From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Kiwi Bruce Anstey victorious in 1000cc Production TT

Bruce Anstey broke lap and race records as he convincingly won the delayed 1000cc Production race as the Isle of Man TT racing festival continues – the Kiwi headed off a determined challenge from John McGuinness who was bidding to take a third consecutive victory during the week.

The Lancastrian signalled his intentions with a very fast opening lap – a characteristic feature of his racing on the Island and which have paid him rich winning dividends already in the F1 and 400cc races – and this was no exception.

McGuinness (Yamaha) was hot on the charge, taking an amazing six seconds off the record, as, from a standing start, he recorded a lap time of 18m 06.3s around the 37.73 mile Mountain Course, running at an average speed of 125.03mph. But even so he was unable to break the challenge of Anstey (Suzuki) who was running little more than a second down. Ian Lougher, riding a CBR1000RR Honda, and Jason Griffiths (Yamaha), were closely behind, with all four inside the two year old record.

Anstey was on the ascendancy as they powered into the second lap, and by the time they reached Glen Helen he was running a second clear of McGuinness and beginning to pull away. Little wonder, as the Suzuki rider was bettering the record, with a time of 18m 05.7s, an average speed of 125.10mph, which put him five seconds ahead of McGuinness who was running low on fuel on the final mile of that lap.

“The bike was spluttering along at Signpost and it cut going into Governor’s, I punched the electric starter to keep it going and then kept shaking the bike to ease it into the pits,” McGuinness explained. Anstey had none of those problems, and, as he left from his fuel halt, his lead had stretched to 14 seconds.

He maintained the pace, taking his third success on the Island by some 18 seconds: “it was really enjoyable. I was a bit nervous till I got out there, but then the bike was so nice to ride, and it was problem free.

McGuinness admitted: “Bruce was the best man on the day – I knew I was facing a losing battle at 14 seconds down, but I kept going as hard as I could, pressing on.” Third place went to his Yamaha team-mate Jason Griffiths, with Ian Lougher, bringing the Honda home in fourth.

Lougher was also concerned about running low on fuel, he said: “Perhaps I eased off a bit too much coming down the mountain, and that was after I had been caught up in a fair bit off traffic at various points on the second lap.”

Adrian Archibald took fifth place ahead of fellow Suzuki rider Richard Britton.

Maria Costello, though failing to finish because of a machine problem on her second lap, achieved her ambition of becoming the fastest lady rider in the history of the event – her first lap, on a 750 Suzuki, came in a time of 19m 43.8s, an average speed of 114.73mph and some six seconds inside the previous best set seven years ago by Sandra Barnett.

Production 1000cc Results Tuesday Race (208Laps)

1 / 5-BRUCE ANSTEY / 1000 / Suzuki GSXR K4 / NEW ZEALAND / 54 53.5 / 123.72

2 / 3-JOHN McGUINNESS / 1000 / Yamaha R1 / MORECAMBE / 55 11.5 / 123.05

3 / 4-JASON GRIFFITHS / 1000 / Yamaha R1 / RAMSEY IOM / 55 17.3 / 122.83

4 / 2-IAN LOUGHER / 998 / Black Horse Honda CBR / DROMORA NI / 55 22.7 / 122.63

5 / 1-ADRIAN ARCHIBALD / 1000 / Suzuki GSXR / BALLYMONEY NI / 55 49.5 / 121.65

6 / 8-RICHARD BRITTON / 1000 / O Kane Suzuki / ENNISKILLEN NI / 56 24.5 / 120.39

7 / 10-MARK PARRETT / 1000 / Kingscourt Yamaha R1 / MIDHURST / 56 32.8 / 120.10

8 / 14-GARY CARSWELL / 1000 / YAMAHA / MAUGHOLD IOM / 56 57.8 / 119.22

9 / 20-IAN ARMSTRONG / 1000 / CABLE DIRECT YAMAHA / SOWERBY BRIDGE / 57 22.2 / 118.37

10 / 11-NIGEL DAVIES / 1000 / Suzuki GSXR / LLANELLI / 57 46.9 / 117.53

11 / 15-PAUL HUNT / 750 / Cringle Suzuki / BRADDAN IOM / 57 47.5 / 117.51

12 / 19-IAN HUTCHINSON / 1000 / Suzuki GSXR / BINGLEY / 57 47.9 / 117.50

13 / 9-CHRIS HEATH / 1000 / HONDA / BALDRINE IOM / 57 50.7 / 117.40

14 / 26-ROY RICHARDSON / 749 / Suzuki GSXR / BLACKPOOL / 57 57.7 / 117.17

15 / 17-GORDON BLACKLEY / 1000 / Honda CBR RR / RAF BRIZE NORTO / 58 11.2 / 116.71

TOTAL LAP COUNT 208; TOTAL MILEAGE 7847.84; FASTEST LAP TIME 18 05.7;

FASTEST LAP SPEED 125.10; FASTEST RIDER : BRUCE ANSTEY; LAP NUMBER 2