PAUL JORDAN TAKES HISTORIC JUNIOR CLASSIC TT VICTORY
Paul Jordan won a dramatic Historic Junior Classic TT race on Saturday afternoon, the Davies Motorsport Honda rider taking victory for the second year in a row by 1m37s from Dominic Herbertson (Nigel Haith Racing) and John McGuinness MBE (Steadplan Racing Honda).
Dean Harrison (Craven Classic Racing/Ted Woof Honda) led in the early stages before retiring at Ballaugh and that allowed Mike Browne (Melbray Racing Honda) to take over. He set a new class lap record of 105.322mph on the opening lap but went out at Barregarrow on the second and final lap with a puncture whilst Harrison’s team-mate Jamie Coward was another high-profile retirement.
Dominic Herbertson took a second-place finish.
Getting underway at 5.30pm, there were perfect conditions all around the Mountain Course and it was Harrison who led at Glen Helen on the opening lap, his advantage over Browne 3.964s with Michael Evans (Ken Rutter Racing Honda) a further 1.847s back in third. Coward, Jordan and Stefano Bonetti (Speed Shadow Racing Yamaha) slotted into fourth to sixth.
Over Ballaugh Bridge for the first time and it was all change as Browne took over at front, his sector time from Glen Helen over eight seconds quicker than Harrison’s. Evans was only three-quarters of a second behind Harrison in third whilst Coward and Jordan in fourth and fifth were less than two seconds apart.
Browne’s lead was up to 10.9s at Ramsey Hairpin but it was now Evans in second with Harrison having retired at Ballaugh. That promoted his team-mate Coward into the final podium position and he’d pulled 3.2s clear of Jordan as Joe Yeardsley on the second Ken Rutter Racing and Herbertson moved up to fifth and sixth respectively.
Browne extended his lead over Evans to 14.9s at the Bungalow but it was even closer for third with Coward and Jordan now only 0.341s whilst McGuinness had closed to within 1.1s of Herbertson.
With a new lap record of 105.322mph, a second quicker than Lee Johnston’s previous best set in 2014, Browne’s lead at the end of the opening lap was up to 27.2s and it was Jordan who was now second, the Northern Irishman having turned his deficit to Coward into a 1.226s advantage - Evans was out though having retired at the Creg ny Baa.
Mike Browne set a new Historic Junior lap record before retiring with a puncture.
That meant Yeardsley was now fourth with Herbertson and McGuinness up to fifth and sixth with just 0.443s between them but Yeardsley pulled into the pits to retire so that promoted them up another position. The Manxman’s demise helped Harley Rushton move up to sixth.
Through Glen Helen for the second and final time and Browne’s lead was almost half a minute but the battle for second looked like it would go all the way as there was still only 2.6s between Jordan and Coward.
However, just as it looked like Browne had the race in the bag he was missing at Ballaugh and the news came through that he’d stopped at Barregarrow with a puncture, Jordan now leading the race from Coward by 4.6s. McGuinness was up to third but Herbertson was matching him in each sector, the gap over the famous bridge still 1.1s.
Further drama then came with Coward retiring at Ballaugh, just like team-mate Harrison had, but round Ramsey Hairpin for the final time, Jordan’s lead stood at 1m22s – and it was Herbertson now in second having had a strong run from Ballaugh, the gap between him and McGuinness now 3.5s.
As the final third of the lap progressed, Herbertson was looking more secure in second but at the front, no one was stopping Jordan and he won for the second year in a row, his eventual winning margin over Herbertson a commanding 1m37s.
John McGuinness completed the podium in third.
McGuinness completed the podium in third but there was disappointment for Rushton as he retired on the Mountain Mile and that meant it was Dan Sayle (John Chapman Racing Honda) who finished fourth from Will Loder (Greeves Oulton) and James Chawke (DD Racing Honda).
The top ten was completed by Andy Hornby (HEL Performance Honda), Phil McGurk (Chris Hughes Racing Honda), newcomer Kyle Parkes (Torry Hill Chesnut Rencing Honda) and Jeffrey Vermeulen (Van Giersbergen Motorenrevisie Ducati) whilst 14-time Sidecar TT race winner Ben Birchall (Ruthless Racing Honda) had a fine ride into 11th with a final lap of 94.665mph.
The Historic Junior Classic TT celebrates an era when the Isle of Man TT formed part of the FIM Motorcycle World Championship. Showcasing the 350cc machines that defined Grand Prix and TT racing during the 1960s and early 1970s, the class provides a link to a significant chapter in the TT's history, allowing fans to experience these motorcycles in competition around the Mountain Course once again.
