Ryan and Callum Crowe extended their phenomenal run of form at the Isle of Man TT Races by claiming a commanding victory in Friday afternoon’s 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT Race 2. It marked not only their second win of the week but also their fourth consecutive Sidecar TT triumph, firmly establishing them as the duo to beat on the Mountain Course.
Taking full advantage of the ideal weather conditions, the Manx brothers delivered a flawless performance from start to finish. The race, originally scheduled for three laps, was shortened to two and got underway at 4:30 PM local time. From the moment the lights went out, the Crowes took charge aboard their Opul/Kelproperties LCR Honda, setting a blistering pace right from the first checkpoint at Glen Helen.
By then, they’d already opened up a 9.5-second lead over Ben Birchall and Patrick Rosney, piloting the Hager/Wyckham Blackwell LCR Honda, while Lee Crawford and Scott Hardie (Team ARC/SJH Bodyworks LCR Kawasaki) slotted into third, a further two seconds back. Breathing down their necks were Lewis Blackstock and Patrick Lawrence on the Dave Holden Racing LCR Yamaha, just 0.3 seconds adrift.
Fifth at that stage were Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement (Brookland Sand & Aggregates CES Yamaha), with rookie pairings Clarke and Johnson (Eddy’s Moto CES Yamaha) completing the early top six. Other newcomers, including George Holden and Steve Kershaw, along with their passengers Mark Wilkes and Rhys Gibbons, slotted into seventh and eighth respectively. Meanwhile, the Gibsons — Gary and Daryl — were early retirements, pulling off at Ballacraine.
Far from easing off at the front, the Crowes kept their pace relentless. Through the Sulby speed trap, they were clocked at a staggering 161.472 mph, setting the fastest sector time from Glen Helen to Ballaugh. By the time they rounded Ramsey Hairpin, their advantage over Birchall/Rosney had ballooned to nearly 23 seconds.
Further down the order, Blackstock and Lawrence had managed to climb back into third, albeit by a razor-thin 0.2-second margin over Crawford/Hardie. That fight wouldn’t last, however.
As the opening lap continued, the Crowes widened the gap with a record-breaking standing start lap of 119.950 mph, outpacing Birchall/Rosney (116.128 mph) by over 37 seconds. Meanwhile, Crawford and Hardie regained third position thanks to a solid 115.472 mph effort, nudging out Blackstock/Lawrence (115.211 mph) by 2.6 seconds.
Seventh place remained with Holden and Wilkes (111.408 mph), followed by Kershaw/Gibbons (109.988 mph), Lambert/Haynes (108.900 mph), and the Ramsdens (108.739 mph), all putting in consistent performances.
On the second and final lap, the Crowes looked utterly untouchable. By the time they launched over Ballaugh Bridge, their lead over Birchall and Rosney was nearing the 50-second mark. Meanwhile, the battle for the final podium spot resolved itself when Blackstock and Lawrence were forced to retire at Lambfell, cementing third place for Crawford and Hardie.
Despite having a massive buffer, the Crowes didn’t ease up too much. They maintained a blistering pace, notching a second-lap speed of 120.168 mph — securing their second victory of the week and fourth TT win overall with a finishing margin of 1 minute and 8.903 seconds over the runners-up.
Birchall and Rosney, for their part, had something to celebrate as well — setting their fastest lap of the fortnight at 116.896 mph on their final tour. Crawford and Hardie (115.272 mph) took a second consecutive third-place finish, rounding off a highly successful TT week for them.
Fourth and fifth places were also hard-fought, with Ellis and Clement (115.065 mph) edging out Clarke and Johnson, who impressed again with a 114.884 mph lap — the best of their TT debut.
Making a strong comeback after retiring in Race 1, Kershaw and Gibbons claimed seventh (110.927 mph), with Lambert/Haynes (109.609 mph), the Ramsden brothers (109.734 mph), and the Belgian duo Van der Donckt/Van der Donckt rounding out the top ten — the latter setting a personal best of 109.500 mph around the legendary 37.73-mile course.
Summary & Additional Insight:
The Crowes are now on a rare streak of Sidecar TT dominance, with four wins in succession, showing both maturity and outright speed in equal measure. Their ability to set new benchmarks under pressure — including the fastest ever standing start lap — underlines just how far they’ve come as a pairing.
Birchall and Rosney showed steady improvement throughout the week, and while the gap to the Crowes remains considerable, their final lap performance signals progress. Meanwhile, Crawford and Hardie have cemented themselves as consistent podium contenders, capitalizing on both speed and reliability.
Rising stars like Clarke/Johnson and the Van der Donckts also highlighted the strength of the next generation, with several crews setting personal bests in the best conditions of the week.
Photos: Isle of Man TT Races
