Manx Grand Prix: Red flag stoppage in evening qualifying as Michael Dunlop tops Classic Superbike times at 124mph

The opening Classic Superbike, Senior MGP and Lightweight session was completed, but there was a red-flag stoppage in the second session for Classic Senior, Junior MGP and Lightweight machines shortly after 7.30pm. No further official details were provided and the remainder of the evening schedule was cancelled.

After Monday’s practice sessions were called off due to low cloud on the Mountain, largely fine weather conditions prevailed on the Isle of Man as the action got underway once more, with riders warned to beware of dazzling sun.

Ballymoney man Dunlop bettered his near-123mph Sunday benchmark on the Team Classic Suzuki GSX-R750, clocking 124.32mph (18m 12.395s) from a standing start.

However, the 34-year-old’s plans for a second lap were shelved due to an issue with the SRAD machine.

“We were going to do two tonight but we’ve had an issue, again, but that’s the way it is really,” said Dunlop, who later went out for a lap on his 250cc Honda in the red-flagged session.

Bradford’s Dean Harrison opened with a lap of 121.992mph on the Oxford Racing Ducati 916 by Key Racing.

Harrison went straight through for a flying lap and improved to 123.996mph, which was three seconds down on Dunlop.

Australian David Johnson did 122.352mph on his first lap and went faster on his second lap at 123.83mph, slotting into third on the Alasdair Cowan Racing Kawasaki ZXR750.

Last year’s race winner Rob Hodson (Greenall Racing Kawasaki) was fourth at 123.562mph after his second lap followed by Dominic Herbertson (BHR Racing Kawasaki) at 122.986mph.

Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing Suzuki XR69) was sixth after lapping at 122.898mph on his flying lap.

Waterford’s Brian McCormack (Greenall Racing Kawasaki) and Manx rider Nathan Harrison on the Ashcourt Racing Honda RC45 were seventh and eighth, lapping at 121.72mph and 120.822mph respectively.

Skerries rider Michael Sweeney completed his first lap of the week after stopping at Braddan Bridge on Sunday on the CSC Racing/IMS 500 Yamaha.

Sweeney, back in competitive action for the first time since he was badly injured in a crash at the North West 200 in May, lapped at 113.122mph on the Mistral Racing Kawasaki ZXR750.

“To be honest I’ve had no preparation and it was a last-minute decision to come over here,” Sweeney said. “With the accident I had at the North West I didn’t even think I’d get here.

“I started doing physio a couple of weeks ago and started feeling a little bit stronger, and I got a couple of laps on my own Supersport bike last weekend.

“I said we’ll go and give it a go and see how we feel; if I’m not feeling right I won’t do it, and if I am we’ll keep going.”

Cork’s Mike Browne pulled over at Ballacraine on the Davies Motorsport Yamaha YZF750.

Tobermore’s Adam McLean, who is competing on the TT Mountain Course for the first time since 2018, completed his first lap at 103.608mph on the LayLaw Racing TZ250 Yamaha.

In the Senior MGP session, Tom Robinson from Stockton-on-Tees led the way at 118.059mph.

Following the cancellation of Monday’s session, an afternoon session will be held today with roads closed from 12:30pm, followed by evening practice from 6pm.