TT stars shine as 2010 season gets under way
Several Isle of Man TT racers enjoyed good starts to the season as they prepare for the 2010 TT.
Riders including reigning TT champion Steve Plater, 15-times TT winner John McGuinness and 2009 Senior TT podium finishers Conor Cummins and Gary Johnson were among the TT stars in action over the Bank Holiday weekend.
They were all racing at Brands Hatch as the British short circuit season got under way with the opening races of the British Superbike and National Superstock 1000 championships.
Plater, who won last year’s British Supersport Championship, romped to a victory in the opening round of the 1000cc superstock series, 6.7 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
Fast in practice, the 2009 Senior TT winner narrowly missed out on pole position for the race. Starting from the front row the HM Plant Honda rider slotted into second behind Glen Richards and the pair started to pull away from the field.
There was drama after just six laps when Richards highsided, leaving Lincolnshire’s Plater to dominate the race alone. He continued to pull away, setting a new lap record for the Indy circuit of 46.671 seconds (92.45mph), before slowing to pick his way through backmarkers.
Speaking afterwards, Plater said:
“I was beginning to catch Glen (Richards), but unfortunately he suffered a big highside coming out of Graham Hill Bend and crashed.”
“I just settled down and concentrated on pulling clear from the guys behind. I was shown the pit board and saw I was seven or eight seconds ahead so I was quite comfortable and didn’t really panic when I got in amongst the back markers. I just conserved my tyre towards the end to make sure of the win.”
“Now I can look forward to the Superbike races and hope my teammates can come up with similar results!”
His TT teammate McGuinness also enjoyed a positive start to the 2010 season, with sixth in the same race. The Morecambe rider had been in fine form all weekend, and was just two seconds down on second place at the chequered flag.
McGuinness qualified his Padgetts Honda fifth, heading the second row, but lost out on the first few corners to find himself eighth at the end of lap one. He moved up to seventh when Richards crashed, then chased the riders ahead until, with less than two laps to go, he passed Richard Cooper to take sixth.
The competition behind the dominate Plater was so tight, second to sixth was covered by just two seconds.
Speaking afterwards, McGuinness said:
“It was a strong ride and I felt that I was as quick as anyone else out there, it was just the first half a lap that was my undoing. I definitely had the pace to be running second, but I was a little bit lazy away from the line and it was ultimately my track position that conspired against me.”
“I closed up to the boys in front of me quite comfortably, but finding a way by someone on this circuit is never easy and whilst a couple of the boys made slight mistakes, they weren't big enough to allow me to find a way by. I was a bit de-tuned when I saw Glen go down, but I got back into my rhythm and stayed strong until the end of the race, so it's a solid start.”
“The opening round sometimes throws up a few surprises, but I've got some decent points on the board already and the bike’s mega so we’re well placed for another challenge for the title.”
Just up the road was Manxman Cummins, who finished fourth in the Superstock 1000 race. The Team Blackhorse Kawasaki rider was in excellent form, never out of the top five and running second in the race at one stage.
The Ramsey rider was sixth on the grid, just behind McGuinness, and moved ahead of the TT legend at the start. He was briefly pushed back to sixth on lap four, but two laps later moved up again.
Cummins was part of a five-way battle for second, and when Sam Warren crashed on lap 15 Cummins took advantage of the confusion to move up to third and then second.
A slide exiting Graham Hill Bend on lap 19 was enough for the 2009 Senior TT podium finisher to be pushed back to fourth, which he held onto to the flag.
The race was so tight, second to fourth was split by just two tenths of a second.
Speaking afterwards, Cummins said:
“I always enjoy my racing but I definitely enjoyed that race today and it's so nice to get my season underway with a strong result and with some decent points on the board. I had a few skippy moments out there when the rear let go due to the colder temperatures, but the bike was flying and the team have done a terrific job in preparing it for me.”
“I thought second could have been mine today, but it was one of those races where the result could have gone either way and when I had a bit of a slide at one corner it was enough to let two of the boys through. I was a bit tentative for the next couple of laps after that as I was worried about the rear grip, but fourth is a great result for all of us. We haven't been out of the top 5 all weekend, whether wet or dry, and it's great for my confidence to be so competitive so soon.”
“The championship is harder than it's ever been with ex-British Superbike riders, the reigning British Supersport Champion etc, but I'm not in awe of anyone and I think we're going to have a great year. I'm really, really chuffed with fourth place so a big thanks to all the team and sponsors as they've put together a great package that has allowed me to show what I can really do - roll on round 2!”
2009 Senior TT podium finisher Gary Johnson came away from the Brands Hatch meeting empty-handed, but still recovering from injuries sustained in a high-speed testing crash, the Broughton rider did well just to make the start of the two British Superbike Championship races.
Still struggling with his arm injury, Johnson was unsure whether he would last race distance on the AIM Suzuki. However, he decided to ride use the meeting as another test session.
He seemed to be coping well through practice and qualifying, starting from the seventh row for race one. Johnson started well, but as the pace quickened he fell back and retired with two thirds of the race gone.
Despite his ongoing injury problem, Johnson was back out for race two – although he last just five laps before mechanical problems saw him forced out.