The second Sure Mobile Sidecar race of the 2008 Isle of Man TT was the amazing duel between two greats of the sport everyone had wanted to see.
Dave Molyneux, the 13-times winner, and passenger Dan Sayle were locked in battle with lap record holder Nick Crowe and passenger Mark Cox throughout the three lap race on Wednesday afternoon.
But it was Crowe and Cox who took the win, just over 10 seconds ahead of Moly and Sayle. Crowe’s Honda-powered outfit had trailed Moly’s Suzuki-engined machine on the road on lap one, but at the start of lap two Crowe snatched the lead on the road and looked to pull away.
Moly and Sayle may not have been able to take the lead back, but they stayed with their rivals for the rest of the race – with both outfits showing signs of some close encounters around the famous TT Mountain Course.
Behind the leading outfits, by 34 seconds, it was the TAS-backed machine of John Holden and Andrew Winkle which took third, the pair’s second podium finish of the 2008 TT.
There was a close battle for fourth with Steve Norbury/Rick Long taking the position ahead of former World Champion Klaus Klaffenbock and Christian Parzer by less than one second.
Three-times World Champion Tim Reeves, partnered by Patrick Farrance, finished in sixth, another great result for his TT debut after taking third in race one on Saturday.
Speaking afterwards Crowe said: "I said if both our bikes were going it would be a close race. I think both of us could have gone faster if we wanted to, but I didn’t want it to blow up again, so I kept checking the instruments.’
He also paid tribute to friend and rival Molyneux. "When you are running a race like that, you know each other’s abilities. He (Moly) could run within yards of the back of the bike and he’s safe. That makes it safe as well as interesting racing."
Moly admitted second was the best he could do, but stayed with Crowe’s outfit because they ‘had to make it a bit interesting’. He added: "It’s a new bike and usually that brings some gremlins. I knew I was taking on a challenge. It was harder than I thought it would be."
He also wouldn’t confirm whether this would be his final TT.
Result
1 2 Nick Crowe/Mark Cox 59 2008 LCR Honda 600cc / A J GROUNDWORKS 34.76 113.989 Silver
2 1 Dave Molyneux/Dan Sayle 2008 DMR Suzuki 600cc 59 45.31 113.654 Silver
3 3 John Holden/Andrew Winkle 2008 LCR Suzuki 600cc 01 00 19.33 112.585 Silver
4 5 Steve Norbury/Rick Long 2007 Shelbourne Yamaha 600cc / LOCKSIDE ENGINEERING 01 00 33.58 112.144 Silver
5 4 KlausKlaffenbock/ChristianParzer 2007 LCR Honda 600cc / Padgetts Manx Gas Racing 01 00 34.47 112.117 Silver
6 9 Tim Reeves/Patrick Farrance* 2008 LCR Suzuki 600cc / Gunther Reuschling-Eastern Airways 01 00 59.76 111.342 Silver
7 11 Phil Dongworth/Stuart Castles 2007 Ireson Honda 600cc 01 01 16.66 110.830 Silver
8 6 Simon Neary/Jamie Winn 2007 Baker Suzuki 600cc / NEARY RACING 01 01 19.27 110.751 Silver
9 7 Nigel Connole/Dipash Chauhan 2008 LCR Honda 600cc 01 01 51.10 109.801 Silver
10 19 Douglas Wright/Stuart Bond 2006 Shellbourne Honda 600cc / Eddy Wright Motorcycles Ltd 01 02 16.71 109.049 Silver
11 18 Greg Lambert/Sally Wilson 2008 DMR Honda 600cc 01 02 40.13 108.370 Bronze
12 12 Gary Bryan/Robert Bell 2006 Baker Yamaha 600cc 01 02 40.45 108.360 Bronze
13 15 Tony Elmer/Darren Marshall 2006 Ireson Yamaha 600cc / D. L. ELMER 01 03 16.40 107.334 Bronze
14 29 Neil Kelly/Jason O’Connor 1998 Ireson Honda 600cc 01 03 24.91 107.094 Bronze
15 10 Conrad Harrison/Kerry Williams 2002 Shelbourne Honda 600cc / Printing Roller Services 01 03 33.02 106.866 Bronze
16 22 Bill Currie/Philip Bridge 2007 LCR Yamaha 600cc 01 03 46.21 106.498 Bronze
17 20 Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Milligan 2008 Baker Suzuki 600cc 01 04 27.46 105.362 Bronze
18 21 Roger Stockton/Pete Alton 2007 Baker Yamaha 600cc 01 04 27.62 105.358 Bronze
19 17 Andy Laidlow/Martin Hull 2008 LCR Suzuki 600cc / Double "M" Racing 01 04 52.00 104.698 Bronze
20 38 Peter Farrelly/Jason Miller 2008 MR Equipe Suzuki 600cc 01 05 02.20 104.424 Bronze
21 36 Mark Brown/David Brown* 2003 Ireson Honda 600cc 01 05 35.47 103.541
22 28 Tony Thirkell/Nigel Barlow 2005 MR Equipe Honda 600cc / MERLIN SIDECARS 01 05 39.30 103.441
23 54 Keith Walters/Alun Thomas 2008 Ireson Honda 600cc 01 05 52.41 103.098
24 34 Bryan Pedder/Rod Steadman 1994 Windle Yamaha 600cc 01 06 03.33 102.814
25 35 Mike Roscher/Michael Hildebrand 1998 DMR Honda 600cc 01 06 16.86 102.464
26 43 Francois Leblond/Sylvie Leblond 2000 Shelbourne Suzuki 600cc 01 06 21.43 102.346
27 40 John Saunders/Loic Ansquer 2004 MR Equipe Suzuki 600cc / Stapleton Tyre Services 01 06 28.20 102.172
28 31 Rod Bellas/Geoff Knight 2007 BLR Honda 600cc 01 06 34.93 102.000
29 49 Geoff Smale/Lee Barrett 2005 DMR Honda 600cc / Jan Ringnalda/Ringnald-Nanotech 01 06 49.05 101.641
30 48 Wayne Lockey/Mark Howard 2000 Ireson Yamaha 600cc 01 07 00.31 101.356
31 46 Jean Claude Huet/Johnathan Huet 2008 LCR Suzuki 600cc 01 07 02.10 101.311
32 24 Mick Harvey/Steve Taylor 2007 Harvey Suzuki 600cc 01 07 17.01 100.937
33 52 Brian Alflatt/Herve Chenu 2004 Baker Suzuki 600cc 01 07 37.31 100.432
34 57 David Hirst/Paul Lowther 2003 Shelbourne Honda 600cc 01 07 51.65 100.078
35 44 Wal Saunders/Eddy Kiff 2006 Ireson Yamaha 600cc 01 08 06.57 99.713
36 55 Robert Handcock/Mathew Buckley 1997 Baker Yamaha 600cc 01 08 08.05 99.677
37 51 Claude Montagnier/Laurent Seyeux 2007 LCR Kawasaki 600cc 01 08 48.79 98.693
38 32 Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth 2005 Shelbourne Honda 600cc / D & J Bikespares, Lincoln 01 08 53.78 98.574
39 45 Matthew Sayle/Tony Palacio 2007 Windle Suzuki 600cc 01 09 41.47 97.450
40 47 Peter Allebone/Bob Dowty 2005 MR Suzuki Equipe 600cc 01 10 02.07 96.972
41 56 Ruth Laidlow/Julie Hanks- Elliott 2007 LCR Suzuki 600cc / ACTION MOTORCYCLES 01 10 15.98 96.652
42 58 Michael Lines/Mike Aylott* 2005 Shelbourne Honda 600cc 01 13 46.26 92.061
43 53 Andy King/Steven Pooley 2007 Ireson Honda 600cc 01 15 27.11 90.010
