Final-Lap Thriller In The 2025 Senior Manx Grand Prix
25 August 2025 · 14:15  Manx Motor Cycle Club

2025 Senior Manx Grand Prix
The final race of the 2025 Manx Grand Prix was the Senior Manx Grand Prix, the most prestigious race of the event. Such historic names have won the Senior in the past including, Ryan Farquhar, Phil Read, Geoff Johnson, Gary Carswell, Joe Yeardsley, Nick Jefferies, Nathan Harrison, Michael Russell, Davey Morgan, Geoff Duke, Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, and Michael Evans, who remains the outright lap record holder of the Manx Grand Prix with a lap time of 18:25.49 and an average speed of 122.866mph, set on the Martin Bullock Racing Suzuki GSXR750 in the 2017 Senior. This is the one they all want to win, to follow in the footsteps of legends of the Manx Grand Prix.
Whilst Evans remains the outright lap record holder, the current Senior MGP lap record holder under the latest regulations is Joe Yeardsley, set in 2023 when he won the Senior Manx Grand Prix as a newcomer. Yeardsley set a new lap record of 122.051mph (18:32.882) on his R6 Yamaha. In 2025 next generation supersport rules were adopted for the Supersport and Senior MGP classes to bring the classes inline with the TT, BSB and the Southern 100.
In 2024, the weather wreaked havoc with the schedule. Conditions were mixed and the race was shortened to two laps as the organisers tried to run six races on the final day. Daniel Ingham took a commanding victory by 39.394 seconds, lapping at over 118mph, from Chris Cook, with Sam Johnson completing the podium.
2025 was a different matter altogether, with perfect conditions once again for the four lap, 150.92 mile Senior Manx Grand Prix, which got underway at 14:15 on Bank Holiday Monday. The Grandstand was heaving with spectators, waiting in anticipation for the biggest race of the week. Jamie Williams, already a double winner at the 2025 MGP, was first away, carrying the No. 1 plate on the JLG/NCE Racing Honda, followed by 2024 runner up Chris Cook from Hawick in Scotland. 2018 double MGP winner Andy Farrell set off third, with Adrian Harrison, brother of TT superstar and Isle of Man resident Dean Harrison, away at No. 4. Michael Rees started at No. 5, Craig Szczypek at No. 6, 2024 newcomer Johnny Stewart at No. 7, and Michael Gahan, fresh from his Junior podium earlier that day, at No. 8.
Cook immediately took the lead by 2.840 seconds on lap one at Glen Helen, followed by Johnny Stewart and Caomhan Canny (No. 16), just 0.171 seconds back in third. Jamie Williams was a further 0.223 down on Canny, with Harrison in fifth and Don Gilbert (No. 42) rounding out the top six. By Ramsey, Cook had extended his lead to 5.126 seconds, with Williams moving into third and Stewart dropping to fourth. Ryan Whitehall (No. 9) climbed to fifth, with Gilbert still holding sixth.
At the end of lap one, Cook had passed Williams to lead on the road and broke the 120mph barrier from a standing start with a lap of 120.595mph (18:46.313), leading by 3.43 seconds. Canny crossed the line in second and, for the first time ever, also broke the 120mph barrier with a lap of 120.229mph (18:49.74). In Saturday’s Supersport race, he was the only rider in the top five not to achieve the 120mph mark, missing it narrowly with a 119.966mph final lap. Today, no such trouble as Canny became the fifth rider to join the “Tommy Club” in 2025, the 35th member overall. Only one place now remains in the prestigious club. Williams crossed the line in third, Stewart in fourth, Gilbert in fifth, and Whitehall in sixth.
Local newcomer Grant Thomson (No. 63), who had impressed all week, retired on lap one at Quarter Bridge with “water exploding everywhere”. Eight-time TT Sidecar winner and two-time MGP winner, local favourite Dan Sayle, retired on lap one at the Bungalow. Another impressive newcomer, Eddy Wormald, held 12th at the end of lap one.
On lap two, at Ballaugh, Cook was on blistering pace at 121mph (Ballaugh to Ballaugh), extending his lead to 8.73 seconds over Canny, with Williams moving into third. By the Bungalow, the lead had stretched further to 10.97 seconds. At the end of lap two, Cook pitted, having set the fastest lap of the week, 120.994mph (18:42.60). Canny wasn’t far behind with 120.424mph (18:47.91), while Williams held third, 14.93 seconds behind Canny, with a lap of 119.593mph (18:55.75).
Pit stops again proved crucial. Cook’s stop was 54.41 seconds, while Canny’s was 46.53 seconds cutting the gap by nearly eight seconds. Williams’ stop took 50.84 seconds, though the team had to investigate liquid in the belly pan before allowing him to continue. The fastest pit stop went to newcomer Brandon Kavanagh of the Roadhouse Macau Team (43.33 seconds), followed by Pete Gibson on the Gusflow Heating/NT Racing Triumph 675. No. 31 Owen Monaghan overshot his pit box and had to be pulled back into position.
Andy Farrell was sixth into pit lane but looked unhappy, shaking his head. Nursing rib injuries sustained in Saturday’s races, he decided to retire, it being impossible to continue. Having been away from the Manx for six years, many hope to see him back in 2026. Emmett Burke (No. 36) and Peter Lionel (No. 60) both exceeded the pit lane speed limit and were handed 30-second penalties.
At the end of lap three, Cook held a 5.68 second lead over Canny, setting up a final lap showdown. Williams, now 33.90 seconds back from Canny, looked to be nursing an issue and simply trying to get the bike home. At Ballaugh, Cook extended his lead to 8.49 seconds, but by Ramsey it had been reduced to 6.31. The crowd at the grandstand held their breath as they waited for the times from the Bungalow on lap 4 to see if Canny could reduce the gap further and stop Chris Cook from taking the win. At the Bungalow on lap four, the gap was down again, just 4.07 seconds and Canny was clearly charging. Williams had slipped further back, 48.14 seconds adrift in third, with Whitehall just 0.49 seconds behind.
Fastest Sulby Speed traps of the race were Chris Cook 164.884mph on lap one, followed by Liam Chawke (No. 17) on lap three.
At Cronk ny Mona, the gap between Cook and Canny had reduced to just 1.73 seconds and Whitehall had taken 3rd from Williams by just 0.22 seconds. Silence fell upon the Grandstand as the crowd looked to the right waiting to hear over the commentary who was going to the win and fill the podium positions after 150 miles. Cook crossed the line first with a 120.181mph (18:50.19). Williams crossed the line second on the road with a 119.002mph lap (19:01.39) but with Canny’s start position being No 16, the crowd, teams and Cook had to wait to know if he had done enough to take victory.
Cook was held at the entrance to the Winners Enclosure as everyone waited for Canny to cross the line. Williams had done it again and pulled out a fast final sector to snatch the final podium place from Whitehall by just 0.007 of a second. The crowd erupted as Canny crossed the finish line and took the win by just 0.52 seconds with a final lap of 120.846mph (18:43.97). Canny had done his fastest Cronk ny Mona to Grandstand sector of the week and it paid off.
Cook was told to wheel his bike to the No. 2 spot in the winners enclosure and was clearly devastated, his team wheeled his bike in. Williams took third, securing podiums in all four MGP races. Canny came in to cheers as his team celebrated, he couldn’t believe he had taken the win, he did a burnout and then rested his head on the tank and contemplated what he had achieved. Newcomer James Walsh, injured in the first MGP practice session went over on crutches to congratulate the team and embrace Canny. His final lap had been nearly seven seconds faster than Cook’s, with the quicker pit stop proving decisive.
Ryan Whitehall took 4th, Don Gilbert was 5th and completing the top 6 was Johnny Stewart. Eddy Wormald was the highest placed newcomer in 11th position.
Cook, still visibly upset, reflected on his week: “Saturday wasn’t good at all, but I’m made up about this, it’s fantastic.”
Jamie Williams, standing on the podium for the fourth time in four races, said: “That was tough. We made some changes and they didn’t work; the bike was getting very lively. That was a very tough race. Congrats to Caomhan Canny and Chris Cook. This wouldn’t have been possible without the great team. This time last year I was feeling sorry for myself.” Asked about the future, he replied: “We need to be at the TT next to progress.”
Canny, the 30-year-old from Gleneely, Ireland, a newcomer in 2024, was asked how it felt to be a Senior Manx Grand Prix winner. He replied: “The lads on the pit stop were fantastic. I would never have expected this, a second and a win. The sunshine this year and all the laps we got in really helped.” Asked what’s next, he said: “Actually, I haven’t thought about it. I’ll take it as it comes, back to the national roads in Northern Ireland and probably the TT, if that’s an option.”
Canny thanked his sponsors and fellow racer James Walsh, who, despite his injury, had celebrated alongside the team. He concluded the interview: “We are just a big family.”
History was made today with one of the closest finishes ever at the Manx Grand Prix. The closest finish at the Manx Grand Prix was when Craig Atkinson beat Derek Brien by just one-hundredth of a second, after the pair set off on the road together. They battled for 4 laps over 150 miles and crossed the finish line together in the 2006 Junior Manx Grand Prix, a truly breath taking spectacle and one that lives long in the memory.
Words: Lee & Carol Bartram  |  Photos: David Kneen / David Lovelady

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VERSION 1  ·  issued/updated 19 Jul 2026 01:28
