A DRAMATIC first Supersport race saw the lead change several times throughout the re-started 3 lap race before Bruce Anstey made up for his disappointment in the Superbike TT to take his 8th victory on the Mountain Course.
The lead changed numerous times in the re-started race which was reduced to three laps after the initial race was halted on the second lap after Derek Brien, from Co Meath, Ireland, was killed in a high speed accident at Gorse Lea.
Cameron Donald, Michael Dunlop, Gary Johnson and Keith Amor all led for a short time as the pit stops came into play, but it was Anstey who held his nerve best to win by 8 seconds from Keith Amor and Guy Martin, claiming his 10th podium place.
Anstey felt he hadn’t ridden to the best of his ability, but was still delighted with the win. He said, “I wasn’t getting the corner speeds I wanted - it didn’t feel quite right out there. But you’ve got to keep going; keep at it and keep going. With the 600s you never know what’s going to happen.”
Amor, who crashed in practice at Quarterbridge on Friday, sustaining a shoulder injury, said, “What can I say - three days I was in hospital and now I’m on the podium. There’s life in the old man yet!”
Guy Martin said, “I made a couple of little mistakes, but I couldn’t have gone any faster. Fair play to Bruce. There are a few changes we might make to the bike for the second race. I’m happy enough - spot on.”
In the first race the lead was held by Cameron Donald when it was dramatically red-flagged when the leaders were more than half way round their second lap. The crash at the super-fast Gorse Lea in Greeba claimed the life of Derek Brien and the race was immediately stopped.
Brien, 34, first competed on the TT course in the 2004 Manx Grand Prix when he finished 15th. He won the Junior Manx Grand Prix in 2007 and rode in the TT in 2009 and 2010 TT. His best finish was 13th in the 2010 Supersport 1 race.
Guy Martin also had a crash in the first race, when he was “trying a bit hard” after Cameron Donald overtook him just before Creg ny Baa. Martin spilled the bike at the Creg when the back end broke away and he had to undergo a medical check before being given the all-clear to re-start.
Martin wanted to get back on the bike and continue, but marshals prevented him carrying on and he was sent back to the Grandstand for his check-up.
“It wasn’t really what you could call a crash,” he said. “I still had hold of both handlebars. I was trying hard. Cameron had just gone past.”
The re-started race saw Michael Dunlop take the lead with a 125mph lap. Dunlop also chose to re-fuel after his second lap whilst virtually everyone else pitted at the end of the first.
But the pit stops - ether at the end of the first or second laps - led to a series of changes on the leaderboard and, together with retirements, it was a commentator’s nightmare trying to keep up with the dramatic events.
Anstey eventually came through amongst all the confusion and a quick final lap secured him the victory.
1) Bruce Anstey (600 Padgetts Racing Honda) 54-40-01 (124.232mph)
2) Keith Amor (600 KBMG Racing Honda) 54-48.4 (123.916mph)
3) Guy Martin (600 Relentless TAS Suzuki) 54-56.06 (123.628mph)
4) Gary Johnson (600 East Coast Honda) 54-57.24 (123.548mph)
5) John McGuinness (600 Padgetts Racing Honda) 54-58.45 (123.538mph)
6) Dan Kneen (600 Mark Blooms Yamaha)
7) Ian Lougher (600 Blackhorse Kawasaki)
8) Ben Wylie (600 Yamaha)
9) Ian Mackman (600 Triumph)
10) Dan Stewart (600 Wilcock Consulting Honda)
All photos: Bill Dale www.isleofmanphotos.com
