JUNIOR RACE PREVIEW

Since switching to Supertwin rules, the Junior race has been one of the highlights of the Manx Grand Prix, with both the 2022 and 2023 editions being close affairs.

Italian Francesco Curinga came out on top two years ago to become the first Italian to win at the Manx Grand Prix, with Victor Lopez taking last year’s race, taking the same accolade for a Spanish rider.

Andrea Majola (VAS Engine Racing Paton) and Maurizio Bottalico (Venditti/Seipa Kawasaki) are back for another attempt and with 116mph+ laps already to their name, they’ll line up as favourites this time around.

Their greatest opposition, on paper at least, should come from the likes of Dan Ingham, Jamie Williams, Michael Rees and Eoin O’Siochru all of whom have shown good form in the class in previous years.

Williams (NCE Racing Kawasaki) endured heartache in 2022 when he retired from the lead on the final run over Mountain so the Manxman will be keen to right that wrong this year.

Rees (Performance Emissions Paton) and Ingham (Castings Technology Aprilia), meanwhile, are consistent leaderboard men on the Supertwin machines finishing sixth and seventh respectively last year.

O’Siochru lapped at close to 113mph last year and should make further progress this year on the Roadhouse Macau Racing Aprilia whilst Alex Sinclair (BMR Morph Motorsport) is also Aprilia-mounted and had one of his best rides on modern machinery in last year’s Junior MGP.

Team ILR are well represented on their Patons by Irishman Jacque Foley and Frenchman Julien Cregniot, who were both newcomers last year, whilst other riders worth keeping an eye on include Michael Gahan, Ryan Whitehall and newcomers Johnny Stewart, Ryan Garside, Scott Larkin, Caomhan Canny and Michael Allen.

See the Junior Race live course-side. Check out Duke Travel for packages from the UK and further afield, Horst Saiger for German Tours and the Isle of Man Steam Packet for race day day trips.