of all-time victors, was presented the winner’s garland by eight-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi.

“Hailwood was the rider everyone talked about,” said McGuinness. “I never thought I would be mentioned in the same breath. Now to be one ahead of him is something special.”

McGuinness’ next task: see whether he can go for the record 26 victories posted by the late Joey Dunlop.

Besides McGuinness impressive performance, different riders in solo classes on the Mountain Circuit also broke records this year.

According to Isle of Man TT Official Press:

Ian Hutchinson set new standards in both the Relentless Supersport (1hr 12mins 56.58secs/124.141mph) and Royal London Superstock (1hr 10mins 57.54secs/127.612mph) and Steve Plater established a new record in the Pokerstars Senior TT (1hr 45mins 53.15secs/128.278mph).

Veteran Ian Lougher, who has now competed in more than 100 TT races, also celebrated a double in the Motorsport Merchandise Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight TTs with victories and new lap records of 96.051mph (125cc) and 102.531mph (250cc).
There were also new lap records in the Supersport class for TAS Suzuki’s Bruce Anstey (17mins 53.32secs, an average of 126.549mph) and Padgetts Honda’s Hutchinson in the Superstock class (17mins 26.88secs/129.746mph).

HM Plant Honda’s McGuinness broke his own outright record with a staggering new average speed around the legendary TT circuit of 131.578mph.

Jenny Tinmouth became the TT’s fastest female rider with a new lap record of 116.835mph, shattering the previous record held by Maria Costello. It was a stunning performance for a newcomer to the challenging Mountain Course.

There were also notable newcomer performances from Luis Carreira, with a time of 122.062mph to put him fifth on the all-time list of fastest newcomers. Steve Mercer (121.362mph) and Ben Wylie (120.786mph) are seventh and ninth respectively.

In the Sure Sidecar class Dave Molyneux won the only race, following the cancellation of the second race after a racing incident. It was an amazing 14th TT win for the Manxman, and Moly set a new race record of 58mins 59.28secs.

Nick Crowe and Mark Cox had the consolation that their lap record of 116.667mph, set in 2007, remained intact.

Birchall brothers Ben and Tom posted a notable fastest lap time of 110.615mph, making them the second fastest newcomers ever.

Many notable names commented on the 2009 season, including legendary commentator Murray Walker, whose father won a TT in 1931 and who first commentated on the event for the BBC in 1949.

“The high points of my trip to the Isle of Man were the honour and privilege of starting the PokerStars Senior TT and my first ever time at Bray Hill during a race, as I’ve always been in the commentary box before,” Isle of Man Official Press reported. “I knew it was incredible, but it far exceeded my most extreme expectations. I always thought that everyone who rode in the TT was a superman, but now I know they are. I had the strongest feeling possible that the TT has very definitely turned the corner and now has a very bright future.”

MotoGP Giant Valentino Rossi said he was stunned after his first visit to the TT. He visited the island during the Dainese Superbike Race, completing lap of the course with 10-time TT champion Giacomo Agostini.
 
“It’s a great track,” Rossi said. “Incredible, fast, funny for the bike. To go flat out you need a lot of technique and bravery. For the riders who do this race it is like a battle against the TT. It’s different to MotoGP. It is very dangerous and is not possible to make a mistake. It’s impressive.”

Another MotoGP star to visit was Bradley Smith, Britain’s most successful Grand Prix rider since Barry Sheene. He got his first taste of the TT with race winning Manxman. Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle. Quayle gave Smith a guided tour of the 37.73 mile Mountain Circuit in a race official’s Jaguar.

“It was unbelievable just to have that opportunity. It was really special to go round with Milky,” Smith said. “You watch it on the TV, but you just don’t get a true impression of what they actually do. I was surprised by all of the blind corners and the undulation of the track. I think these guys are amazing specialists.”

The racing saw Lincolnshire rider Steve Plater take the overall title when Ian Hutchinson slid off at Quarterbridge on the final lap of the Pokerstars Senior Race.

Hutchinson, who took the Relentless Supersport 1 and Royal London 360 Superstock titles, went into the final day with a 19 point lead from Plater for the Joey Dunlop TT Championship Trophy, awarded to the best aggregate total across the five solo races. The solo manufacturer’s award also went to Honda.

According to Isle of Man TT Official Press, this year’s TT also saw the debut of the world’s first clean emissions motorcycle race. TTXGP saw 16 machines complete a lap of the course, with 10 making it around in the first practice. Another machine qualified in second practice and special dispensation was given to three others to start.

At the end of the one-lap race, nine machines crossed the finish line. The fastest lap time of 87.434mph was recorded by Rob Barber with Team Agni. The open class was won by Chris Heath from US-based Electric Motorsport.

Manxman Conor Cummins received the Gavin Lee Trophy, awarded to the best performance by an Isle of Man resident in the Senior TT, for his stunning second place.
American Mark Miller was awarded the Iceman Trophy, in memory of Swedish rider Joakim Karlsson, for most meritorious performance by a non-UK resident for his 11th place finish in the Dainese Superbike and 12th place in the Royal London 360 Superstock.

The Martin Finnegan Trophy for the fastest lap by an Irishman, donated by the Martin Finnegan Supporters club, went to Adrian Archibald for his best lap of 128.883mph in the Dainese Superbike race.

The Frank Cope Trophy for ‘most meritorious performance given the seniority of a competitor’s age’ went to Dave Madsen Mygdal.

Now the wait for next year…