The Norton Team packing up

Connor Cummins Leathers in a wheel barrow !! 

 

The oil slick at the bottom of Barragarroo was due to James Hillier's Kawasaki bottoming out and cracking the sump, thus releasing the oil. Waved yellow flags were used to warn the riders, I am not sure if the next man through(Michael Rutter) would have got much of a warning being only 10 seconds behind.

 

Ryan Kneen deservedly won the Spirit of the TT award after is lap to commemorate his late brother Dan.

 

The final action for TT 2018 was the Post TT Races held at Billown. Once again the conditions were perfect for the afternoon practicing session and evening's 

aces. The only possible complaint from the riders would have been that it was too hot, which could said to be the story of the TT.
 

 

The Radcliffe Butchers sponsored Post TT consists of three events, the 600cc, 650cc Lightweight and finally the 1000cc race. Each class had two afternoon practice sessions with an 8 lap race for the 600cc and 1000cc bikes and a six lap race for the 250 / 650cc lightweights. James Cowton was fastest in five out of the six practice sessions, Jamie Coward being fastest in the second 600cc practice. Ryan Kneen qualified third fastest in the 1000cc race, his first outing since his commemoration lap for brother Dan. .Cowton, however, claimed pole position in all three classes, the question was: had he shown his hand to early?

 

Three great races ensued and true to this years TT lap records were broken in all three races and race records in two.

 

The McAdoo Racing team mates James Cowton and Adam Mclean battled it out with Joey Thompson for the honours in the 600 race. The lead swapped throughout the race but Adam Mclean pipped his team mate by only 0.209 seconds with Joey Thompson third, 1.511 seconds back; all three being Kawasaki mounted. Compensation for James Cowton was that he set a new lap record for a 600 of 109.311 mph.

Adam McClean ahead of Cowton in the 600race, Joey Thompson behind.

James Cowton

 

Cowton again set a new lap record in the 250/650 Lightweight Race with a lap of 102.758 mph however the new race record was set by Joey Thompson. Thompson's Paton beat Cowton's Kawasaki by 9.239 seconds setting a new race average of 101.484. TT debutant, Jonathan Perry was third, also Kawasaki mounted.

Joey Thompson

 

The curtain for TT 2018 was brought down by the final race of the evening, the 1000cc Race. This was particularly emotional for all when Ryan Kneen claimed the final rostrum position on his 1000cc BMW, he was given a standing ovation all of the way around the course on his last lap. James Cowton finally got the win his riding deserved by setting new lap and race records in beating Rob Hodson by 4.477 seconds. The McAdoo rider setting a new lap record of 112.345 and race record of 110.204 mph on his 1000cc Kawasaki, BMW mounted Hodson fastest lap was 111.608mph. 

A fantastic evening's racing brought to a close a fantastic TT. 

 

My thanks go to TT Press Officer Simon Crellin and his Team, the ladies in the Race Office, S100 Press Officer Phil Edge and to the TT and S100 marshals for allowing me to take photographs from their locations

 

Mike Hammonds