Tuesday evening was sunny and calm, with the track dry for the second practice session of MGP 2022. There were enthusiasts from several nations gathered trackside at Kirk Michael. First machines on track were the Classic Superbikes and Senior MGP machines. Michael Dunlop was first to reach us and well clear of the pack as he approached Douglas Road Corner. I had not seen Michael trail a leg coming into a corner before last night; but he did the “Doctor’s dangle” as he slowed for the right hander past the school. He was fast and used every inch of the road on the exit, sending a dust cloud into the air.
The action was then fast and furious as the riders sought to take advantage of the ideal conditions. There was plenty to keep the spectators enthused; with fast action and some good groups powering through. Just as the leading riders began the mountain climb; the dreaded red flag appeared, halting proceedings. Experienced rider Jim Barnett had crashed at the other end of the village; at Birkin’s Bend; Rhencullen. He suffered some fractures and was airlifted away; we hope that he will make a full recovery. Five riders were stopped at Douglas Road Corner because of the red flag. One of them was American rider Adam Bauer; from Ramsey, Minnesota. It was good to chat to him; he was a good friend of the late Davy Morgan, and his helmet is a tribute to Davy. The stoppage means that the riders in the two classes are well down on where they should be in terms of track time and laps completed.
Once the riders stopped out on the circuit had been escorted back to the grandstand; the second session for the Senior Classic, Lightweight and Junior machines began. First to reach Kirk Michael was Andrea Majola; on a Paton. He was followed closely by the old master Ian Lougher, who had young pretender Jim Hind right behind him. Other early arrivals included Francesco Curinga, Jamie Coward and Mike Browne; who has taken to the LayLaw Yamaha like a duck to water. This was a very busy lap, with the volume of riders meaning that for most a really fast lap was not possible. John McGuinness was out on his Paton; but was clearly having an issue with the bike.
The delayed start allowed only one lap to be completed by the riders; hopefully, Wednesday will allow two uninterrupted sessions to take place. The fastest lap of the night was set by Mike Browne at 113.486mph; Ian Lougher (113.118mph) and Jim hind (112.932mph) were within 6 seconds of Browne’s time. Stefano Bonetti (Paton) led the Senior Classic charts at 104.800mph; Lee Johnston and Alan Oversby took their Hondas around at over 103mph. In the Junior (Supertwin) MGP, Francesco Curinga (Paton) topped the charts at 112.773mph; local man Jamie Williams was second at 111.841mph; with Daniel Ingham third at 109.655mph third best of the session.
