First Race of TT Festival 2010

The opening race of the 2010 TT Festival took place this afternoon at the Blackford’s Pre TT Classic Road Races on the Billown Course.

First run in 1988, the popular meeting attracted a 10% additional entry on 2009 and the first event of the meeting was a race for 250cc and 350cc Single Cylinder machines over six laps of the 4.25-mile closed public roads course in the south of the Isle of Man.

Overall quickest in the two qualifying sessions on Friday evening had been 2009 race winner, Roy Richardson on the 350cc FCL Aermacchi and ‘young’ Ted Fenwick on his 250cc Ducati, second last year and winner in 2003.

Wet and a constant drizzle ‘welcomed’ the grid of riders for the first race of the 2010 programme as Pole sitter Richardson resplendent in Blackpool FC’s colours took the hole shot and led at the end of the opening lap chased hard by Chris Palmer.

Roy’s race came to an abrupt end, sliding off at Church Bends on the second circuit, without injury, which gave local man Palmer the advantage from fellow Manxie Rich Hawkins.

Half distance and the leading pair passed the start-finish separated by the merest of distances, three thousands of a second, but with Hawkins in front.

A lap later and the positions were the same, with the gap extended to 1.5 seconds, however at the conclusion of the penultimate lap it was a possible three-way Manx Podium, Palmer, Hawkins and Ramsey’s Allan Brew, the distance now three-tenths of a second between the leading two.

Palmer set the fastest lap of the race on the final circuit at 80.079mph to take the lead and the chequered flag by eight-tenths of a second from Hawkins, as Mike Hose claimed third at the flag.

The 250cc race proved to be a start to finish victory for 82-year-old Yorkshireman Ted Fenwick from Roger Birkenhead, with newcomer Bob Millinship third all Ducati mounted.


You can view/download the 250/350 Singles race results in pdf format by clicking on the link below.

Full Race Result