Tweed’s dream comes true on great day for Irish
WHAT a day for the Irish at the Manx Grand Prix yesterday, Ballymoney’s Darryl Tweed winning the Ultra Lightweight race, while in the Lightweight it was a 1-23-4 clean sweep for southern Irish riders, with Hillsborough’s Gareth Evans fifth, plus James Chawke from Rathkeale won the Junior Manx Grand Prix.
After a delay due to mist, the four-lap Junior race got under way with Matt Stevenson from Ripon leading at the end of lap one from Chawke, but on lap two Stevenson crashed out at Creg ny Baa, leaving Chawke to pit for fuel with a 14secs lead over local rider Dean Osborne and Tweed.
Kawasaki-mounted Chawke took a 12.506secs lead out onto his final lap, with Osborne just 5secs ahead of Tweed, who sat up as if the race had finished — he got as far as Quarry Bends before he unluckily ran out of fuel.
Tweed said: “We believed it was a three-lap race. The speakers aren’t very clear where we are at in the back of the paddock.”
In the end, Chawke ran out a rather comfortable 4.4secs winner from Osborne and said: “Unreal to finally do it.
“I knew the gap was coming down on the last lap, but I was able to manage it, not wanting to do anything silly. This is my hobby, my life, and I won.”
The Lightweight race was reduced from four to three laps with a compulsory pit stop at the end of lap two, and 26-yearold Chawke, on a 650cc Paton, was the early leader from Andy Farrell.
However, at the end of the opening lap, Skerries man Farrell had managed to reverse the placings.
Gary Vines retired from third on lap two, elevating another Skerries man David Lumsden, Dave Butler from Churchtown and Hillsborough’s Evans into third, fourth and fifth.
That would remain the order right up to the chequered flag, which gave Farrell his first ever Manx victory on his 10th anniversary racing Irish and Manx roads.
Farrell, who had finished second twice and third twice in previous Manx GP races, said: “It’s a dream come true and the 650cc Kawasaki never missed a beat.
“We have had many late nights and arguments, but this makes it all worthwhile.”
In the concurrently run Ultra Lightweight race Tweed made up for his Junior disappointment, winning by a country mile.
At the end of the three laps he had won by 1m 08.259secs.
The 27-year-old, who was the highest placed Newcomer in last year’s Senior Manx Grand Prix, said: “I got into a good rhythm early on the first lap and kept the momentum up throughout the race.
“The wee M&D 400cc Kawasaki was flying and it’s thanks to everyone who put the wee bike below me.
“This is a dream come true to win a race on the famous Isle of Man Mountain Circuit where a number of other Ballymoney riders tasted success.”