Local Racers Impress on Isle of Man Debut
Andrew Murphy ahead of his newcomers lap at the Manx Grand Prix on Sunday. Photo: Baylon McCaughey
Andrew Murphy and Darragh Crean made a stunning start to their Isle of Man road racing careers on Sunday, recording impressive lap speeds in their first ever attempts at the iconic Mountain Course.
The pair are competing in this year’s Manx Grand Prix for the first time.
Both managed to complete their newcomers’ laps and subsequent qualifying runs. Murphy, riding a Honda VFR NC3 in the Ultra Lightweight class, achieved speeds of 96.06mph and 96.20mph on his first two laps.
Crean, who has been making waves in the British Superbike Championship support classes, was even faster. Riding an Aprilia SuperTwin in the Junior Manx Grand Prix, he clocked speeds of 98.35mph and 99.36mph on his debut laps.
He is also competing in the Senior Manx Grand Prix on a Yamaha R6.
Ardfert’s Stephen Walsh, a seasoned Isle of Man competitor, was less fortunate. While he successfully qualified for the Junior Classic race on his Honda CB 350, mechanical issues with his Honda 500 Twin forced him to retire before completing a full high-speed lap. He will have further opportunities to qualify later in the week.
Monday and Tuesday’s qualifying sessions were cancelled due to heavy rain on the island.
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