GARY Johnson led from start to finish to become the fifth winner of the week at the Isle of Man TT and to record his first TT win in the rescheduled Supersport Race 2 this afternoon.
Johnson won by eight seconds from John McGuinness after Cameron Donald saw second place taken away from him in the final stages of his last lap when he stopped at Signpost Corner less than a mile from the finishing line.
But again it wasn't a race without controversy. A mysterious red flag was raised at Ramsey half way through the third lap and Guy Martin also saw a red flag at Union Mills whilst lying in third place.
"I saw a red flag through Union Mills so I rolled off for three or four miles. But I didn’t see another and then I thought it must have been a red bale or something, so I got going again.
“It was definitely a red flag. I didn’t know what was happening.” Martin eventually finished third, 16 seconds behind John McGuinness.
Johnson said his East Coast Honda was faultless. “I wrung the neck out of it and got what I wanted,” he said.
“I saw the lead was coming down through my pit boards, so I got back on it through the Glen Helen section and I saw I was back up there again,so I was able to cruise it a bit coming back over the mountain.
Second placed John McGuinness, “I couldn’t have tried any harder . . it was a good strong race. I had to ride really hard over the mountain on the last lap . . . another podium, I’ve very pleased.”
He added, “That’s my half century of finishes, someone’s just told me - Yes, I’m very pleased. To be fair, Gary has been coming strong the last few years; he’s someone else to look out for from now on.”
Pre-race favourite Michael Dunlop - who was leader yesterday when the race was red-flagged in the rain - stopped on the first lap at Ballacraine with an electrical fault. But, surprisingly, he rejoined the race a lap down, riding hard at the back of the field.
OFFICIAL RESULT:
1) Gary Johnson (East Coast 600 Honda) 1-13.795 (123.819)
2) John McGuinness (Padgetts 600 Honda) 1-13.635 (123.582mph)
3) Guy Martin 1-13-29.28 (123.220mph)
4) Keith Amor 1-13-37.67 (122.986mph)
5) Bruce Anstey (Padgetts 600 Honda)
6) Conor Cummins (McAdoo 600 Kawasaki)
Fastest lap: John McGuinness (4th lap) 125.629mph
All photos by Bill Dale - www.iomphotos.com
