Hutch joy marred by tragedies
® IAN HUTCHINSON made it a hat-trick of victories in the RL360 Superstock TT race but his success was overshadowed by the death of a THIRD rider.
Dutchman Jochem van den Hoek, 28, crashed on the opening lap, sustaining fatal injuries.
Later, Alan Bonner, 33, from the Republic of Ireland, died in a crash at the 33rd milestone on the mountain section.
He was taking part in qualifying for tomorrow’s Senior race. The TT Zero race scheduled to follow was then postponed.
And on Tuesday night Davey Lambert, 48, from Gateshead, died in Aintree Hospital in Liverpool after a crash at Greba Castle in Sunday’s Superbike race.
The racing continued amid a sombre atmosphere and Hutchinson led for virtually the whole four-lap race for his fifth success in the category and 16th on the island, by 22.423secs.
Anxious
He said: “This really is sweet 16 – it’s the first time I’ve gone into a TT race with only one practice lap on a bike.”
He had anxious moments with seconds to go to the start when the dash of his Tyco BMW went blank.
He added: “I turned it on and off, then a mechanic did the same and it all came back on.
“It’s not the sort of thing you want to happen 10 seconds before the start.”
He was cautious over the early miles but had reeled in Michael Rutter on the Batham’s BMW by the time they reached Ballaugh Bridge and then forged clear with an opening lap of 131.109mph.
Hutchinson sealed the victory with a final lap at an average 131.639mph, with Peter Hickman in second.
Rutter later led throughout the four-lap Bennetts Lightweight on the 650 Paton to take his fifth victory on the island.