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The Colas Billown circuit acts as the book ends to the TT festival;
opening with the Pre TT Classic and closing with the Post TT Races.
First run in 1991 it has had some notable winners including Joey (11
wins), Robert (2 wins), William (8 wins) and Michael Dunlop (1 win).
Ian Lougher has also eleven wins to his name and Chris Palmer has
ten
The pre-race favourite for each of the three races was Jamie Coward,
fresh from a highly impressive TT. It was rumoured that he and his
team had been out celebrating on Friday night and was a little worse
for wear on Saturday. If true, good for him, it would have been
thoroughly deserved, the celebration not the head ache!! Whatever
the reason Jamie did not turn up for practice on Saturday afternoon
leaving the way open for others to take the spoils.
Each race had two practice sessions, first off was the CuPlas Callow
600cc class, followed by the Manx Independant Carriers 250/650cc
class and finally the Colas 1100cc class. The second practice
session was a repeat of the first. Although the road was dry, the
cloud base was low and the air was cooled by the breeze. It
threatened to rain with the odd few spots but in the main it stayed
dry. The first practice was headed by Colas Billown newcomer Mike
Browne (600 Kawasaki) from Nathan Harrison (Chris Preston / Quayside
Tyres 600 Suzuki) with Rob Hobson (675 Triumph) in third. The best
of Mike's six laps, was 104.045 mph, just 0.016 of a second faster
than Nathan's. The tables were turned in the second practice with
Harrison taking pole position with a lap of 104.685 mph, 0.622 of a
second ahead of Browne with Hobson third. Browne had been an
impressive newcomer at last years MGP and was equally impressive at
last weeks TT. He is definitely one to watch.
Next up was the 250/650cc practice, Dave Moffit (650 SCR Kawasaki)
topped the session with a lap of 96.994 mph followed by Anthony
Redmond (650 Reds Kawasaki) and Rhys Hardisty (Yamaha) on the sole
250 in the race. The conditions deteriorated when the second session
took place so the starting grid was made up from the times from the
first session.
Last up was practice for the Colas 1100cc Race, Rob Hobson (1000
BMW) lead the way from Ryan Kneen (Charmer Builders 1000cc BMW) and
Mike Browne (600cc Kawasaki) in both sessions. Rob set the fastest
practice lap of the afternoon in the second session with a lap of
109.953 mph from Kneen's 107.621 mph.
The weather improved and the crowd
swelled for the evenings races, the 600 and 1100 races held over 8
laps and the 250/650cc race over 6 laps. Sixteen riders filled the
grid for the CuPlas Callow 600cc Race, initially it was a three bike
battle between newcomer Mike Browne, Rob Hodson and Manxman Nathan
Harrison. Harrison went out on the fifth lap leaving Browne and
Hodson to fight for the spoils. A great ride by Browne gave him a
winning margin of 7.207 seconds from Hodson with Rhys Hardisty (Reps
Motorcycles 600 Yamaha) in third. Fourteen of the sixteen starters
finishing.
Mike Brown (600cc Kawasaki) heading
to victory in the CuPlas Callow 600cc race
Nathan Harrison (Chris Preston /
Quayside Tyres 600cc Suzuki) at Ballabeg
What the Manx Independent Carriers 250/650cc Race lacked in quantity
was more than made up for in quality. Dave Moffitt (650 SCR
Kawasaki) and Rhys Hardisty (250cc Yamaha) had a wheel to wheel race
long duel. Moffitt lost out by 1.6 seconds after going wide at
Castletown Corner on the sixth and final lap. Hardisty collecting
his second win at the Colas Billown circuit within two weeks, after
his Pre TT Classic success. Gavin Brown came home third on his 650cc
Kawasaki.
Rhys Hardistry (RH Racing 250cc
Yamaha) accelerating along Duck Street
Dave Moffitt (650cc SCR Kawasaki)
over shooting at Castletown Corner
The final race of day and for the TT Festival was the 8 lap Colas
1100cc Race. Another fantastic race ensued with a race long duel
between Rob Hodson (1000 BMW) and Ryan Kneen (Charmer Builders
1000cc BMW). Ryan set the fastest lap of the race at 111.090mph but
Rob won the race by the just 0.279 of a second, a blink of an eye.
Mike Browne completed the final podium place on his 600cc Kawasaki.
This concluded another Post TT meeting, as ever the meeting was run
effectively and efficiently. The S100 Club are now focusing on the
64th running of the S100 races in less than 30 days starting on
Monday July 8th 2019.
Rod Hobson on his victorious 1000cc BMW
Ryan Kneen 1000cc BMW rounding
Castletown Corner
Photographs by Mike Hammonds
Mike Hammonds
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