MANX GRAND PRIX 2000
Race Report

RACE 5 - LIGHTWEIGHT RACE
sponsored by Okell's Brewery Isle of Man

LIGHTWEIGHT RACE

Clerk of the Course Neil Hanson’s decision to postpone racing from yesterday (Friday) until today seems to have been vindicated. The weather here on the IOM is bright, but there are some dark clouds looming over the mountain section. There is a stiff breeze which will be against the riders for the first half of the course and will be behind them on the Mountain and will hopefully blow the cloud away. The wind will have an effect on these little 2-strokes, and selecting the correct gear ratios is going to be all-important. Practice leader, local hero Brian Kneale was involved in an incident at Glen Helen on Wednesday afternoon’s practice session (after the Junior race) when he turned into the left-hander too tightly and his shoulder made heavy contact with the stone wall. Brian managed to park the bike safely and returned to Glen Helen, where he received medical assistance. He was later diagnosed as having torn muscles in his shoulder, and has since spent several lengthy sessions in the hyperbaric chamber in an attempt to heal his injuries as best he can. Surely though Kneale must know in the back of his mind that the chance of a win has all but evaporated. Junior sensation Pete Turnbull must now start as favourite for this race after his excellent third place in the Junior race on Wendesay, and today he has opted for a run on Martin Bullock’s Vimto Honda 250cc bike, which “Milky” Quayle rode to victory in the same race last year.

It was Kneale who led the field away, showing no signs of pain as he launched the R-Tech Honda down Bray Hill at the start of the race. He was followed 10 seconds by Brian Mateer and Nigel Beattie, also in with a good chance in this race. Pete Turnbull started a further 20 seconds back, with Newcomer Martin Finnegan, winner of Monday’s race and definitely one to watch, starting 20 seconds further back still. By Ramsey on lap 1 it was all about one man-Turnbull. After just 24 miles of racing, he had pulled out a 15 second advantage over Brian Kneale, who in turn was just a solitary second ahead of third place man Martin Finnegan. Finnegan was 3 seconds ahead of Nigel Beattie in fourth, who was 7 seconds to the good of Michael Sutton in fifth, who was 18 seconds ahead of another newcomer, Davy Morgan in sixth spot. Kneale then was going well and showing no outward signs of any discomfort due to Wednesday afternoon’s incident. Turnbull however, was beginning to dominate the race and in fact had extended his advantage to 17 seconds by the end of the first lap. Kneale remained in second position, extending his advantage over third place man Beattie to 4 seconds. Martin Finnegan, Chris Cannell and Brian Mateer completed the top six.

The pace up front was relentless. Turnbull was definitely a man with a point to prove and he continued to extend his advantage over the chasing pack. At Glen Helen on lap 2, he was 21 seconds in front of new second place man Nigel Beattie, who had had a good run over the mountain and was now a second ahead of Brian Kneale. Kneale in turn was 3 seconds ahead of Martin Finnegan in fourth spot, with Chris Cannell and Brian Mateer fifth and sixth respectively. The leaderboard positions were about to change once more however, as a nasty surprise was in store for Lusk’s Martin Finnegan. On the approach to Whitegates, a difficult left-hand corner on the exit to Ramsey, Martin moved off the racing line and on to the bumps. The bike started to dance wildly and there was no way he was going to make the corner so he put the bike down, colliding with the bales. No injuries, only perhaps to his pride, Finnegan’s pit-man later describing him as a “gob-shoite”. Into the pits for scheduled stops at the end of lap 2, Kneale still led on the roads, but was third on corrected time. Kneale had a good stop and was first away from the pits, closely followed by Beattie and Turnbull. After the stops, Turnbull enjoyed and increased advantage of 22 seconds over Beattie, who was only 2 seconds ahead of Kneale. Michael Sutton was up into fourth position, with Brian Mateer fifth and Brian Spooner sixth.

Turnbull was home and dry, and he knew it. Content to sit behind Beattie, at least for the time being, Pete knew if he stayed with Nigel he would maintain a 20 second advantage over his nearest rival on corrected time. Turnbull was experienced enough to know that there was no need for any heroics on his part. At Ramsey Hairpin for the penultimate time, he was maintaining his 22 second lead over Beattie, with Kneale still in third, some six seconds further back. Michael Sutton remained fourth, 33 seconds back on Kneale, Brian Mateer was still in fifth spot, 58 seconds down on Mateer, with Brian Spooner in sixth position, 31 seconds down on Mateer. The run over the mountain was uneventful as far as the leaders were concerned and the leading trio blasted down the Glencrutchery Road to start the final lap almost together on the roads.

Turnbull was just 37.73 miles from his maiden MGP victory, aiming to go one better than his runner-up placing in this race last year. His Vimto Honda had been running like a dream all race and Turnbull had dominated from the front. At Glen Helen for the final time, Turnbull had further extended his lead to 31 seconds over Beattie, who was now just 3 seconds in front of Kneale. Kneale was 35 seconds in front of Michael Sutton, who was a full minute and 20 seconds to the good over Brian Mateer. Mateer was 33 seconds ahead of Brian Spooner in sixth spot. But the drama was not over; Brian Kneale dumped his 250 Honda at the Gooseneck in an overtaking manoeuvre which went slightly wrong. As Kneale said “I was overtaking a 125 machine (from the U/Lwt race, running concurrently), but it took a bit longer than I anticipated. As a result I missed my braking point by some distance, and I knew there was no way I was going to get around. Luckily I managed to get the bike going again and got the third spot.” There were no such problems for Turnbull though: he crossed the line 34 seconds up on Nigel Beattie to take his maiden MGP victory after many years of trying. Brian Kneale managed to get the third place, albeit 27 seconds down on Beattie. Michael Sutton finished in fourth, 16 seconds further back, with Brian Mateer in fifth, 34 seconds further back still. Completing the top six was Brian Spooner, 44 seconds in arrears to Mateer.

LIGHTWEIGHT RACE GALLERY

ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT RACE  

Run concurrently with the Lightweight 250cc race, the Ultra Lightweight race was blown wide open by the local duo of Chris Dowling and Paul Corrin. First and second respectively in the Newcomers 125/400cc race, these two riders had lapped quicker in that race than anyone else in practice, and hence on paper it was going to be a battle between these two. Another local man, Norman Kneen, was top of the practice leaderboard on his 125cc Lloyd’s TSB Honda, but the blustery conditions were always going to favour the 400cc machines over the 125cc bikes. And so the question was: could Kneen hang on to Dowling and Corrin, or would the big four-strokes leave him trailing in their wake ?

It was Kneen who led the field away, followed ten seconds later by Dowling. Corrin started some 1 minute and ten seconds further back. As expected by many, it was necomer Dowling who led the way at Ramsey on lap 1. He had a stggering 19 second advantage over joint second place men Norman Kneen and Graham Taubman. They were a further 13 seconds in front of Richard Bairstow, who was 2 seconds only up on Paul Corrin. Corrin in turn was 2 seconds in front of Keith Taylor. It is interesting to note that the top 5 riders are all locals. Dowling was on fire - he had pulled out nearly a second a mile from the Grandstand to Ramsey and still he marched on. As he crossed the line to complete his first lap, Dowling blew the class lap record out of the water from a standing start lap, and the gauntlet was well and truly thrown down to the chasing pack

But it appeared that they had no answer to the incredible Dowling. By Glen Helen on lap 2, he had upped his advantage to 27 seconds over new second place man Graham Taubman, who in turn was 15 seconds ahead of Norman Kneen in third. The wind on the Mountain section was obviously proving troublesome for the little 125cc machines, leaving Kneen to be blown around. Fourth place was now Ian Hughes, followed by Gary Rowe and Keith Taylor. Conventional wisdom pointed to pit stops at the end of the second lap, but having seen the capers earlier in the week, when several riders had managed to squeeze three laps out of a full tank of fuel, we were keeping an open mind. And Dowling did not disappoint; he crossed the line first on the roads and first in the race to complete his second lap, and flew straight through, indicating that he would stop for a quick “splash and dash” at the end of his third lap. It remained to be seen if any of the other leading runners were going to emulate this tactic, but it seemed likely.

By Glen Helen on lap 3, it was clear that Paul Corrin was also going to pit at the end of the third lap. As a result of not stopping at the end of the second lap, Corrin had jumped from eighth to third on the leaderboard. Dowling though was in a different class. His lead was now up to 68 seconds over new second place man Norman Kneen, benefitting from the retirement of Graham Taubman. Kneen in turn was 40 seconds to the good over Corrin in third, who was 8 seconds ahead of Gary Rowe. Rowe led fifth place man Ian Hughes by 22 seconds, who in turn led new sixth place man Neil Plummer by 18 seconds. Dowling, mindful of the need to pit at the end of this lap, turned up the wick on his 400 Honda and flew over the Mountain to Douglas. Even after his pit stop, he was still 40-odd seconds in front of Kneen in second spot, with Paul Corrin, who also pitted, remaining third.

And so on to the final lap at Ramsey Hairpin, and Dowling arrived first on the roads. Just the Mountain climb now separated him from a dream MGP double, emulating Martin Sharpe who won the Newcomers 400cc and Ultra Lightweight Manx last year. 48 seconds was now the advantage for Dowling over new second place man Paul Corrin. Norman Kneen was third, with Gary Rowe fourth, some 32 seconds down on Kneen. Rowe was 50 seconds up on Ian Hughes, with local man James Muir in sixth spot. The leaders were well on their way over the Mountain now, but just as there was drama in the Lightweight race, so there was in this one too. Coming in to the Bungalow, it was reported that Paul Corrin had collided with James Muir, resulting in them both parting company with their machines.

ULTR-LIGHTWEIGHT RACE GALLERY

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