Manx Grand Prix: Mike Browne impresses on LayLaw Yamaha to lead Lightweight times in disrupted practice session | More frustration for Michael Dunlop

Practice was delayed following a red-flag incident minutes after the action got under way with the Classic Superbike and MGP Senior machines.

An update from the organisers said the competitor involved in the crash at Rhencullen – Jim Barnett – was ‘conscious and talking’. He was airlifted to Noble’s Hospital with suspected hip and ankle injuries.

A sweeper was required to clear up the scene of the crash, leading to a delay of almost one hour.

The Classic Superbike and Senior MGP session was not re-started but the Junior MGP, Lightweight and Classic Senior session commenced at 7.40pm.

However, competitors only did one lap as visibility began to deteriorate on the Mountain section and a halt was called to proceedings shortly after 8pm.

Irish road racer Browne was quickest of the Lightweight competitors with a speed of 113.486mph from a standing start, which put him almost four seconds ahead of team-mate Ian Lougher (113.118mph).

James Hind was third with a speed of 112.932mph, although his lap of 114.137mph set on Sunday remains the fastest so far.

Browne, who battled through the pain barrier to race at the Isle of Man TT in June after breaking both ankles in a crash at April’s Cookstown 100, said: “It’s a different kettle of fish on these 250 bikes.

“The course is nice and smooth these days, so I don’t know how they did it years ago – you feel every little crack in the road.”

Michael Dunlop only made it to Quarterbridge on his RS250 Honda.

The Ballymoney man was earlier leading the Classic Superbike times before the red-flag brought the session to a halt.

Dunlop switched back to the Team Classic XR69 after retiring on the Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD machine on Sunday at Greeba Castle.

The 33-year-old is yet to complete a lap in the Classic Superbike class and will be hoping for better luck on Wednesday, when an afternoon session will take place following Monday’s cancellation due to poor weather.

Roads will close from 12.30pm until 4.30pm, with evening session then also taking place as planned.

Fellow Northern Ireland rider Lee Johnston will also be eager to get some laps under his belt today on the Ashcourt Racing Honda RC45. Johnston experienced clutch problems on Sunday and also never managed a lap last night when the session was curtailed.

In the Senior Classic class, Italian rider Stefano Bonetti was fastest after the one-lap session at 104.8mph on the Beugger Racing Paton.

John McGuinness, who lapped in excess of 109mph on Sunday, was down in eighth on Roger Winfield’s Paton after an issue with the fuel cap slowed his progress.

The 50-year-old said conditions on the Mountain section of the 37.73-mile course “weren’t great”.

“You couldn’t really see coming out of the Bungalow and up to Hailwood’s Rise,” McGuinness said.

“There was a lot of mist.”

A new-look five-race programme this year is scheduled to commence on Friday with the Dunlop Lightweight race over four laps.

On Saturday, the Classic Senior and MGP Junior races top the bill.

The festival concludes on Bank Holiday Monday with the Senior Manx Grand Prix and Classic Superbike races.