Morecambe’s John McGuinness continued his 2015 Isle of Man TT Races campaign on Monday and Tuesday with the 21-times winner taking seventh and eighth respectively in the Supersport and Superstock races.
The 4-lap Supersport race was delayed until 6.30pm on Monday evening and with a solid opening lap of 124.114mph on the Jackson Racing Honda, John slotted into ninth place just behind team-mate Conor Cummins. John increased his pace second time around to 124.783mph and, aided by a slick pit stop, he overhauled Cummins and moved up into seventh as Dean Harrison retired. With his best lap of the race, 124.944mph, coming on the fourth and final lap he duly came home for seventh and yet another silver replica.
The Superstock race was subsequently pushed back to Tuesday afternoon where John was this time mounted on the EMC2-backed Honda Fireblade. Despite an opening lap at more than 128mph, he found himself down in 11th place and although he recorded another 128mph+ lap he had to settle for an eventual eighth place finish at the chequered flag, the first Honda machine to finish.
John McGuinness: “What can I say, it’s been two hard day’s racing and I’ve given my all. I felt like I was riding well in both races and I really enjoyed the 600cc race. I put in a professional ride and 7th was a strong finish – I couldn’t have given any more that’s for sure but it just wasn’t quite fast enough to get right at the sharp end.”
“In the Superstock race, I again gave it everything I had but I got low on fuel coming out of the Creg so had it not been for that, it may have been another seventh place. It’s an unbelievably competitive field but I rode well, hit all my apexes and was the first Honda rider home. Having put the team together myself with some loyal sponsors and EMC2 coming on board, I wanted to give them all a good result. That’s three finishes from three races so far, all inside the top eight and I’ve three more chances so I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.’
John will be back out on the Jackson Racing Honda in Wednesday’s second Supersport race.
Pictures by Pacemaker Press International
