Setting off down Glencrutchery road the Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers were knocked back into second place by John Holden and Lee Cain who were fastest to Glen Helen and stretched their lead by another half a second at Ballaugh, but by the time they reached Ramsey the Birchalls had turned it round and were leading by one and a half seconds. They were well ahead at the end of the first lap and stretched the gap even further on lap two with a fastest lap of 116.423s.

Ben and Tom eased off the gas a little on the final lap to be sure of bringing the LCR Honda home safely and crossed the finish line to take their sixth TT victory and second double win with a final lap time of 115.295mph. They also remain unbeaten in 2017 as they lead both the FIM World championship after winning every race to date and also won the British 600cc Cup race at Oulton Park last month.

Ben commented:

“I went a bit steady on the first lap as it didnt feel quite so good; there was not so much grip and there were a few damp patches. We obviously had a race on our hands with John so thought come on lets sort this out and get going. I think after that we were ok. I am so happy that we have won two in a week and its thanks so much to our team, family and friends and of course our sponsors who have also become our friends.

Ben went on to say:

We have got such a great package for this place, I love riding around here, the sun was shining and the crowds were waving, we were in the lead, me and my brother on a bike that was flying, what was there not to like. We have been on tender hooks this week, the Wilson Craig engine has been so good and I can’t thank everyone enough.

It’s such an honour to be able to race around here, especially on Senior day with such a huge crowd who were all waving their programmes at us; thanks to your support. Both of us have had our ups and down all week and I am now full of flu and coughing a lot but we have come through it all and it’s fantastic.”

It’s back to World championship duty next for the Birchall Brothers who have another round of the Sidecar World championship with two races in Hungary over the weekend, June 17/18.

The post Ben And Tom At The Double appeared first on Birchall Racing.

Practice week was all but a washout with the weather curtailing the action around the 37.73-mile Mountain road circuit and Saturday’s race action was replaced by a day of practice so that the riders could at least get their machines up to speed.

The Birchall Brothers went on to set the fastest lap of practice on Saturday with a 116.675mph and were the first riders to set off on Monday down Glencrutchery Road on their way around the first of three laps of the course.

The Mitchells of Mansfield supported riders soon proved their dominance in the race and recorded a first lap of 115.965mph before heading off on an even faster lap where they scorched around the course and shattered the existing lap record set by themselves last year with an amazing 117.119mph lap. On the final lap Ben eased the pace as the weather began to close in and spots of rain were seen over the Mountain mile. Even so they recorded a time of 115.017mph on the final lap to take the chequered flag for an untroubled victory, their fifth at the TT races, over 25 seconds ahead of second placed riders Holden and Winkle.

Ben was amazed when he discovered how fast they had been and said: “I didn’t really go out to try to do that fast a lap it just happened. We always ride as hard as we can and whatever we get is good. I need to thank the guys that do the boards for us; they have done them for a few years now and they were spot on.You really need the boards around here. It just emphasises how much help is given to us around the circuit and it’s really appreciated.

Thanks to all our sponsors and supporters who have stood by us over the past few years of coming to the TT we are really grateful for the support you are giving us.”

Tom added: “The conditions over the mountain were a bit tricky especially on the last lap when it was drizzling with rain. But Ben judged the conditions perfectly and we were able to bring the bike home safely. You never know what the TT course will throw at you; everything was perfect until we got to Ramsey Hairpin on the first lap and we locked the front wheel up!”

“The marshals were doing a great job with the flags and it’s just an awesome event to take part in. Coming down the mountain I had a little peek and saw the crowds cheering us, we had so much support which was fantastic. It’s an honour and a privilege to be here and we have loved every minute of it.”

The second race takes place on Friday when the Birchall brothers will be hoping to record another victory around the Isle of Man TT course.

The post A WIN AND LAP RECORD FOR BIRCHALL BROTHERS appeared first on Birchall Racing.