Birchalls Break Lap Record (Again)

Ben and Tom Birchall have set a new lap record on their way to picking up their 11th consecutive win.

As they once again stretched journalists’ thesauruses to the max, the Birchalls lay waste to all challengers, despite a real effort by Peter Founds and Jevan Walmsley in second.

The Birchalls led Founds and Walsmley by 2.856 at Glen Helen with Manxies Ryan and Callum Crowe 4.2 seconds down on them, with 5.234 seconds the gap to John Holden, who was taking part in his final race, and Maxime Vasseaur back in fourth.

The other Manxies Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle were back in sixth. The other locals, Craig Melvin and Stuart Christian, had to retire at Braddan on the opening lap.

Stretching their led to 3.217 seconds at Ballaugh, the Honda powered Birchalls continued to hold a steady pace as they blasted through the Manx countryside on the run up to Ramsey.

Coming through Hairpin they had extended their lead to 3.991 seconds over Founds and Walmsley, while the Crowes had slipped to 8.931 seconds behind in third. The brothers would lead by 6.125 seconds at Bungalow, but this was cut to 4.512 seconds at the Grandstand by Founds and Walmsley, who extended their own lead over the Crowes to over 15 seconds.

Having broken the mythical 120mph lap earlier this week, the Birchalls were inside their lap record at Glen Helen, with Founds and Walmsley unable to keep up with them, falling back to 8.178 seconds behind.

Insanely the Birchalls were THREE seconds inside their lap record at Ballaugh Bridge. Appearing to have eased off by Hairpin, the Mansfield brothers were only one second inside lap record pace, which in of itself is a weird sentence to write.

Looking down the order, Molyneux and Sayle retired at Sulby on the second lap, while another Manx team Darren Hope and Lenny Bumfrey retired at the Grandstand at the end of lap one.

Back the top of the order and blitzing through Bungalow, the brothers had picked up those two seconds to be three seconds inside lap record pace, while the island’s own brothers the Crowes were secure in third trailing Founds and Walmsley by 25 s;econds.

Looking down at the Grandstand, all eyes were on the Birchalls as they broke their own lap record, which they only set on Saturday, to lap at 120.6mph (18m 45.850s).

Founds and Walmsley, again showing their own pace came in at 119.887mph (18m 52.967s) lap speed, were keeping the brothers honest, coming in at under the 19 minute lap time by 15 seconds, having not done so before this fortnight.

On the final lap, the Birchall’s lead was 13.806 seconds over Founds and Walmsley at Glen Helen, with Ryan and Callum Crowe in third, 33.937 seconds behind the second place outfit.

Heading over the Mountain for the final time in 2023, the Birchalls led by 14.618 seconds at the Bungalow, with the Crowes 42.729 seconds back in third.

While the Birchalls shot across the line to finish off their win, Founds and Walmsley picked up second and secured their own new personal best with first ever 120mph lap, getting round at 120.079mph (18m 51.154s).

The Crowes came across the line third to secure their second podium place, which given the fortnight they’ve had is a fantastic achievement and surely sets them on the way to greater things in future years.

Top Seven

Ben and Tom Birchall
Peter Founds and Jevan Walmsley
Ryan and Callum Crowe
Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes
Steve Ramsden and Matthew Ramsden
Gary Bran and Philip Hyde
John Holden and Maxime Vasseur