Bruce Anstey could comfortably become the fastest rider in history to lap the Mountain Course on a two-stroke machine in Monday afternoon’s F1/F2 Classic.
But a dismal forecast for the bank holiday could scupper everyone’s hopes for what is the most ambitous day of racing in the history of either the TT or Manx Grand Prix.
With the Okell’s Brewery 350cc Classic scheduled to start at 10.15am, followed by the combined Motorsport Merchandise Formula One and Two races at 1.30pm, the day is then to be rounded off by the IMGold Newcomers race at 3.45pm.
The latter race contains three classes, making six races in as many hours.
Add to that the Classic Racer Magazine Classic TT lap of honour at 12.20pm, plus a Manx Grand Prix practice at 5.45pm, and you can see that the organisers, indeed everyone involved, will have their work cut out - even if the weather does play ball.
Anstey lapped at an impressive 122.523mph on the Valvoline Racing by Padgett’s Motorcycles ex-works two-stroke Yamaha YZR 500 on his second lap of Wednesday evening’s qualifying session (mixed in with the modern-day 600/750s of the MGP Junior and Seniors classes).
‘I’ve got a massive smile,’ Bruce told Manx Radio’s Chris Palmer later. ‘The bike’s handling is pretty good, although once the fuel lightens on the second lap it gets a bit lively. We are just slowly jetting it down, playing it safe. The bike was definitely on song tonight though and there’s more to come.’
John McGuinness reckons the bike could be good for a 128mph lap with Anstey onboard.
Closest to the kiwi and the ex-factory GP bike on Wednesday was Michael Dunlop with his fastest lap of the week to date on the Suzuki XR69 - 122.173mph. The Ballymoney man pulled in after a single lap, admitting there were a couple of issues with the bike. ‘I nursed her home,’ he said.
Sub-120mph were James Hillier on the Jackson Racing ZXR750 Kawasaki (119.396), Russ Mountford on the Team York Suzuki XR69 (119.127), Mistral Racing’s Steve Mercer on another ZXR Kawasaki (118.298) and Team Winfield’s Ryan Farquhar (117.755) on the Yamaha America-liveried Harris.
Experienced classic racer Roy Richardson got Dick Linton’s TZ250 Yamaha round at 110.349mph to head lap record holder James Cowton’s 109.893 in the F2 class.
The Team Winfield Patons of John McGuinness and Ryan Farquhar were again on the pace in the 500cc class until McGuinness reported problems on the run to Ramsey. Farquhar posted a stunning opening lap of 111.102, marginally outside Olie Linsdell’s fastest lap of 111.660 from last year’s 500cc race.
Alan Oversby was second fastest in the class with 107.239, while Michael Rutter showed that he was getting to grips with the single-cylinder G50 Seeley with a speed of 107.067mph.
Riding the Davies Motorsport four-cylinder Honda, William Dunlop (101.271) was the only rider in the 350cc class to top 100mph, with Ian Lougher posting 99.689mph on the Ripley Land Drixton Honda.
JOHN WATTERSON