Cox wins at Oulton Park
Second qualifying also took place in good conditions and once more both riders were well to the fore in their respective sessions. Filip again took his session by the scruff of the neck and went quicker still, to finish fastest overall in Group B with a time of 1m:39.03s, the best time of the weekend at that stage and a marker for the second group to aim at. Only one rider managed this, and Victor was only .05s slower at 1m:39.08s to finish second in his group. All this meant that ILR Kawasaki had two riders occupying the front row of the grid with Filip and Victor in second and third respectively, a great effort by both riders and the team. As the race got underway in bright sunshine, Victor quickly settled into second at the first corner with Filip also getting a good start to slot into fourth. Cox soon hit the front with Backlund leading a five man Kawasaki chasing pack in fourth. Victor still led at the end of the lap from Joe Burns, Hudson Kennaugh and Filip and it stayed this way on the second lap where Backlund was the first rider to lap in the 1:39's. On the third lap Filip was getting into the groove and started applying some pressure on Burns in third but he had bit of a moment on the next lap which resulted in him losing touch slightly as he still held on to fourth. By the sixth lap it was still Cox in front as he put in the fastest lap of the race with a 1:39.48, as Backlund determinedly held off a challenge from Josh Day. At half race distance things began to close up among the top six, but at the front Victor was totally focused and riding a smooth and assured race with 100% confidence in the team's Ninja ZX-10R. On the tenth lap the first three began to open a slight gap on Backlund who was still having to contend with the presence of Day in fifth, but on the next lap Filip managed to give himself some breathing space as he opened the gap to half a second. Meanwhile at the front Victor was contending with a challenge of his own as Kennaugh closed to within 0.31s, but he too responded to the threat and managed to take a few tenths of a second out of the South African to extend his lead to just over half a second as the riders sped on to their last lap. Again Kennaugh pressed, but Victor was having none of it and he punched the air in delight as he crossed the line a worthy race winner. Meanwhile Filip, hampered by a bit of oil on his rear tyre from an oil leak in the latter stages of the race, had eased off and settled for fourth. Cox's superb performance propels him to second in the championship and with Backlund now occupying fifth in the standings, it was a great weekend for ILR Kawasaki. Back Cal Cooper: Round three BSB Oulton Park The third round of the BSB 600 Superstock Championship held on Bank Holiday Monday at the picturesque Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire, proved to be a difficult one for Manxman Callan Cooper. plagued with arm pump all weekend, the 16 year old IoM Sports Institute-backed rider was high-sided off his JDF Racing Kawasaki at high speed while tussling for a top six finish. Cooper was virtually unscathed, but the beautifully prepared machine took an expensive hammering in what was the Manxman’s third fall in a week at the circuit. He was brought to earth twice during a test day when a mystery fault caused the Kawasaki’s engine to cut out at Druids, the very fast sweeping right hander. The incidents didn’t impact on him too much, and after the fault was traced to broken electrical wires, a mid-week flying visit to Mallory Park saw him lapping extremely quickly. Qualifying 1 saw him end up ninth but he improved a place on Sunday to qualify 8th, again best of the class newcomers. The Kawasaki was the fastest machine around through the speed traps on Monday morning, but after a good start from the second row of the grid, Cooper’s race was run on lap four, again at Druids, after he had improved his lap time by half a second and was on his way to a sub 1-42 lap. Cal started the weekend holding 5th in the championship but now lies 8th. Cooper again expresses his thanks to his team JDF Racing, mechanics Roy Alexander and Dave Hewitt, Richard Adams of Maxton Suspension, Dean Teversham Roofing Ltd, Martin Taylor of Goodridge UK, IoM Sports Institute (Duke Video), Paul Dedman Performances, Rizoma, Pipe Werx, Motul, Neil Hodgson and many others for their continuing support.Back Backlund races to his second podium finish of the season
The 12-Lap event got underway in perfect weather and Filip was constantly in the hunt for the race win. Steve Brogan led in the early stages from Joe Burns and Adam Jenkinson but he ran on at the Esses in the second half of the race, dropping him down the order. At the front of the field Jenkinson and Burns were battling it out as Filip joined in. These three were well clear and behind, Victor was challenging Josh Day who was enjoying his best performance so far this season, Danny Johnson and Matteo Baiocco with Hudson Kennaugh a further one second back. Filip was still riding well as the race moved into the closing stages, and on the tenth circuit he put in the second fastest lap of the race to keep the pressure on Jenkinson and Burns. At the flag he was just under a second away in third place with Day a further 5.48 seconds back in an excellent fourth. Victor crossed the line in seventh, just over half a second off fifth place man Danny Johnson with Baiocco in sixth. Victor Cox: ''Seventh wasn't the result I was looking for, but after my crash down Craner Curves at 130+mph the team did a mega job rebuilding the bike to get me out for the race. Massive thanks to the team and everyone that helped get me back on the track. Good to see Filip on the podium. Roll on Knockhill.'' Filip now moves up to third in the championship with Victor just one point behind in fourth. Back Delight for KMR Kawasaki as McWilliams wins NW200 Supertwins race  Twelve months to the day after they took an unprecedented 1-2-3 in the North West 200 Supertwins race, KMR Kawasaki with Vauxhall were at it again with Jeremy McWilliams taking a superb victory in Thursday evening's 4-lap race and team-mate Jamie Hamilton adding to the joy in third.With tricky, damp conditions all the way around the 8.9-mile circuit, former 250cc Grand Prix winner McWilliams had to call on all his experience to get the better of firstly William Davison and then James Hillier and Hamilton, in a thrilling race that saw the lead change hands on numerous occasions. In only his second appearance at the North West 200, Glengormley's McWilliams went head to head with Davison in the first three laps before the youngster slid off at Black Hill, fortunately without injury, as he attempted to take the lead. However, there was little chance for Jeremy to relax with Hillier and Hamilton breathing down his neck but he was able to successfully keep them at bay on the final lap and hold on for a famous victory, the first Grand Prix winner to have won at the North West 200 since Tom Herron achieved the feat in 1978. His eventual winning margin over Hillier was just 0.8s whilst Hamilton was a similar distance back in third for his first ever NW200 podium.  Further back, Michael Rutter took a solid sixth, one place ahead of fourth team member and circuit newcomer James Cowton, thus ensuring KMR Kawasaki took four of the top seven places.Hamilton had been forced to retire from the earlier Supersport race but he took an excellent tenth in the 6-lap Superstock race with Brian McCormack taking 14th. Jeremy McWilliams: "I never dreamt in a million years that I'd be standing here today as a North West 200 race winner and it's an amazing feeling to be able to say I've done that. It's as good as anything I've ever achieved in my career but it was an incredibly tough race right from the very word go. Conditions were tricky as it was hard to work out where it was damp and where it was wet whilst William was pushing me really hard. It's a shame he slid off as the battle would have gone all the way to the end but I managed to hold on for the win. It's great for Ryan, Vauxhall and the whole team as without them it wouldn't have been possible for me to win. It's such a great team to ride for, one with a real family atmosphere and I'm over the moon with the victory."  Ryan Farquhar; "It's been another good day for KMR Kawasaki and Vauxhall and when I retired I wasn't sure if we'd still be having days like this. We've put in so much effort and so many hours to get the bikes ready and sometimes you wonder why you do it but today makes it all worthwhile. Four bikes in the top seven is pretty special and I also built Lee Johnston's bike who took fifth and had a hand in James Hillier's, so I'll take a bit of credit there as well!" "Conditions made the race tough for everyone and I do feel sorry for Willy Davison as he was riding brilliantly but thankfully he's ok. For Jeremy to ride for me and the team in the first place was special and so the win today makes it even sweeter. Jamie rode excellently too for his first NW200 podium whilst Michael and James did a great job also so it's a big thank you to everyone connected with the team especially Kawasaki UK, Vauxhall and all the boys who've put the hours in. Last year's 1-2-3 was probably the best day ever for KMR but today is right up there." Back Reeves and Sayle take superb TT win  Tim Reeves took his and SMT Racing's first ever TT win on Saturday afternoon, when together with passenger Dan Sayle he won the first three-lap Isle of Man Formula Two Sidecar race. The duo took the lead towards the end of the first lap and from there were never headed, going on to win the race by just over 20 seconds. For Sayle, it was his eighth TT win, making him the joint most successful passenger in the history of the event whilst Reeves became the first reigning Sidecar World Champion to win a TT race since Jock Taylor/Benga Johansson took both races back in 1981.With ideal conditions all around the Mountain Course, it was Ben and Tom Birchall who grabbed the early initiative, leading at Glen Helen on the opening lap by 1.3s from Tim and Dan and although they extended their lead to five seconds by Ramsey Hairpin, they went out shortly afterwards after clipping the bank at Kate’s Cottage. That gave Tim and Dan a ten-second lead at the end of the lap and on the second circuit, they continued to extend their advantage as they closed in on pre-race favourites Dave Molyneux/Patrick Farrance. Indeed, with Tim’s best ever lap of the Mountain Course, a speed of 114.608mph, they also took over the lead on the road which gave them a 20s advantage over Molyneux/Farrance. With the race now wrapped up, save for mechanical misfortune, Tim and Dan duly came home for a superb victory, their eventual winning margin over Conrad Harrison/Mike Aylott 20.117s, Molyneux/Farrance nudged back to third. Speaking afterwards, a delighted Tim said; "I’m absolutely speechless and completely over the moon. You can’t imagine how much it means to me to win today and as the reigning World Champion, it’s even sweeter. Jock Taylor was my hero when I was growing up so to emulate him is something really special and apart from when my daughter Maisie was born, it’s the best moment ever. On the first lap I was getting boards saying 'P1 +0' and then 'P2 +0' so I knew it was close but when I saw Dave just ahead of me, I couldn't believe it. As soon as I'd caught him on the road, I remembered what John McGuinness had said to me in terms of backing it off on the final lap and that's exactly what I did. Sidecar racing's all about having the best team around you possible so a massive thanks to Dan and all the sponsors especially Robin Croft at SMT, the Haith's, H&S Contractors, Mark 'Brains' Woodage, the Padgetts and everyone else who's helped me. A big thanks as well to Gunther Reuschling, I'm sure he's listening in somewhere." Team owner Robin Croft added; 'It's a dream come true and to think we only started speaking about this back in Macau last November. I could see the determination and desire in Tim that week so after a couple of glasses of wine, I said 'why don't we try and do it together?'. And here we are seven months later with Tim having fulfilled his ambition and promise. Together with Dan, he did it in style and we're well, well pleased with the pair of them. It's been a difficult practice week and we've had our fair share of niggles but I think it was Joey Dunlop who said 'bad practice week, good race week' and that's what's happened so far. The whole team is thrilled and it's been a great start to race week for us." Back Lougher Announces Isle of Man TT Retirement
The popular Welshman has announced this week that the 2013 event will be his last round the famous circuit, bringing the curtain down on a truly remarkable TT career. The man who holds the record for the most TT race starts, first graced the Mountain Course at the 1983 Manx Grand Prix taking third in the Newcomers race behind Robert Dunlop and Steve Hislop, and he made his TT debut the following year. To get a sense of perspective on how long Ian has been entertaining us at the TT, this was the year Bruce Springsteen released Born in the USA, Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time was in the UK Singles Chart, and Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors were in the Wimbledon Singles Finals. His podium finish in the Historic TT on a Matchless and a seventh in the Production 1000 race on a 250cc Suzuki that year were only a foretaste of bigger things to follow in the years that lay ahead. Ian had to wait another six years for his first TT win though, in what is still to this day ranked as one of the classic moments in the history of the TT. No-one present at the time could forget Ian, armed with faithful sponsor Ray Cowles' 250 TZ Yamaha, taking over 38 seconds off the existing lap record and also smashing the race record to beat pre-race favourite and great friend Steve Hislop by 1.8 secs in the 1990 Isle of Man Junior TT. Ian went on to win another 9 TT's with his last podium on the TT circuit coming in 2006 where he was second in the Superbike race. He added more TT titles to his list though when in 2008 and 2009, he won a total of three races at the last two-stroke TT races held over the Billown circuit. He also surpassed the great Joey Dunlop's feat of 11 wins at the Billown Post TT meeting when he won the 600 race last year. Ian has ridden virtually every make and size of motorcycle over the TT circuit, and in 2003 he rode the ex-Colin Edwards World Superbike factory SP-2 Honda to second and third in the Formula One and Senior TT's respectively. Some of the many tributes paid to Ian since his announcement, particularly on social media sites sum it all up perfectly. 'Thanks Ian. You are a brilliant ambassador for road racing and the Isle of Man TT races.' Back |
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It's doubtful there was a more popular winner at Oulton Park at the weekend, as Victor Cox put in a stellar performance to take victory in the third round of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship and claim his, and ILR Kawasaki's, maiden National Superstock 1000 win.
It's three podium finishes from four starts for ILR Kawasaki as Filip Backlund finished third in the latest round of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship at a sun-kissed Donington Park on Sunday.
Bray Hill, Glencrutchery Road, the scoreboard scouts, Creg-ny-Baa, the unpredictable Manx weather....and Ian Lougher, all synonymous with the Isle of Man TT races.