Photos: IOMTT
The 2015 Poker Stars Senior TT ran earlier today at the Isle of Man, and John McGuinness (Honda) managed to regain his spot atop the heap.
McGuinness not only re-took the title of Senior TT champion in a fantastic comeback, but he also blew away Bruce Anstey’s lap record set in the Superbike race in 2014. McGuinness did it in a shortened four-lap race, after the original race was red-flagged on the second lap.
After the race’s first start, Jamie Hamilton (Kawasaki) went into a tankslapper crashed at the Cronk-y-Voddy straight on the second lap after the original start, with his bike reportedly going up in a ball of flame; Hamilton’s in hospital, but supposedly his injuries aren’t life-threatening.
Hamilton’s woes were McGuinness’s good fortune. John McPint ended up battling with James Hillier (Kawasaki) for the lead after the restart, with Ian Hutchinson (Kawasaki) close behind. But, McGuinness got past Hillier, followed by Hutchinson; Hutchinson screwed up at Signpost Corner just before the first pit stop, giving McGuinness a better lead. By the end of the race, McGuinness had a 14.2-second lead on Hillier, with Hutchinson in third.
Guy Martin’s new BMW wasn’t enough to put him on the podium in the Senior TT; a poor start meant he had to battle his way up from 13th. He finished in fourth. Michael Dunlop (BMW) finished in fifth.
McGuinness set two performance records in the Senior TT; he set a 131.850 mph pace in the opening lap of the restarted race, the fastest-ever lap from a standing start. Then, on the second lap, he set a 132.701 mph lap to break Anstey’s record from 2014. The race was his from there.
The pace was blistering all around on the second lap, which saw 11 riders over 130 mp; Hillier also broke Anstey’s old lap record, setting a 132.414 mph lap on the final go-round.
McGuinness now has 23 wins at the Isle of Man, and seven Senior TT victories, the same number as Mike Hailwood. Hutchinson’s third gave him the Joey Dunlop TT Championship
