After a disappointing – by his standards at least – Centenary TT, Ryan Farquhar is back in competition in the Isle of Man.
Farquhar, who took a break from racing after the 100th TT, is contesting the Manx Grand Prix around the same famous Mountain Circuit which plays host to the TT races.
And the former TT winner looks to be on good form, already notching up an unofficial lap record.
The Dungannon man’s preparation for the MGP got off to a good start at the Ulster Grand Prix. He dominated the 1000cc Superstock class, leading from start to finish to claim another international road race victory.
No one had an answer for Farquhar’s Harker ZX-10R Kawasaki in the damp conditions as he roared away, taking victory with a 20 second-plus margin over Manxman Conor Cummins.
He was also looking good for victory in the Supersport 600cc race, putting his Kawasaki ZX-6R at the front of the field on lap two. On lap four he seemed to lose power, allowing Cummins and eventual race winner Guy Martin to pass. However, he held on to record a podium place.
Technical problems in practice for the Superbike race saw Farquhar start at the back. However, he gave 100 per cent on the McAdoo ZX-10R Kawasaki and, amazingly, by the end of lap one he had passed 15 riders!
The feat was all the more amazing because conditions were not good. He ignored spray from the wet roads to move form the back to seventh place.
He continued his battle forward, moving up to fourth by lap four and seemingly in a fantastic position for yet another podium finish, but it was not to be. With Farquhar closing rapidly on Bruce Anstey the race was red flagged on safety grounds, the rain having worsened.
The results saw the 31-year-old move up to two places to ninth in the Duke Road Race Rankings. The rankings are still dominated by Cummins and Martin.
After a disappointing start to the MGP, when Saturday’s practice was cancelled due to bad weather, the action really came alive during Tuesday evening’s session.
Riding the distinctive 500cc twin-cylinder Paton, Farquhar smashed the unofficial Senior Classic lap record that had stood since 1997. He was 16 seconds ahead of Bob Heath’s long-standing record, lapping at an average 108.093mph in a time of 20 minutes56.59 seconds.
It was a night of amazing performances. 2006 Ultra Lightweight MGP winner Alan Oversby, who had battled side-by-side with Farquhar for two laps, finished just a spilt second slower – with an average speed of 108.089mph!
The times have set the scene for a mouth-watering race on Monday, especially when last year’s winner Chris Palmer lines up alongside Farquhar and Oversby.
Farquhar also recorded the fourth best time in the Junior Classic class, at an average of just over 96mph. Fellow TT star Ian Lougher dominated the class times during Tuesday’s practice, finishing with a 101.005mph lap.
There was disappointment on Wednesday evening when sea mist over the Cronk-y-Voddy area meant practice had to be abandoned after just two laps.