CROWES JOIN 120MPH CLUB IN SECOND TT WIN
Ryan and Callum Crowe claimed a second victory at the Isle of Man TT Races on Thursday afternoon in the second 3wheeling.Media Sidecar TT Race, more than twenty seconds ahead of Ben Birchall/Kevin Roussueau. Dave Molyneux/Jake Roberts claimed a popular third place.
The Crowes also set the fastest lap of the race on their Kelproperties Honda at 120.335mph to join the 120mph Club for the first time and become the second fastest crew in Sidecar history.
Cut down to two laps due to the revised schedule, the race eventually got underway at 2.15pm after the initial start was red flagged when newcomers Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clement came off at Waterworks, both rider and passenger were reported as OK however their outfit was blocking the road.
When it did get started, it was once again the Crowes who were quickest to Glen Helen on the opening lap, their lead over Birchall/Rousseau (Wyckham Blackwell/Hager Honda) 4.7 seconds. Blackstock/Rosney (Dave Holden Racing Yamaha) were a further 7.2 seconds back in third with Crawford/Hardie (ARC Newton Aycliffe/SJH Bodyworks Kawasaki) only half a second adrift in fourth as Founds/Gibbons (Founds Racing Yamaha) and Molyneux/Roberts rounded out the early leaderboard.
The Crowes’ lead was up to 7.6 seconds over Birchall/Rousseau as they jumped Ballaugh Bridge and although Blackstock/Rosney were still in third, the gap to Founds/Gibbons had come down to 0.122 seconds. Crawford/Hardie had slipped back to seventh having lost time on the run from Glen Helen.
On to Ramsey Hairpin and the Crowes still led but the gap to Birchall/Rousseau had come down slightly to 7.3 seconds. The battle for third was also hotting up as Blackstock/Rosney held a slender 0.9 second advantage over Molyneux/Roberts with Holden/Claeys (Marin/Carl Cox/Ocean Motor Village Suzuki) now fifth as Founds/Gibbons slipped back to sixth having been black flagged at Sulby Bridge before being allowed to proceed. Crawford/Hardie had now retired as had Reeves/Wilkes.
An opening lap of 119.092mph, officially the quickest ever standing start lap, gave the Crowes a nine-second advantage over Birchall/Rousseau (118.158mph) and it was now Molyneux/Roberts in third after a strong opening lap of 114.633mph. That gave them a 3.7 second lead over Blackstock/Rosney (114.275mph) as Holden/Claeys (111.888mph) and Founds/Gibbons (111.378mph) completed the top six although the latter would need to be credited with the time lost at Sulby earlier in the lap.
Newcomers Robert Dawson/Matthew Sims (Dawson Classic Motorcycles Honda) were running well in tenth after lapping at 108.925mph but back at the front, the Crowes’ lead had increased to more than 13 seconds at Glen Helen on the second and final lap as they now had Birchall/Rousseau in sight on the road.
Molyneux/Roberts were strengthening their hold on third too with the gap to Blackstock/Rosney having stretched to 4.6 seconds. Founds/Gibbons had had their time credited to them though and were now only a further second back.
Through Ramsey for the final time, the Crowes led Birchall/Rousseau by 18.5s, aided by the fastest ever sector time from Ballaugh and the fact they were on lap record pace. Molyneux remained on course for his 31st podium with the gap to new fourth-placed Founds/Gibbons up to 7.4 seconds, Blackstock/Rosney only 0.2 seconds back in fifth
The Crowes led on the road over the tramlines at the Bungalow and a superb final lap of 120.335mph enabled them to come home 20.491 seconds ahead of Birchall/Rousseau who lapped at more than 119mph for a well-deserved second place after their crash in qualifying
Molyneux/Roberts duly came home for third to make it two more Manxmen on the podium with Founds/Gibbons and Blackstock/Rosney close behind in fourth and fifth. The Ramsdens took sixth ahead of another father and son pairing, John and James Saunders as Lockey/Rostron, Dawson/Sims – who increased their pace to 109.465mph – and Harrison/Moore completed the top ten.
Good performances also came in from newcomers Renzo van der Donck/Vale van der Donckt, who lapped at 107.275mph, and Wiggert Kranenburg/Jermaine van Middegaal in 13th and 15th respectively.
