Today sees the final day of the 2005 TT Festival in the Isle of Man after what has been a remarkable week. Last race on the programme is this mornings 226 mile Strand Shopping Centre Senior TT, followed by the Lap of Honour and Classic Parade.

One of the most dramatic and open meetings of recent TT history has seen six different winners of the six races so far. Local crews Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle, and Nick Crowe and Darren Hope, shared the spoils in the two Sidecar TTs while Bruce Anstey, Ian Lougher, Ryan Farquhar and John McGuinness each have one victory to their credit in the solo classes.

They will all be out to claim a second win today which would make them the only double champion of the week. However, if someone like Adrian Archibald, Richard Britton or Jason Griffiths – who are all high up on the practice leaderboard – should take the chequered flag it would mean every race was won by a different rider.

Ryan Farquhar, first home in Wednesday’s Supersport Junior B Race, recorded the fastest Senior practice time. After riding to victory on Wednesday Ryan was back in his leathers for the late-afternoon practice session on his Kawasaki and recorded the fastest Senior time of the week at 125.489 miles an hour.

Adrian Archibald was also out on Wednesday and slotted into second place at a speed of 125.306. Close behind come John McGuinness (125.262), Ian Lougher (125.067), Richard Britton (124.708) and Guy Martin (124.396.) Others to record laps at over 122 miles an hour were Jason Griffiths, Martin Finnegan, Raymond Porter, Ian Hutchinson, Bruce Anstey and Jun Maeda.

Although the Senior TT brings down the curtain on the racing element of the Festival there is a grand finale by way of the Lap of Honour when spectators will be afforded an opportunity of seeing riders, and machines, which made the TT headlines in years gone by.

The honour of leading the parade is given to10 times TT winner Giacomo Agostini on his famous MV Agusta and he will be followed by another rider who has nine victories of his own – Charlie Williams on a 1974 Yamaha. Elsewhere in the Parade will be motorcycles of yesteryear including a 1949 Velocette, a 1950 Vincent, and a 1957 Gilera. They will be rubbing shoulders – or streamlining – with a gleaming 2005 1000cc Honda Fireblade. The Isle of Man’s Minister of Tourism, David Cretney, who was also a competitor on the TT Course, hopes to be on the starting grid as well.

The six-lap Senior TT is scheduled to be flagged off at 10.45 with the Lap of Honour getting underway at the conclusion of the race.

ENDS