amie Williams added another chapter to his 2025 Manx Grand Prix campaign with a dramatic win in the Junior race, securing his second victory of the week and cementing his status as one of the stars of the meeting.
The Douglas rider, who had already claimed the Supersport crown on Saturday, was made to work hard for this success. In a fiercely contested three-lap battle, Williams first had to deal with the challenge of Lewis Arrowsmith before withstanding a relentless late charge from rising talent Toby Shann.
Behind them, Michael Gahan clinched third place after Arrowsmith’s mechanical issues ended his race on lap two, bringing heartbreak for the Preston man who had briefly hit the front.
Opening Battles
From the drop of the flag, Williams wasted no time stamping his authority on the race. By the time the field reached Ramsey Hairpin, he had stretched his lead to six seconds, while Arrowsmith and Shann were locked in their own duel behind.
Shann, buoyed by his impressive rides earlier in the week, launched a fierce attack across the Mountain section, cutting the gap to Williams to just 2.8 seconds as the leaders entered the pits for their mandatory stop.
Pit Lane Drama
The pit stops proved decisive. Arrowsmith’s crew delivered a lightning-fast turnaround, allowing him to leapfrog both Williams and Shann to take over at the front. But his joy was short-lived — a fault with his Aprilia machine forced him into retirement at Braddan Bridge, ending his race in disappointment.
With Arrowsmith out, Williams regained control of the contest. He exited the pits with a five-second cushion, while Liam Chawke slotted into third, just behind Shann.
Shann’s Relentless Pursuit
The York rider wasn’t done yet. Shann threw everything into his pursuit, clawing back time sector by sector. By the Bungalow on lap two, the Kawasaki man had reduced the deficit to a hair-raising 0.01 seconds — effectively riding alongside Williams on the timing screens.
At Cronk ny Mona, Shann even edged into the lead briefly, but Williams dug deep, regaining control to start the final lap half a second clear.
The Deciding Lap
With the tension at boiling point, the pair charged into the last 37.7 miles. Shann continued to press, but Williams responded with his fastest lap of the race. Averaging 115.52mph, the Manxman crossed the line three seconds ahead to secure a famous home victory — his third podium of the meeting and his second trip to the top step.
Afterwards, Williams admitted the scale of the achievement hadn’t yet sunk in. “I’m a little speechless,” he told Manx Radio Motorsport. “I’m just so happy this has happened — more so for the team than for me. The Aprilia never missed a beat, and that’s all down to the lads in the pits.”
The Fight for Third
While the front two stole the headlines, the battle for the final podium spot was no less intense. Rathkeale’s Liam Chawke went bar-to-bar with Limavady’s Michael Gahan in the closing stages. Ultimately, it was Gahan who found the pace to pull clear, taking third place at the Grandstand by 4.8 seconds.
Final Order
Behind the podium finishers, Caomhan Canny, Alex Sinclair, Andy Farrell, Eddy Wormald, Grant Thomson, and Johnny Stewart completed the top ten, underlining the depth of talent in the 2025 Junior Manx Grand Prix.
For Williams, the double victory marks a career-defining week on the Mountain Course — and with the TT now firmly in his sights for 2026, the Douglas rider has shown he is ready to take the next step on the international road racing stage.
Images MANX MOTOR CYCLE CLUB
