DEAN CLOSES THE GAP BUT DUNLOP LEADS THE WAY

The second qualifying session for the Centenary Manx Grand Prix took place on Tuesday evening and it was Michael Dunlop who again set the pace in the RST Classic Superbike class with Tom Robinson moving to the top of the Mylchreest Group Senior MGP leaderboard.

Dunlop lapped slightly quicker than what he’d managed on Sunday on the Team Classic Suzuki with a speed of 124.340mph which put him just ahead of Dean Harrison (123.996mph) on the Key Racing Ducati whilst Robinson (Pete Stacey Kawasaki) became the first rider to lap at more than 118mph this week in the Senior class with a lap of 118.059mph.

Dunlop again set the pace for today's RST Classic Superbike Session

With bright, sunny conditions all around the Mountain Course, the opening Classic Superbike and Senior session got underway on time at 6.30pm with Dunlop again leading the field away on the Team Classic Suzuki. He was followed by Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales Suzuki), Nathan Harrison (Ashcourt Racing Honda), Dean Harrison, David Johnson (Alasdair Cowan Racing Kawasaki) and Derek Sheils (Greenall Racing Kawasaki).

Rob Hodson, Julian Trummer, Craig Neve and Mike Browne were also amongst the early starters with Jamie Williams (NCE Racing Honda), Chris Cook (Alasdair Cowan Racing Kawasaki), Sam Johnson (VRS Racing Honda), Victor Lopez (Team ILR Yamaha) and Shaun Evans (Bee Mad Road Racing Kawasaki) first away in the Senior class.

Browne and Neve stopped at Ballacraine and Quarter Bridge respectively, but Dunlop had no such issues and eclipsed his Sunday lap with a speed of 124.340mph. That put him ahead of Johnson (122.352mph), Dean Harrison (121.992mph), Dominic Herbertson (121.489mph), Brian McCormack (120.715mph) and Rutter (120.707mph).

Williams (117.469mph) topped the early Senior leaderboard from Dan Ingham (117.092mph), [Robinson (116.782), Lopez (116.042mh) and Cook (115.573mph) with newcomers David Rigby (115.260mph) and Marcus Simpson (114.098mph) again impressing. Fellow debutante Joe Yeardsley was a retiree though at Parliament Square.

Dunlop was one of the riders to pull in at the end of the lap but many continued and second time around Dean Harrison (123.996mph), Johnson (123.830mph), Rob Hodson (123.562mph), Herbertson (122.986mph), Rutter (122.898mph) and McCormack (121.720mph) all upped their pace. Trummer and Nathan Harrison also broke the 120mph barrier with Amalric Blanc (118.497mph) just outside the top ten.

Meanwhile, Robinson (118.059mph) went quickest in the Senior class with Samuel Mousley (117.906mph) slotting into second. Ingham (117.542mph) and Lopez (117.355mph) also improved as did Rigby (116.086mph) and that put the newcomer sixth quickest. Simpson was just outside at 114.601mph.

Mousley came second in the Classic Senior Class

At 7.15pm, it was the turn of the Junior, Lightweight and Classic Senior classes and the session was unfortunately red flagged halfway round the lap with no more action taking place.