Congradulations firstly to Maria for finally
cracking that record held by Sandra since 1996.
But I still think Sandra was the best, as said in other postings for her achievements.
And yes it took some self belief and effort to
achieve what Maria has done, it does to show
how much harder Maria had to work to achieve it.
Now she has finally done it, faster times may come easier ! She'll porbably go faster at the MGP
providing she has the right bike.

I to admire Kate Parkinson, I remember her from
her first race days, she was a good rider on the
two stroker! We miss her, but I did speak with
her last year and she says she won't be back and
doesn' t follow the bikes anymore because she'd
be tempted ! Must let her know the record was beaten!
Well done Elle, great ride at the Billown Classic.
Also great effort from Anita Buxton what a great
TT and more to come ! Does to show she was
unfairly left out of the TT on big bike since the
last ride on 1999. Last recorded time on a 900
in 1999 at 102.68 mph, to over 107mph this year !
And where would she be now ? I recall Anita and
Maria's times at their last appearance at the TT
equal, now we'll never know who'll have made the
record first !? Such a shame. Go girl give it to
'em next TT !!

Gail sounds like womens lib is taking over? but seriously is Beryl Swain still alive as she was the 1st lady i saw race in the TT.

Although Maria is now the fastest rider around the ciruit, it will be while before her achivement ranks alongside Sandra's.

Sandra was in the top 15 in the Junior TT I think, and her fastest lap time was set on a steel framed CBR - most impressive. Pity she retired - she could have been a top ten regular by now.

Paul

I didn't start following Sandra Barnett until I saw her race at Mallory Park in 1996 (when she won the 600 race of the year beating Phil Plater no less)but I do know that she smashed the ladies TT lap record as a Newcomer in the 1993 MGP when she lapped at over 108.
Sandra was also involved in taking Maria and Bridget McManus to the MGP as Newcomers where they both lapped at over 100 mph riding in Sandra's own team in 1996! I have all three of their autographs on a team photo.
No one has confirmed reports of Sandra in Nobles hospital but I would love to know if she is still racing somewhere or involved in a team?
She still has the fastest race by a female TT rider and I'm sure she is the only one (on solo's) to have won a silver replica.
Good luck to all the girls, you've got real guts!

I hope I'm not infringing any copyright here, but the following is a 'cut and paste' from the database on <A HREF="http://www.iomtt.com">www.iomtt.com</A>, and relates to the Junior 600 TT of 1996. Interesting reading, and and far as Sandra is concerned I think it speaks for itself !

Posn No Rider Name Machine Time Speed
1 - Phillip McCallen
Honda
57.43.4 117.65
2 - Iain Duffus
V&M Honda
58.01.3 117.04
3 - Ian Simpson
V&M Honda
58.22.1 116.35
4 - Colin Gable
Honda
58.54.8 115.27
5 - Jason Griffiths
Morris Honda Britain
59.06.2 114.90
6 - Nigel Davies
Kawasaki
59.08.4 114.83
7 - Jim Moodie
Honda
59.11.0 114.75
8 - Nick Jefferies
Honda
59.22.0 114.37
9 - Bob Jackson
McAdoo Honda
59.23.4 114.35
10 - Lee Pullan
Honda
59.54.2 113.37
11 - Ian Lougher
Honda
1.00.02.2 113.12
12 - Sandra Barnett
Honda
1.00.09.4 112.89
13 - Mark Flynn
Yamaha
1.00.30.0 112.25
14 - Simon Smith
HTC Kawasaki
1.00.33.3 112.15
15 - Dennis Winterbottom
Honda
1.00.37.9 112.01
16 - David Jefferies
Honda
1.00.50.0 111.63
17 - Denis McCullough
AW Honda
1.00.56.2 111.45
18 - Alan Batson
Honda
1.00.57.8 111.40
19 - Derek Young
Tillston Honda
1.01.10.8 111.00
20 - Johnny Barton
Scott Honda
1.01.11.8 110.97
21 - Nigel Piercy
Honda
1.01.18.5 110.77
22 - Loren Poole
Yamaha YZF600
1.01.19.6 110.74
23 - Thomas Montano
Honda
1.01.22.0 110.64
24 - Ashley Law
Micron Honda
1.01.51.8 109.78
25 - Tim Leech
Honda
1.01.53.4 109.73
26 - Mike Casey
Bullock Honda
1.01.58.2 109.59
27 - Decca Kelly
Aeromega Honda
1.02.21.4 108.91
28 - Frank Finch
Honda
1.02.36.2 108.48
29 - Allan Warner
Honda
1.02.37.5 108.44
30 - Chris Petty
Honda
1.02.49.9 108.08
31 - Michael Rutter
Honda
1.02.50.3 108.07
32 - Chris Heath
Honda
1.03.01.6 107.75
33 - Rob L Anson
Honda Team CBR
1.03.05.2 107.65
34 - Ian Armstrong
Honda
1.03.12.4 107.44
35 - Tony Cross
Honda
1.03.17.5 107.30
36 - Blair Degerholm
Intersport Kawasaki
1.03.19.8 107.23
37 - John Hepburn
Honda
1.03.19.9 107.23
38 - P Nicholls
Honda
1.03.23.1 107.14
39 - Jon Vincent
Yamaha
1.03.28.1 107.00
40 - Jeff Tansley
Yamaha
1.03.31.3 106.91
41 - Marc Granie
Kawasaki
1.03.38.1 106.72
42 - John Henderson
Honda
1.03.57.3 106.19
43 - Peter Meinhardt
Kawasaki
1.04.10.8 105.81
44 - Paul Orritt
Honda
1.04.18.1 105.61
45 - Scott Buckley
Yamaha
1.04.28.5 105.33
46 - John Donnan
Honda
1.04.32.7 105.21
47 - Chris Harris
Kawasaki
1.04.45.1 104.88
48 - Alan Graham
Kawasaki
1.04.55.9 104.59
49 - Nathan Spargo
Yamaha Thundercat
1.05.01.9 104.43
50 - Henk Riezebos
Yamaha
1.05.28.6 103.72
51 - Bill Boldman
Honda
1.05.36.0 103.52
52 - Stuart Noon
Yamaha
1.05.36.0 103.52
53 - Phil Gilmour
Honda
1.05.50.2 103.15
54 - Stephen Briggs
Yamaha
1.05.51.8 103.11
55 - Brett Dugdale
Yamaha
1.05.58.4 102.94
56 - Jeffrey Lattimer
Yamaha
1.06.11.1 102.61
57 - Steve Richardson
Honda
1.06.18.7 102.41
58 - Jerome Van Haeltert
Honda
1.06.25.4 102.24
59 - Mark Robinson
Honda
1.06.31.0 102.10
60 - Dirk Kaletisch
Kawasaki
1.06.36.4 101.96
61 - Peter Wakefield
Yamaha
1.07.06.2 101.20
62 - Doug Bell
Yamaha Thundercat
1.07.17.8 100.91
63 - Peter Salmon
Yamaha
1.07.39.2 100.38
64 - Isaac Easthope
Yamaha
1.08.22.7 99.32
65 - Joe O Sullivan
Honda
1.08.28.7 99.17
66 - Mac McDiarmid
Yamaha
1.09.20.7 97.93
67 - Peter Jaermann
A&S Honda
1.09.21.0 97.92
68 - Francesca Giordano
Yamaha
1.15.18.7 90.17
DNF - Chris Moss
Unknown
0.00
DNF - Dave Castle
Unknown
0.00
DNF - Chris McGahan
Unknown
0.00
DNF - Mark Daynes
Unknown
0.00
DNF - Richard Mortimer
Unknown
0.00

And didn't she win the new era 600 championship one year, no mean achievment.

For those interested... Yes Sandra did indeed win the New Era 600 Club Championship in 1996, she also won the EMRA 1000cc production championship in 1995.
She broke and still holds the Production Lap record at Fairford Circuit with The North Glos Club on a 750 Suzuki.
Her short circuit racing career effectively ended at Brands Hatch in Sept 1996 with a big crash at Surtees which ruptured her knee ligaments very badly.
She returned to the TT in 1997 (recognise the pictures by the black leathers, the only year that she didn't ride in all white!)but the team (me) made a poor decision to supply her with a VTR1000 which turned out to be unsuitable for the job but she still managed to beat her own lap record by a few seconds on the 600, tough going as it was the only event in which she rode that year.
In 1998, still recovering from the knee injury, Sandra rode for the News of the World Endurance team missing the TT. In 1999 she decided to concentrate on getting fit by riding Enduros and Trials. She competed in a number of Clubman National Enduro rounds on a KDX220 and rode a Gas Gas 270 in lots of club trials.
Backed by long time sponsor Paxford Garage, and Frasers of Glos., Sandra made a one-off return to the TT in 2000 but rain hit practice conspired to keep her off the pace she had set in 96-97, the highlight of the week actually coming in the 400 race on the Paxford Garage NC30 which she rode to a career best TT finish of 9th place.
Looking back, (as mentioned by someone else in another post) Sandra has/had set the fastest laps and races by a female competitor on a 250 two stroke, 400, Single Cylinder, 600, F1, Senior and 1000 Production with superb finishes in many of these races. With a Silver replica in the 1996 Junior TT!!
There are only a few male riders who would think nothing of doing two TT practice laps on a TZ 250, swapping straight to a RC30 750 for two more laps then without a word jump on to a Honda Fireblade for another lap and lapping all three at over 110. This was the sort of thing that Sandra did comfortably during every TT she rode.
I feel totally confident that she had 120 mph laps in her, she was always so smooth and in control... but it was never to be.
For those interested in what she is doing now, I have lost touch with Sandra but look out for a rider on an R6 wearing a white Arai with red stars, you might just get a shock if you try to keep up when they overtake!
Finally, I would like to congratulate Maria on her fantastic lap in this years Production race, I know only too well how hard it is to lap at over 110, all credit to Maria for beating Sandra's lap time, that was no mean feat and took determination and guts... sincere congratulations, well done!