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| TT News Scene - 2002 Manx Grand Prix Press Bulletin 1 |
| 2002 Manx Grand Prix Press Bulletin 1 | Submitted by: Bill Snelling Jun 21, 2002
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2002 Manx Grand Prix Press Bulletin 1
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2002 MANX GRAND PRIX PRESS BULLETIN No. 1
* Entries for this year's Manx Grand Prix are encouraging, with 70 newcomers
seeking a ride. In all, there was a total of 390 applications for 693 places
(2001: 401 for 685). After careful vetting, the organising Manx Motor Cycle
Club has accepted a total of 363 individuals for at least one ride this
year.
* The final breakdown is: Senior 114, Junior 118, Lightweight/Ultra-Lightweight 107 (LW 43, ULW 64); Classic Senior 98, Classic Junior/Lightweight 112 (J79, LW 33); Newcomers 70 (Class A 42, Class B 11, Class C 17).
* Winners at the 2000 Manx Grand Prix may have had to wait 21 months rather
than nine to compete in the TT, but nevertheless acquitted themselves with
distinction. Ryan Farquhar, who won the 750cc Senior MGP at a record
115.51mph with a fastest lap of 117.21mph (just 2.7 seconds slower than
Colin Breeze the previous year) took to the TT with ease and on a 1000cc R1
Yamaha upped his lap speed to 119.84mph. He was 13th in the Formula One, 8th
in the 400cc Lightweight, 14th in the 1000cc Production, 5th in the 600cc
Junior, 21st in the 600cc Production and 7th in the Senior.
* A further experimentation with automatic timekeeping by transponders
carried on racing machines is to be made at the Manx. It will be carried out
by a separate company from that which installed the system at the TT. Again,
Glen Helen, Ramsey Hairpin and the Grandstand will be the points at which
split times will be taken. At the conclusion of the tests, an evaluation
will be made by appropriate parties.
* Morning practice sessions will again not be officially timed. Newcomers
will not be permitted in the second portion of the opening Saturday's
practice nor in the first portion of Monday evening's session. There is
provision for emergency morning practice sessions on the Friday and/or the
final Saturday.
* Qualifying times for the Manx are set modestly, bearing in mind that it is
two years since the last meeting and roads have improved considerably in the
meantime. The 750cc Senior and 250cc/600cc Junior are both 25 minutes; the
250cc Lightweight 26 minutes and the 125cc/400cc Ultra-Lightweight 27
minutes. The qualifying times for the Classic races are: 500cc Senior 28
minutes, 350cc Junior 29 minutes and 250cc Lightweight 30 minutes. The three
Newcomers classes are 26, 27 and 28 minutes respectively.
* The outright lap record for the Manx Grand Prix stands to the name of
Colin Breeze. He lapped his elderly 750cc Kawasaki in 19 minutes 16.1
seconds, an average speed of 117.48mph on his way to winning the 1999 Senior
race. 2002 Lightweight TT winner Richard Quayle holds the Lightweight 250cc
MGP record at 114.80mph en route to winning the 1999 race. The 600cc Junior
lap record is by Keith Townsend (Honda) at 117.11 from 2000; and the
125cc/400cc Ultra-Lightweight Chris Dowling (400 Honda) at 105.96mph also in
2000.
* In the Classic races, the lap records are: 500cc Senior Bob Heath
(Matchless) at 106.74mph from 1997; 350cc Junior Bill Swallow (Aermacchi) at
102.23mph from 1996; 250cc Lightweight Bob Jackson (Suzuki) at 100.90mph
also from 1996. The longest-standing lap record comes in the Junior
Newcomers, where now-established TT star Adrian McFarland from Northern
Ireland dates back to 1995 for his Junior mark of 112.07mph, although he was
defeated for the race win by fellow Ulsterman Ricky Mitchell. Mick Skene
(600 Honda) is the fastest-ever Manx Grand Prix newcomer, doing 115.11mph in
the 2000 event, before sliding off at Brandywell when leading.
Geoff Cannell
Chief Press Officer
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