The final qualifying session of this year’s Classic TT Races wrapped up on Monday morning, with Welsh veteran Ian Lougher grabbing the spotlight in the Lightweight Classic class. Riding the Laycock Racing Yamaha, Lougher produced a flying lap at an average speed of 114.988mph, which put him at the top of the timesheets and made him the rider to beat going into the afternoon’s scheduled three-lap contest.
Meanwhile, in the Formula 1 Classic category, Nathan Harrison continued his impressive run of form. The Greenall Racing Kawasaki rider clocked a rapid lap of 127.204mph, placing him a commanding 16.6 seconds clear of his teammate Jamie Coward. Elsewhere, the Historic classes also saw standout performances, with Paul Jordan leading the Senior class at 108.929mph and Italian rider Maurizio Bottalico again shining in the Junior ranks at 97.647mph.
Early Running Sets the Tone
Under warm sunshine and near-perfect conditions, proceedings got underway at 10am. Riders in the Lightweight Classic and Historic Senior and Junior classes each had a single qualifying lap. Among the first away were Chris Moore, Mike Browne, Ian Lougher, Rhys Hardisty, and Nathan Harrison.
Lougher wasted no time setting the early benchmark on the Laycock Yamaha. However, he was soon challenged by Michael Dunlop aboard the MD Racing Honda, who initially looked like he might top the session. But as the lap wore on, Dunlop’s speed faded slightly over the Mountain section. Lougher took full advantage, completing his lap at 114.988mph, which put him back on top and secured him the quickest time.
Dunlop wasn’t far behind, his best effort clocking 114.424mph, enough for second fastest. Third went to Lougher’s teammate Mike Browne on 112.815mph — and significantly, Browne actually set the quickest split times on the second half of the circuit, underlining his potential. Rounding out the top six were Adam McLean (111.208mph), Craig Neve (110.785mph) — the leading 400cc machine — and Michael Sweeney (109.751mph).
Historic Classes Produce Close Competition
In the Historic Senior division, Paul Jordan led the way at 108.929mph, followed closely by Joe Yeardsley (107.903mph) and Barry Furber (106.017mph). The top six was completed by Michael Evans (103.620mph), Conor Cummins (102.458mph) and Will Loder (102.114mph). Dutch newcomer Jeffrey Vermeulen once again impressed, recording a solid lap of 99.014mph for eighth place.
The Historic Junior class also brought drama. Italian contender Maurizio Bottalico continued his strong form, leading at 97.647mph. He finished a clear 16 seconds ahead of Dan Sayle (96.515mph), while Michael Russell (96.382mph), John McGuinness (95.537mph), Will Loder (95.055mph) and Vermeulen (94.702mph) filled out positions three to six.
Afternoon Session: Harrison on Top
By 1pm, the attention turned to the Formula 1 Classic and Historic Junior sessions. A strong field headed out early, including Harrison, Ian Hutchinson, Dunlop, Browne, David Johnson, Craig Neve, Jamie Coward, Brian McCormack, and Julian Trummer.
There was drama almost immediately. Qualifying pacesetter Rob Hodson retired his SMT by Key Racing Ducati at Ballacraine, while teammate Browne only made it as far as Douglas Road Corner. Brian McCormack was also forced out on the third Greenall Kawasaki, and Hutchinson’s run ended at Glentramman.
Harrison, however, encountered no such problems. He blasted around the Mountain Course at 127.204mph — the fastest standing start lap of the event so far, and only 1.6 seconds slower than Hodson’s best from Thursday. His teammate Coward managed second on 125.257mph, with Dominic Herbertson (124.242mph), Dunlop (123.495mph), Johnson (122.875mph) and Neve (122.106mph) filling the remaining top six slots.
Lightweight Classic TT Red-Flagged
The much-anticipated Lightweight Classic TT race eventually began at 5:30pm, with conditions still bright and dry around the Mountain Course — though riders had to contend with a stiff breeze on the west of the Island and across the high ground.
On the opening lap, Michael Dunlop edged into an early lead at Glen Helen, but his advantage was slender — just 0.341 seconds ahead of Mike Browne, with Lougher a further 1.6 seconds back. By Ballaugh Bridge, Browne had surged to the front, stretching his gap to Dunlop to 3.5 seconds, while Lougher held steady in third. Dan Sayle had moved up to fourth before the race was suddenly stopped.
Red flags were displayed following an incident at Glen Helen involving rider Andy Whale (bike 26). Thankfully, reports confirmed Whale was conscious and talking at the scene before being airlifted to Nobles Hospital for further checks.
A separate incident also occurred on lap one, with Dan Hanby (bike 44) crashing at Ballagarey. He too was reported as “rider OK” and was transported to hospital by ambulance for precautionary assessment.
Race Abandoned for the Evening
At 6:45pm, after consultation with teams and riders, organisers confirmed the Lightweight Classic TT would not restart on Monday evening. With daylight fading and significant preparation time required to reset the race, it was deemed impractical to attempt a restart.
The Clerk of the Course had already stated earlier in the day that the contingency period on Tuesday, 26th August, would not be used. With unsettled weather forecast for the days ahead, organisers will instead issue a revised race schedule for Wednesday, 27th August.
