McGuinness takes 12th TT victory
John McGuinness claimed his 12th TT win as racing at the Centenary of the Isle of Man road race finally got underway - and set a Superbike lap record on his way to victory.
Michael Rutter on his MSS Discovery Kawasaki led the field away at 12.45pm for the Bennetts Superbike TT, which had been postponed from Saturday and delayed by two hours today because of poor visibility.
Local rider Nigel Beattie had problems on the start line and was unable to get his TT under way. Relentless Suzuki by TAS rider Bruce Anstey and Michael Rutter failed to complete the first lap.
Adrian Archibald and John McGuinness arrived at Glen Helen together on the first circuit, but by Ramsey Hairpin McGuinness was leading on the road.
He completed the first lap at 127.807mph, passing the Grandstand speed trap at 172.6mph.
Guy Martin was second and Ian
Hutchinson third, followed by Martin Finnegan, Ian Lougher and Ryan Farquhar.
At the end of the second lap McGuinness was first into the pit lane for a tyre change and fuel.
After the stops McGuinness led Martin by 17 seconds.
Martin moved ahead of Hutchinson as they rounded the Ramsey Hairpin on lap three, but remained 18.5 seconds behind McGuinness.
As he completed his third lap McGuinness recorded 172.20mph, with Martin 22 seconds behind. Hutchinson was third, a further 20 seconds down, followed by Finnegan, Lougher and Farquhar.
On lap four McGuinness was in the pits on his own, followed shortly afterwards by a freight train of Martin, Hutchinson and Finnegan. Martin lost a further 10 seconds to in the pits.
As the miles unfolded Martin reduced the gap to 31 seconds at Glen Helen on the fifth lap and a further 4 seconds had been pulled back by Ramsey Hairpin.
McGuinness passed the Grandstand at 171.30mph to start his sixth and final lap, while Martin roared by at 172.90mph.
At Glen Helen on the final circuit the lead was 28 seconds and fell to 25.94second by the chequered flag. But it was McGuinness who led home a Honda one-two-three.
Finnegan finished fourth, Lougher fifth and Farquhar sixth. Adrian Archibald, Conor Cummins, Ian Armstrong and Steve Plater made up the top 10.