Mike Browne claimed victory in Friday’s Historic Senior Classic TT, edging out Adam McLean by just 0.268s on the Peter Lodge Racing Norton.
Mike Browne won Friday afternoon’s thrilling two-lap Historic Senior Classic TT race when, riding the Peter Lodge Racing Norton, he edged out Adam McLean (Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Royal Enfield) by the slender margin of just 0.268s.
Dean Harrison (Craven Classic Racing/Ted Woof Matchless) completed the podium in third after early leader John McGuinness (Winfield Paton) retired with a puncture.
McGuinness, number one on the road, was first to reach Glen Helen and he was already 14.8s up on Joe Yeardsley on the second Royal Enfield, whilst last year’s Manx Grand Prix winner Shaun Anderson (Beugger Racing Paton) was an early retirement, stopping at the Railway Pub in Union Mills.
It was Browne who was second quickest at the first timing point though, 4.8s down on McGuinness and it was close with Paul Jordan (Davies Motorsport Yamaha) only four tenths of a second back in third. McLean, Harrison and Ian Lougher (Winfield Paton) were the early top six.
At Ballaugh, McGuinness still led, and his advantage was now 6.9s but it was Jordan now in second albeit by just half a second from Browne. McLean was 2.7s behind Browne with Harrison 2.9s further adrift in fifth whilst Hefyn Owen (Owen Racing Matchless) retired at Ballacraine.
Rounding Ramey Hairpin for the first time, McGuinness had extended his lead to 8.7s but Browne was back up to second as Jordan retired at Parliament Square. That promoted McLean up to third, only 2.9s behind Browne, with Harrison, Lougher and Yeardsley now running fourth to sixth.
At the Bungalow, McGuinness’s lead was down to 5.9s as McLean had the quickest run up the Mountain and Browne was still well in touch, only 0.7s adrift as a three-way battle for the lead ensued.
McGuinness was first to complete the lap at 108.601mph but he immediately pulled in to retire, a rear wheel puncture the cause. That put McLean, who lapped at 109.806mph, into the lead with a 2.8s advantage over Browne (109.555mph), McGuinness’s lap placed him third ahead of Harrison (108.134mph) and Lougher (106.988mph) as Barry Furber (Martin Ireland Honda) moved up to sixth.
Michael Sweeney, Dan Sayle, Conor Cummins and Michael Evans filled seventh to tenth with Yeardsley another retirement, this time at Brandish.
Through Glen Helen on the second and final lap, McLean led by 4.7s but Browne responded on the high-speed run to Ballaugh and as they jumped the bridge, the gap between the two riders was down to 2.4s. And rounding Ramsey Hairpin, Browne hit the front for the first time, turning his deficit into a 1.3s advantage with just the Mountain section to go.
At the Bungalow, the two riders were separated by just 0.8s and sweeping round Cronk ny Mona it was down further to 0.316s. McLean was first to complete the lap at 110.457mph but Browne was quicker at 110.727mph and he took the victory by just 0.268s!
Harrison claimed the final podium position in third as Lougher, Furber and Sweeney (CSC Racing/IMSLTD Honda) completed the top six. Cummins (Steadplan Racing Honda), Evans (Melbray Norton), Davey Todd (Steadplan Racing Honda) and Alan Oversby (Ruthless Racing Honda) rounded out the top ten with Dutch newcomer Jeffrey Vermeulen (Van Giersbergen Motoren Ducati) claiming 11th after posting his first 100mph+ lap of the Mountain Course.
