Saturday 24th August 2013
OLIE LINSDELL POWERS HIS PATON TO
CLASSIC TT VICTORY IN BENNETTS 500CC RACE
Bedfordshire racer Olie Linsdell won
his first race on the TT Mountain Course since his double win in the
2007 Manx Grand Prix Newcomers and Ultra Lightweight races, winning
the Bennetts 500cc Classic TT Race on the Giovanni Cabassi Paton.
Olie's Paton had the honour of getting
the inaugural TT Races presented by Bennetts underway. The Paton
roared into life to signal the start of the 2013 Classic TT Races
races presented by Bennetts and was followed off the line by Cameron
Donald riding the Ripley Land Racing Matchless, John McGuinness on
the Team Winfield Paton and Bruce Anstey on the McIntosh Racing/Mobil
1 Norton.
Gary Johnson's MV Agusta failed to fire
but the Lincs Lifting rider valiantly pushed off the line to St
Ninians and got the Italian machine going on Bray Hill but Conor
Cummins was an early retiree, reported as pulling in on the approach
to Appledene.
Linsdell's lead was almost 8 seconds by
Glen Helen and the Bedfordshire man completed his first lap in a time
of 111.446, beating Ryan Farquhar's lap record of 110.984 set in the
2010 Manx Grand Prix meeting.
Linsdell held a healthy lead of almost
forty seconds over William Dunlop (108.016) on the Davies Motorsport
Honda at the end of lap 1 with Bruce Anstey on the McIntosh Mobil 1
Norton in third a further six seconds back on Dunlop. Cameron Donald
held fourth after an opening lap of 106.861 with Jamie Coward a
further three seconds back on the Australian completing the top five
at the end of the opening lap.
McGuinness was clearly still
experiencing the problems that had beset him during qualifying and
eventually retired in the pits at the end of the first lap having
clocked 94.901.
Both Linsdell and second placed rider
William Dunlop came into the pits at the end of the first lap to
refuel but despite the pit stop, Linsdell still led by 15 seconds
from Anstey with Cameron Donald third at Glen Helen on the second
lap. However, with Cameron Donald reported as retired at
Cruickshanks, Chris Palmer on the Richard Shelton Racing Matchless
moved into the top three by Ramsey.
The attrition rate continued with Bruce
Anstey another to drop out, retiring at Brandywell on his second lap.
Coward leapfrogged Palmer by the end of the second lap to move into
second with Blackpool rider Roy Richardson FCL Racing/Martin Bullock
Manxsport Aermacchi fourth and William Dunlop holding fifth after his
opening lap pit stop.
Linsdell's power was apparent for all
to see when he went through the Sulby speed trap at 146.84mph and he
extended his lead on the third lap with a new lap record, breaking
his opening lap time with a time of 111.660 to lead by almost fifty
seconds from Coward in second. With Palmer retiring at Governors on
the third lap, Dunlop moved into the final podium place and closed
the gap on Coward to less than a second with Richardson up to fourth
and Ian Lougher on the Flitwick Motorcycles Enfield moving into the
top five.
While Linsdell consolidated his lead at
the front and closed the race out to win with a final lap of 109.401
and a race time of 110.256mph (1:22.07.732), Dunlop passed Coward by
Glen Helen on the fourth lap and held second place with a race time
of 107.610 (1:24.08.911), Coward dropping to third, finishing in
107.091 (1:24.33.336).
Doug Snow, who finished in tenth place
on the John Snow Ducati, also received a garland as the leading
privateer with a race time of 1:32.19.762.
Dave Matravers was taken by airmed to
Nobles with an injury to his shoulder and knee but was later
discharged.
Following the race, the riders had an
additional qualifying session for Monday's Motorsport Merchandise
Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula Classic Races and the Okells
350/250cc races, which will take place on Monday.
Notable performances came from Michael
Dunlop on his Team Classic Suzuki machine with his fastest time of
the week - 124.049 (18.14.955) which he set on the opening lap. His
second lap, which could potentially have been quicker, was
short-lapped just before pit lane. Gary Johnson got rid of some of
his frustrations from the Bennetts 500cc race with a lap of 114.529
on his Yamaha.
