I was rather late back to the residence after a very good evening in the Hilton, firstly for a meal and then to Colours, upstairs again to the Coors Rooms, there to be entertained by a C&W/R&R Band. It was well after 2AM when I got to bed ! But thats another story.

Wednesday morning eased itself through my red eyes into my pounding brain but after breakfast and lots of tea I felt I could face another day of racing.

I decided to go to an old favourite of mine, The Crosby where over the years we have stood roadside behind a rope watching just about everybody who was somebody.

The Crosby is now surrounded by a big fence behind which we sat or stood to see the latest set of TT Riders scream at us and away up to Glen Helen.

Today the "TT LIVE" worked exceptionally well and it was interesting following the race, actually getting the same info as Charlie Lambert and his team and also being able to follow riders who were not in the leaderboard positions. I added Carl Rennie, David Madsen-Mygdal and Michael Dunlop to my list and I wish Russel Bennies man had been here with me today to see that the system does actually work. Signal strength was strong at Crosby so there must be a "mast" nearby.

Outside at the Crosby Pub -----------------------------------------------Ray Amms pic inside the Pub

The facilities are good at the Crosby but you are stuck there until the road opening car goes past. However there is an advantage if you are heading back to Douglas, the road is quite empty until you get to Kirk Braddan.

.Bruce did a great job, winning the race properly this time, John Mcguinness is having a poor week retiring this time with an oil leak.

REPORT FROM PRESS OFFICE

Bruce Anstey overcame the disappointment of Monday’s disqualification to finally take his 7th TT win, dominating Wednesday’s 4-lap Relentless Supersport 2 race. The Kiwi rider overcame a strong challenge from Ian Hutchinson in the early stages to pull clear at half race distance and he ran out a comfortable winner by 34.04seconds. Hutchinson finally got some luck as he took an excellent second place whilst there was also joy for Ryan Farquhar who took third, thus making it three nationalities and three manufacturers in the top three.

The riders were met with bright, sunny conditions although there were blustery winds all around the course but it was Hutchinson who set the initial pace and he led at Glen Helen on the opening lap, albeit by just 0.4seconds from Anstey. John McGuinness was third followed by Guy Martin, Ian Lougher and Farquhar but Keith Amor was clearly in trouble, down in 11th, and he got slower and slower as the lap progressed, eventually being black flagged at the Bungalow for touring. Monday’s race winner Steve Plater was also having problems and he too retired at the Bungalow.

Hutchinson completed the first lap at 124.126mph to lead Anstey by a miniscule margin of 0.82seconds but McGuinness was out, the Honda rider retiring at the pits with an oil leak which meant that the top 3 from Monday’s corresponding race were all out. Anstey made his charge on the second lap and with a new lap record of 125.372mph he rocketed clear to lead at mid race distance by 11 seconds. Hutchinson maintained second but Farquhar was now up to third ahead of Martin, Gary Johnson, who was having yet another great ride, and Lougher.

Anstey was clearly keen to make amends for Monday and he continued to extend his lead between all of the commentary points whilst Hutchinson, mindful of 2 retirements already this week, began to ease back slightly to ensure his Yamaha engine lasted. Meanwhile, double race winner Cameron Donald was another high profile retirement, the Australian grinding to a halt at the Mountain Box.

There were no such problems for his illustrious teammate though and Anstey brought his Relentless by TAS Suzuki home over 30 seconds clear with Hutchinson taking his seventh TT podium in second. Farquhar’s excellent week continued in third, his first TT rostrum since 2005, whilst there was another solid ride by Ian Lougher in fifth. Johnson came through for fifth as a slowing Martin slipped back to sixth.

Local man Conor Cummins finished in 7th ahead of the brilliant Michael Dunlop, Adrian Archibald, Dan Stewart, Roy Richardson and Mats Nilsson. The newcomers again had superb rides with James Hillier in 17th, Jamie Robinson 18th and Alessio Corradi 35th.

Roger Maher and Craig Atkinson were reported as OK after incidents at Governors Bridge and Ginger Hall respectively while James Hillier eventually finished a credible 17th despite coming off at Signpost

Many thanks to Phil Wain

I turned my attention to the Sidecar Race and watched over the fence with the rest, having now put a laptop with a discharged battery back into the car. Now for some spectator style photos. I like to take pics from behind the spectators so you can see what they are seeing. I do have lenses for my cameras but try to simulate the view as it is....

One pic with my lens-----------------------------------------------People behind the fencing

MORE TO FOLLOW

Nick Crowe made it a Manx double when he took his second victory of the week in Wednesday’s Sure Mobile F2 Sidecar race coming home just over ten seconds clear of arch rival Dave Molyneux and Daniel Sayle. For Crowe, with Mark Cox on board, it was his fifth TT victory and moved him to 5th overall on the all time winners list behind Molyneux, Rob Fisher, Dave Saville and Siegfried Schauzu. Having caught Molyneux on the road, the duo treated the fans to a high-speed dual that saw them never more than inches apart and the two current masters of the sidecar class crossed the line together. John Holden and Andy Winkle brought their Suzuki powered outfit home in 3rd for their second rostrum of the week.

Conditions were still good for the afternoon’s race but the winds were again a problem with the sidecar crews warned that they were particularly strong at the Mountain Mile, the Mountain Box and Brandywell whilst they were also deemed to be gusting at the Verandah. Crowe and Cox made a blistering start on their Honda and they seized the lead at Glen Helen on the opening lap and had Molyneux and Sayle firmly in their sights. Indeed, the 13 times winner was down in third at the first checkpoint, Holden and Winkle nosing ahead into second. Klaus Klaffenbock and Christian Parzer occupied fourth ahead of Phil Dongworth/Stu Castles and Steve Norbury/Rick Long.

Crowe had the magnets on Molyneux and as they crossed the line to start their second lap he was only a second behind on the road and, thus, 9 seconds ahead on corrected time. Holden was slipping off the pace slightly, suffering with a few handling issues, but he was comfortable in third whilst Klaffenbock and Norbury were having a great scrap for fourth. Dongworth was in sixth but coming under extreme pressure from Saturday’s sensations, Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance.

Crowe overtook Molyneux on the road on the second lap and, for the remainder of the race, the duo circulated in close formation, later admitting that paintwork had been exchanged on a number of occasions! The crowds lining the course were witnessing a real spectacle but, having made up the time on the road, Crowe knew the race was his and although Molyneux tried to edge ahead, his fellow Manxman was having none of it and kept him firmly at the bay. Although no records were broken, Crowe and Molyneux were lapping in the 114mph+ bracket, which no one else could match, and they were well clear of Holden who was never challenged for third. Crowe eventually took the win by 10.5seconds with Holden 34 seconds adrift of Molyneux in third, although it was again another excellent result by the Clitheroe driver.

The battle for fourth went right down to the wire and it was Norbury and Long who prevailed over Klaffenbock and Parzer by the tiny margin of 0.89seconds – after 113miles of racing! For the Austrian pairing though, there was still great satisfaction, having achieved their first TT finish since 2005.

Reeves and Farrance lapped in excess of 112mph to take sixth and cap a simply stunning TT debut whilst Dongworth and Castles took seventh, the Worcestershire driver also enjoying a strong TT08 after suffering a number of breakdowns in recent years.

Simon Neary and Jamie Winn finished in eighth with the top 12 completed by Nigel Connole/Dipash Chauhan, Dougie Wright/Stuart Bond, Gary Bryan/Robert Bell and Greg Lambert/Sally Wilson. Newcomers Mark and David Brown had an excellent drive into 21st, lapping at an excellent 104.655mph.

Kenny Howles and Doug Jewell were airlifted to hospital following an incident at the 11th milestone and there are no details on their condition currently available.

Thanks to Phil Wain

After a hurried dinner during which we saw an excellent display of "Wing Walking" in the sky outside, yes, at the Hilton, some of us went to the Villa Marina for the Prize Presentataions and cheered loud and long for our "Neighbour" Bruce Anstey (Actually he lives in Windsor only a few miles from Reading)

For ever experimenting, I took the portable laptop up Douglas Head and waved to myself on the Manx Radio webcam, reproducing our round the world transmission from a few years back. ( mine is the red car, with laptop on the roof and the Manx Flag drapped on the side of the car ). Then back to the Hilton for a chat with the group still loyal to the HILTON.

We then stood outside to see the firework display, with the webcam on Manx Radio showing us a different angle. Pics taken from Manx Radio webcams

(PICs BY TTFAN BBHMG)

REPORTS - Acknowledgements to myself based today at Crosby, Wednesday 4th June 2008

REPORTS - Acknowledgements to the TT2008 Press office