ROB HODSON TAKES INAUGURAL JUNIOR 600 CLASSIC TT VICTORY
Rob Hodson won the inaugural Junior 600 Classic TT race on Monday evening, the Wigan rider setting the fastest lap of the race of 120.276mph as he brought the Neil Orford Haulage Yamaha home 24.32s ahead of Barry Furber (Robinson Timber Yamaha).
Furber ran low on fuel towards the end of the second and final lap but was able to hold off Joe Yeardsley (Tony Leach Joinery Yamaha) by four tenths of a second. Yeardsley, fastest in qualifying, was also above 120mph on the last lap.
With perfect conditions again around the Mountain Course, Yeardsley was first to reach Glen Helen, but it was Hodson who led by 0.756s from Michael Russell (Complete Plumbing Solutions Yamaha) with Furber in third. Yeardsley, who started at number one, was only fifth as Tom Robinson (Peter Todd Racing Yamaha) slotted into fourth with Julien Cregniot (Mitas Scorpion Monsieur Pingouin Yamaha) in sixth.
Hodson took the early lead in the inaugural Junior 600 Classic TT
Just seven seconds covered the top six but by Ballaugh Hodson had extended his lead to 5.9s and it was now Furber in second having overhauled Russell on the run from Glen Helen albeit by just 0.177s. Marcus Simpson (Duckshaw Racing Kawasaki) was also on the move as he jumped up to fourth but whilst Yeardsley remained in fifth, he was now only a tenth of a second behind his fellow Manxman.
Through Ramsey for the first time and Hodson added another two seconds to his lead with Furber, in turn, pulling 2.7s clear of Russell. Simpson and Yeardsley, meanwhile, were still only separated by 0.125s.
It was equally close for sixth with one second covering Robinson, Ryan Whitehall (Jason Morrow/WR Racing Yamaha) and Timothee Monot (Morbihan-Moto Kawasaki). Cregniot had slipped back to ninth.
Hodson continued to extend his lead over the Mountain and an opening lap of 119.589mph gave him a 10.78s lead over Furber (118.465mph) with Russell (117.948mph) a further five seconds back in third.
Yeardsley (117.216mph) was now clear in fourth with Whitehall (116.775mph) 4.3s adrift as Robinson (116.136mph) moved back into sixth at the expense of Simpson. His lap of 115.965mph placed him seventh.
As the leaders passed through Glen Helen for the second time, Hodson’s lead had crept out a bit further to 11s with Russell now 10.5s behind in third but he was coming under pressure from Yeardsley, the gap between the two now down to 2.3s. Whitehall and Robinson remained in fifth and sixth but Monot was out at the Ballahutchin.
Furber held second place as the race entered its final stages
Yeardsley moved ahead of Russell on the run to Ballaugh but round Ramsey Hairpin for the last time, Hodson was leading Furber by 13.6s with Yeardsley a similar distance behind in third. Russell had dropped seven seconds behind Yeardsley but he still held an eight second advantage over Whitehall. Robinson continued to circulate in sixth.
Hodson’s lead came down slightly at the Bungalow, but he wasn’t to be denied and with the fastest lap of the race, 120.276mph, he took victory by 24.32s from Furber. He limped across the line but just held onto second from Yeardsley by 0.409s. Yeardsley’s second lap was also above 120mph at 120.091mph.
Yeardsley closed in on Furber in the final stages, finishing just 0.409 seconds behind
Russell (118.137mph) held onto fourth ahead of Whitehall (118.437mph) and Robinson (117.053mph) as Simpson, Cregniot, Paul Cassidy (Gorilla Racing/Island Fuels Yamaha) and Tom Weeden (Club 77 Suzuki) completed the top ten.
As the first winner of the Junior 600 Classic TT, Hodson’s name is now etched into a new chapter of Classic TT history. Introduced for 2026 and dedicated to the iconic pre-injection 600cc Supersport machines of the 1990s, the class celebrates an era that produced some of the most memorable racing ever seen on the Mountain Course. Fittingly, the inaugural race delivered a fast and fiercely contested encounter, setting the standard for what promises to be an exciting addition to the Classic TT programme.
