1. Friday the 23rd
After a number of practice sessions, the event effectively started on Friday the 23rd of August with the Classic Paddock Carnival—many of the participants wearing nostalgic attire. This was shortly followed by the final qualifying sessions. But the main attraction for classic motorcycle racing fans was on Saturday the 24th when the first race for 500-cc machines got underway.
The winner of the first classic 500-cc IOM TT race was Bedfordshire rider Olie Linsdell (winner of the 2007 Manx Grand Prix Newcomers and Ultra Lightweight races) riding the Bennetts Giovanni Cabassi Paton. Linsdell also set the race's fastest lap with an average speed of 111.660 (a new record). The speed of the Paton can be judged from the Sulby speed trap where the 1968 machine was clocked at 146.84 mph.
Following this race was another qualifying session for Monday's Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula Classic Races, and the Okells 350/250cc races. TT ace, Michael Dunlop, set the fastest time of the week to this point with a stunning 124.049 mph average lap on the Team Classic Suzuki machine.
2. 1967 Senior TT
One of the highlights for many of the Classic TT week is the parade laps. On the Saturday a very special parade took place when 15-times World Champion Giacomo Agostini rode his own MV Agusta and TT legend John McGuinness appeared riding a Mike Hailwood replica Honda owned by John Chapman. The parade was to commemorate the classic 1967 race which Hailwood won after the Italian's machine broke its chain on the 5th lap.
Sunday saw the Vintage Motorcycle Club organize their popular Festival of Jurby races on the Islands former WW11 airfield.
3. Monday the 26th Races
Fresh from taking four wins from five starts at the 2013 Isle of Man TT, Northern Ireland rider Michael Dunlop won the Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1 Classic TT race. He not only won the race, he broke his own race and lap records for classic machines leaving the new record at 120.36 mph race average and a single lap best of 123.196 mph. Dunlop used a Team Classic Suzuki F1 machine for his record-breaking ride.
Second place went to Dunlop's teammate, Conor Cummins, riding another Suzuki. The final podium spot went to Manxman Ryan Kneen who was lucky to finish as he ran out of fuel on his way to the winner's enclosure!
Formula 2 Race
Chris Palmer took the top honors in the F2 race on his Rob Brew Racing Yamaha with a race average of 109.944 mph. James Cowton on a Peter Berwick Yamaha was second, and Phil McGurk on the Springcourt Motorcycles Yamaha was third.
Formula Classic
Closest race of the day was the Formula Classic event, which saw a winning margin of just 0.174 seconds.
The four lap race had seen Gavin Upton and Dean Harrison swap the lead throughout. But it was Harrison that took the flag with a race average of 102.778 mph despite his fuel tank coming loose forcing him to hold it in place between his knees for a large part of the race!
TV Coverage
The race should be available on ITV 4 in the UK on Wednesday the 28th, Discovery Velocity in the US and Network 10 in Australia. See local listings for details.
