THE Manngo.im Junior Manx Grand Prix has been won today by Andrew Brady on a day dominated by the unpredictable weather conditions.
Race organisers had delayed the start of the race due to a diesel spill on the course but there were also problems with wet surfaces reported all around the roads and lack of adhesion flags being waves by marshals in many places.
The race eventually got under way and hour late but the weather conditions were clearly affecting the speeds with Paul Smyth, Grant Wagstaffe and Andrew Brady the only riders over 100mph average lap speed by Glen Helen and Michael Sweeney, an early race favourite, pulling in at Crosby.
Grant Wagstaffe took the lead from Smyth by Cronk Ny Mona and led by 3 seconds after the first lap with an opening lap of 105.693mph from Paul Smyth (105.434) and Andrew Brady (104.593).
However, Wagstaffe was reported as retired at Quarterbridge with mechanical problems on the second lap leaving Smyth fifteen seconds ahead of Brady with Stephen McKnight in third place, nine seconds back on Brady.
Smyth led by almost six seconds from Brady at the end of the second lap but a poor pit stop saw Brady 2 seconds ahead as the riders left pit-lane. Smyth came back to lead by less than a second from Brady at Glen Helen on lap three but Brady nudged ahead again by Ballaugh and extended his lead to 3 seconds by the end of the third lap.
The dogfight at the front continued and Smyth again regained the lead by Glen Helen on lap 4, only for Brady to again move back in front by half a second at Ballaugh, extending his lead to 5.27 by the Bungalow.
Brady eventually won the race with a last lap 111.030 for an overall race time of 1:24.13.47 seven seconds ahead of Paul Smyth (1:24.20.64 – 107.360mph) with Stephen McKnight third with 1:24.52.06 (106.698mph).
The race was marred by an accident at Kirk Michael which claimed the life of 20 year old Wayne Hamilton - winner of Saturday's Newcomers Race.
see also . . . Death of Wayne Hamilton 'a great loss to the sport'
