Overcast conditions throughout practice prevailed during the first day’s racing at the Barry Sheene Classic Road Race Festival at Oliver’s Mount on Saturday 21st June.

Practice concluded, the first of nine races, plus three prestigious Classic Parade laps got underway with the first leg of the 350cc Lansdowne Series machines, over eight laps.

Pete Swallow had been fastest in practice, but was a non-starter after the warm-up lap.
Ray Moore on a Manx Norton headed the field at the end of the opening, followed by a freight-train of Roger Ashby, Geoff Leather, David Hebb, Nick Bedford and David Lock – just nine seconds between first and sixth.
AJS 7R rider Roger Ashby took over the lead on the second circuit and pulled out a 2.5 second advantage over Ray Moore, with the ‘train’ staying in place as they crossed the line for their next lap.
Positions at the end of the third lap remained the same, although Moore had pulled back a quarter of a second on the leader Ashby.
Half distance Ashby had been given the ‘hurry-up’ signal and had increased his lead by half a second to 2.635 seconds over Ray Moore, whilst Geoff Laether maintained third, Nick Bedford fourth, as Jeff Bing slotted into fifth, with David Hebb staying in sixth.
A lap later as Ashby increased his lead by another 3/10ths of a second, Nick Bedford moved into third demoting Leather to fourth.
Three-quarters distance and positions remained the same although the difference between the first two was now 4.144 seconds, with third placeman Bedford a further eight seconds adrift.
The only change on the penultimate lap was the gap between first and second, down to 3.180 seconds.
At the chequered flag Roger Ashby took the victory by just 2.667 seconds from Ray Moore with Nick Bedford third, Geoff Leather fourth, Jeff Bing fifth and Graham Rickman claimed sixth position.

Race Two was the first leg of the Sidecar Classics over a six lap distance. Rod Bellas and Geoff Knight on their Windle 750cc TZ had been quickest in practice didn’t get off the line too well and it was Nick Cutmore and Nancy Thomas who were first into Mere Hairpin.
At the conclusion of the opening lap it was Bellas and his passenger Knight who were in front of Pat Gallagher and Sean Rooney by 9 seconds, with David Tibbles and Adam Attenborough third.
Bellas and Knight set a new lap record on their second lap in 2minutes 15.174 seconds a speed of 64.72mph.
Gallagher and Rooney remained in second 21 seconds behind as Steve Brooks and Janet Tyrell on the 350cc Yamaha moved into third.
At half distance, lap three the lead was almost 24 seconds, but it was Brooks and Tyrell who were now in second, demoting Gallagher and Rooney to third slot.
A lap later the lead had increased to 32.599 seconds as positions remained the same.
The fifth lap saw the lead increase by a further nine seconds and at the chequered flag Rod Bellas and Geoff Knight completed the six laps some 55.318 seconds ahead of Steve Brooks and Janet Tyrell, with Pat Gallagher and Sean Rooney third a further 14 seconds in arrears.

Next up were the 500cc Lansdowne Series machines for their first leg, again over eight laps.
Manxie, Chris Palmer had been quickest in practice and had pole position and was leading at the end of the first lap by 2.9 seconds from Vernon Glashier and Tony Myers only for the race to be red flagged on the second lap.

With no-one injured the restart over the full race distance of eight laps, after some delay clearing away debris the umbrellas came out as the race started, with birthday boy Palmer getting the hole-shot into Mere Hairpin. At the end of the lap it was Chris Palmer ahead of Vernon Glashier by half a second with Duncan Fitchett third, followed by Tony Myers, Mark Sharrock and Patrick Walker completing the top six.
Despite trading places during the second lap positions between the first two remained the same at the end of the lap, the distance remained the same.
The gap was down to 3/10ths of a second at the end of the third lap, as placings stayed static.
At half distance the gap and positions remained the same.
The gap increased dramatically on the fifth lap, up to 1.370 seconds between Palmer and Glashier, with Myers almost a minute behind the leading pair.
At three-quarters distance, the gap had opened up a further one second to 2.190 seconds.
Palmer went through to start his final lap 5.288 seconds ahead of Glashier, as the rain continued to try its best to spoil the action.
At the all-important chequered flag Chris Palmer scored his 72nd victory at Oliver’s Mount, taking the win by 9.900 seconds from Vernon Glashier with Tony Myers third, Duncan Fitchett fourth, Mark Sharrock fifth and Michael Russell sixth.

After the four-lap parade for 500cc and over Classic machines, which included Mick Grant on a RG500 Suzuki and Ian Simpson on a 750 RC45 Honda and David Bedlington on a 500 MV Agusta, it was the turn of the 350cc machines for the first leg of the Syd Barnett Trophy and the 250cc Red Rose Trophy also over eight laps, as the rain eased a little.
Straight to the front went Alan Oversby on the 350cc K4 Honda, with a reduced field of seven due to the wet conditions.
At the end of the opening lap it was Oversby followed just 0.402 of a second behind by Chris Swallow on a 350cc Ducati and Peter Wakefield on a Suzuki 250 T20.
At the end of the second lap positions were exchanged between Swallow and Oversby, with Chris holding a 1.237 seconds advantage.
Oversby clawed back 7/10ths of a second on the third lap and at half-distance Oversby not pulled back the remaining half second he was in arrears but passed his rival Swallow to lead by 2.801 seconds.
Peter Wakefield was still third and the leading 250 machine.
At the conclusion of the eight laps, Alan Oversby took the chequered flag by 6.760 seconds from Chris Swallow with Peter Wakefield third and the first 250cc machine.

Next up was the combined first leg of the Geoff Barry Trophy and 500cc Denis Parkinson Trophy events, over eight laps.
Pole Position was winner of the previous race, Alan Oversby on the 500 Craven Manx this time.
The order at the end of the opening lap was Chris Palmer with a six second advantage over Oversby, followed by Chris Swallow, Vernon Glashier, John MacFarlane and Mike Dryden-Holt.
Palmer had pulled out a further second on the second lap, as Lloyd Dickinson moved into sixth place.
Chris added another second to his advantage and by the end of the three-quarter distance the lead was up to 30 seconds but not from Oversby as he toured in to retire. It was Chris Swallow who was now second as Glashier moved to third, MacFarlane fourth, Dickinson fifth and Mike Dryden-Holt sixth.
Palmer continued to pile on the coals and added another four seconds to his lead, as the rain once again increased and took yet another win at Oliver’s Mount, this time from Chris Swallow, with Vernon Glashier third.

Next was the start of the second legs of the weekend’s events, first up the 350cc Lansdowne Series, again over the eight lap distance.
As in the first leg, Roger Ashby took the hole-shot, however at the end of the lap it was Ray Moore who held the lead, one and half seconds in front of Ashby with Grant Sellars third.
The leader gap was down to 0.66 of a second after another lap, cut by half almost.
Lap three and Ashby was back in front 1.3 seconds ahead of Moore, as Sellars remained in third.
Half distance Ashby was still ahead by the same distance was positions remained static.
The gap at the end of the fifth lap was up to 3.5 seconds, as he set the quickest lap of the race at 54.05mph, such were the conditions.
Then the race leader slipped off the machine, thankfully all OK on the sixth lap, giving the lead to Ray Moore by some 2.246 seconds from Grant Sellars, as Graham Rickman took over third spot.
Completing his seventh lap Moore was now 3.6 seconds ahead of Sellars, with Rickman still holding third some 27 seconds adrift of the second placeman.
At the flag Ray Moore was 5.56 seconds ahead of Grant Sellars, who in turn was 38 seconds in front of Graham Rickman in third.

The second Sidecar race was next, and for the first two laps it was Pat Gallagher and Sean Rooney who maintained a 2 second lead over Steve Brooks and Janet Taylor, with Nick Cutmore and Nancy Thomas third.
On the third lap the 350cc outfit of Brooks and Tyrell took over the lead
to stay in front until the completion of the race distance and take the chequered flag by some 52 seconds with Nick Cutmore and Nancy Thomas taking third place, the only machines to finish!

The penultimate race of the day, the second leg of the Lansdowne Series for 500cc machines was reduced to six laps, as Chris Palmer took up his pole position spot.
Chris Palmer once again took the hole-shot  and completed the first of the six laps 6 seconds ahead of Vernon Glashier with Tony Myers third.
By the third lap the lead was up to 12 seconds as positions remained the same.
The chequered flag was shown at the end of the fifth lap due to the deteriorating conditions, Chris Palmer taking his 74th win at Oliver’s Mount on his 46th birthday.
Second was Tony Myers, with Vernon Glashier third.

That brought Saturday’s racing to a premature end, with one race, the combined Syd Barnett and 250cc Red Rose Trophies second leg moved to Sunday.

Sunday 22nd June.

After the dismal conditions of Saturday late afternoon, the contrast this morning with bright sunshine and blue skies, which was spoilt only by high gale force winds blowing across the circuit, as practice got underway on time and was completed without incident.
Then followed the race postponed from yesterday, the second leg of the 350cc Syd Barnett Trophy and the 250cc Red Rose Trophy, over six laps.
Alan Oversby and Chris Swallow shot off the line together towards Mere Hairpin with the Craven Manx of Oversby rounding the corner first and he was still in the lead at the end of the lap by over two and a half seconds from Swallow with Peter Wakefield in third on his Suzuki 250cc, although leading the 250 class 80 year old Ted Fenwick.
By half distance Oversby had built up a nine second lead over the Ducati of Swallow, with Wakefield maintaining his hold on third place.
At the chequered flag Alan Oversby took the victory by some 17 seconds from Chris Swallow and Peter Wakefield.

After the lunch break Sunday’s race programme got underway with the third leg of the 350cc Lansdowne Series, as previously over eight laps.
Ray Moore got the hole-shot and led up Sheene’s Rise. At the end of the opening lap it was Grant Sellars who headed the field, followed by Graham Rickman and Roger Ashby, with Moore down in fifth.
Sellars and Rickman went through to complete their second lap a mere 3/10ths of a second apart, Sellars on a 350ccManx Norton, with Rickman on a 250cc NSU Sportsmax.
David Hebb had moved up to third, with the retirement of Ashby, with Moore also pulling in with machine problems.
By half distance positions remained the same, with the race leader, Sellars having established a leading gap of 0.462 of a second.
A lap later that lead had increased to 3.414 seconds, a further lap and the margin was up to 5.527 seconds.
At the chequered flag Grant Sellars took his maiden victory at the Mount, 9.746 seconds ahead of Graham Rickman, with David Hebb third.

Next up was the third leg of the Classic Sidecar’s, with Rod Bellas and Geoff Knight breaking the lap record from a standing start on the first lap in a time of 2m 14.69s; a lap later they had reduced the lap time to 2m 11.087s a speed of 66.73mph.
In second place was Steve Brooks and Janet Tyrell, with Pat Gallagher and Sean Rooney in third.
At the half-distance mark leaders Bellas and Knight enjoyed a 43 second advantage over brooks and Tyrell.
The Windle TZ750cc outfit of Rod Bellas and Geoff Knight took the race victory after six laps from the Yamaha 350cc outfit of Steve Brooks and Janet Tyrell by 1m 3.440s, with Pat Gallagher and Sean Rooney third on their 1085cc Bellas Suzuki.

Race twelve was for the 500cc class of the Lansdowne Series on their third of four legs to decide the overall winner of the meeting.
Chris Palmer gained the hole-shot from Vernon Glashier and that’s how they came over the line at the end of the first and the second laps. Chris smashing the lap record on his second lap with a time of 2m 05.506s a speed of 69.70mph.
By the fourth lap with Palmer and Glashier still out in front and separated by 5.7 seconds as Duncan Fitchett slotting into third place, the pace having eased slightly.
At three-quarter distance Palmer’s lead was up to over 10 seconds and by the chequered flag Chris had achieved his 75th race win at Oliver’s Mount over Vernon Glashier and Duncan Fitchett. The winning margin 2.999 seconds.

The third leg of the 350cc Syd Barnett Trophy and the 250cc Red Rose Trophy was next on the programme and once again it was to prove a race long duel between Alan Oversby and Chris Swallow with just 1.6 seconds separating the pair at the end of the opening lap of six. With the four-lap distance passed the gap had advanced to 7.6 seconds and at the chequered flag after six laps the winning margin was 8.9 seconds. Peter Wakefield maintained third place from start to finish.

Race 15 was the second leg of the Geoff Barry Trophy and the 500cc Denis Parkinson Trophy.
Previous race winner Alan Oversby was in pole position for this eight lapper, but it was John MacFarlane who got the hole-shot on his big 1052cc Suzuki. At the end of the lap it was Chris Palmer from Vernon Glashier and Alan Oversby, followed by Chris Swallow John MacFarlane and Lloyd Dickinson.
Vernon Glashier slid off unhurt on the second circuit.
Second lap and Palmer’s lead over Oversby was 1.732 seconds with Swallow up to third.
At half distance, Oversby had passed Palmer and lead by less than a 1/10th of a second, as MacFarlane moved into third.
Lap five and although Palmer had got past Oversby during the lap as they crossed the line, it was Oversby by 7/10ths of a second from Palmer, as MacFarlane stayed in third place.
Lap six of eight and Oversby now had a 3 second lead over Palmer.
On the penultimate lap, Alan’s advantage over Chris was now 5.6 seconds, as John MacFarlane held onto third place.
At the flag it was Alan Oversby from Chris Palmer, but on aggregate time it was Manxman Chris Palmer who took the Denis Parkinson Trophy.

The fourth and final leg of the 350cc Lansdowne Series was next, and the order at the end of the first lap was Roger Ashby, Graham Rickman, David Hebb, Jeff Bing, Grant Sellars and David Lock completing the top six.
A lap later and it was still Ashby in front by 4/10ths of a second ahead of Rickman, with Bing now third.
Lap three saw a change of leadership with Rickman taking the front ahead of Ashby by 2 seconds with Sellars now up to third half a second behind Ashby.
Hebb was fourth, Bing fifth and Lock sixth. At the end of the half-distance lap it was still Rickman ahead of the field, but it was Sellars now second Bing third, as Ashby pulled in to retire at Mere Hairpin.
Lap five saw Rickman increase his advantage over Sellars to 6.353 seconds, as Bing closed on Sellars.
Three-quarters distance and Rickman had pulled out a further 3 seconds on second place man Sellars, as David Hebb moved into third, with Charles Watson now fourth, as Jeff Bing was reported touring in to retire.
The penultimate lap saw positions remain the same and at the all-important chequered flag, Graham Rickman took the victory on the NSU by 7.9 seconds from Grant Sellars on the Manx Norton, with David Hebb third also on a Manx Norton.

Race seventeen was the final leg of the Classic Sidecars, which proved to be a record breaking high-speed demonstration for Rod Bellas and Geoff Knight on the 750cc Windle Yamaha leading from start to finish and setting an eventual lap record at 2m 08.052s = 68.32mph.
The winning margin over Steve Brooks and Janet Tyrell on the 350cc Yamaha who held second place throughout was 1m 31.425s, with third throughout Pat Gallagher and Sean Rooney on the 1085 Suzuki.

The final leg of the 500cc Lansdowne Series, again eight laps with a four bike freight-train consisting of Duncan Fitchett, Michael Russell, Chris Palmer and Mark Sharrock completed the first lap with only 1 second covering them.
It was still the same at the end of the second lap, with the overall gap down to less than a second.
Lap three of eight, and Chris Palmer had made his way through to the front and managed to pull out a 2.7 second gap. Fitchett and Russell were second and third.
Lap Four and Palmer was piling on the coals and upped his advantage to 7.202 seconds over Fitchett, who was a mere 1/1oth of a second ahead of third man Russell.
Lap five and the distance was now just short of 14 seconds, with positions static.
Three-quarter distance and the battle for second continued with the gap standing at 7/10th of a second, between Fitchett and Russell.
Lap seven and Chris was still keeping up the pace as the gap was now 14.7 seconds, with the duel between second and third down to one-tenth of a second.
At the chequered flag Chris Palmer took his 76th win at the Mount, by 8.906 seconds, having eased off on his final circuit, as Duncan Fitchett took second by the merest 1/10th of a second from Michael Russell.

The final event of the day and the weekend, the eight lap race for the Barry Sheene Trophy saw the sun come out again and the wind drop somewhat as the competitors came to the line.
Alan Oversby got the hole-shot into Mere Hairpin with Chris Palmer close behind and was first into the Hairpin and up Sheene’s Rise.
At the end of the opening lap Palmer had just 3/10ths of a second over Oversby with John MacFarlane third, Chris Swallow, fourth, Lloyd Dickinson fifth and Mick Robinson sixth.
The end of the second lap and the gap was almost invisible at 0.0892 of a second, with MacFarlane 2.3 seconds back.
Lap three and the gap had opened a smidgen to 0.119 of a second, with MacFarlane closing in also to 1.901 seconds.
Half distance and it was Oversby in front by 1.3 seconds.
Lap five and Palmer had closed the gap to 0.902 of a second, but so had MacFarlane on Palmer, down to 1.340 seconds.
Lap six and John MacFarlane leads the race by6/10ths of a second, with Alan Oversby second 1.8 seconds ahead of Chris Palmer, third.
Lap seven and it was still MacFarlane heading the three bike-train of Oversby and Palmer.
At the chequered flag John MacFarlane took the victory by 2.4 seconds over Alan Oversby, with Chris Palmer third, Chris Swallow fourth, Lloyd Dickinson fifth and Mick Robinson sixth.
 
Please click here for the full results of the Barry Sheene Festival from Oliver's Mount this weekend. Results courtesy of Sports Timing.