Tourist Trophy 2012: si comincia!

Ruggero Terlizzi

Possiamo certamente affermare che la gara più leggendaria, famosa, difficile e pericolosa d’Europa è il Tourist Trophy, una gara che si tiene ogni anno tra maggio e giugno, nella ormai famosa Isola di Man.

Il TT è la road race per eccellenza, tanti piloti del circus del motomondiale e della SBK ci hanno provato senza grandi risultati, e tanti piloti specialisti di questa gara che si allenano solamente per vincerla hanno fallito nelle corse su pista. Le prime prove del 2012 sono già iniziate, e già si comincia a parlare di record, sia di velocità, che di tempi. Nella prima sessione dedicata alla superbike, il 17 volte campione John McGuinness ha già fatto volare la sua CBR 1000RR a 128,267 mph di media (206,43 km/h).

Nella seconda giornata, quella del 29 maggio, sia John McGuinness che Cameron Donald, entrambi su CBR 1000RR Fireblade, il primo nell’Honda TT Legends e il secondo nel Wilson Craig Racing, sono stati capaci di far segnare un 129 mph di media (207 km/h), con il pluricampione che fa segnare un crono di 17’29″59.

Dietro di loro Guy Martin, 127,542 mph, Tyco Suzuki, competitivo dopo il brutto incidente alla NW200 nella categoria supersport, seguito da Michael Rutter, 126,830 mph, MSS Kawasaki e Michael Dunlop, 126,602 mph, Hunts Motorcycles.

Ottima prestazione del nostro Stefano Bonetti, 14esimo in sella alla Ninja dello Speed Motor, con un 18’45″75 a 120,656 mph di media sul giro in piena forma dopo il “quasi” podio nella superstock alla NW200. Primi chilometri macinati per l’ex campione europeo Alessio Corradi, alla terza presenza al TT, al momento 31esimo con 117,111 mph di media.

Classifica provvisioria PokerStars Senior TT 2012

01- John McGuinness – Honda TT Legends – Honda CBR 1000RR – 17’29.59 (129.411 mph)
02- Cameron Donald – Wilson Craig Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 17’32.74 (129.023 mph)
03- Guy Martin – Tyco Suzuki by TAS – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 17’44.97 (127.542 mph)
04- Michael Rutter – MSS Bathams Kawasaki – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 17’50.95 (126.830 mph)
05- Michael Dunlop – Hunts/McAdoo Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 17’52.88 (126.602 mph)
06- Gary Johnson – Padgett’s MMCG Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 17”59.36 (125.841 mph)
07- Ryan Farquhar – KMR Kawasaki – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 18’04.91 (125.197 mph)
08- William Dunlop – Wilson Craig Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 18’04.99 (125.189 mph)
09- Dan Stewart – Wilcock Consulting – Honda CBR 1000RR – 18’11.07 (124.490 mph)
10- Ian Hutchinson – Swan Yamaha – Yamaha YZF R1 – 18’16.36 (123.890 mph)
11- Simon Andrews – Honda TT Legends – Honda CBR 1000RR – 18’18.96 (123.597 mph)
12- Steve Mercer – W A Corless/Jackson Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 18’27.93 (122.596 mph)
13- Dean Harrison – Ice Valley by Motorsave – BMW S1000RR – 18’41.82 (121.078 mph)
14- Stefano Bonetti – Speed Motor – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 18’45.75 (120.656 mph)
15- Rob Barber – Econoloft Racing – BMW S1000RR – 18’49.36 (120.270 mph)
16- Daniel Cooper – Centurian Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 18’50.47 (120.152 mph)
17- John Burrows – B E Racing – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 18’51.26 (120.068 mph)
18- Roger Maher – Slick Performance – Honda CBR 1000RR – 18’54.75 (119.699 mph)
19- Ian Pattinson – Weardale Racing – BMW S1000RR – 18’55.77 (119.592 mph)
20- Stephen Thompson – Taylor Lindsey Racing – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 18’59.22 (119.229 mph)
21- Davy Morgan – Strangford Caravan Park – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 19’00.99 (119.044 mph)
22- Russ Mountford – Mountford Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 19’01.97 (118.942 mph)
23- Ben Wylie – Per Cup Coffee Company – BMW S1000RR – 19’02.09 (118.930 mph)
24- Daniel Hegarty – Woodcock Joiners – BMW S1000RR – 19’02.16 (118.922 mph)
25- Herve Gantner – Ice Valley by Motorsave – BMW S1000RR – 19’04.15 (118.715 mph)
26- Paul Shoesmith – Ice Valley by Motorsave – BMW S1000RR – 19’07.51 (118.368 mph)
27- Scott Wilson – Wilson Racing – BMW S1000RR – 19’10.03 (118.108 mph)
28- Jamie Hamilton – KMR Kawasaki – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 19’16.51 (117.447 mph)
29- Grant Wagstaff – Ducks Cross Racing – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 19’16.55 (117.443 mph)
30- Ian Lougher – ILR Kawasaki – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 19’18.30 (117.265 mph)
31- Alessio Corradi – 2R Racing Team – BMW S1000RR – 19’19.83 (117.111 mph)
32- Mark Parrett – C & C Limited – BMW S1000RR – 19’21.06 (116.986 mph)
33- Alan Connor – Connor Racing – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 19’25.92 (116.498 mph)
34- Jules Croft – HBC/Nowell Motorsport – Honda CBR 1000RR – 19’31.76 (115.918 mph)
35- Michael Niblett – Stratstone Racing – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 19’32.43 (115.852 mph)
36- Robert Wilson – Taylor Lindsey Racing – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 19’39.21 (115.185 mph)
37- William Davison – Hill Contracts – Honda CBR 1000RR – 19’40.88 (115.023 mph)
38- Paul Owen – Team 98 wetrackbikes.co.uk – Honda CBR 1000RR – 19’42.21 (114.893 mph)
39- Shaun Anderson – GAS International – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 19’47.63 (114.369 mph)
40- Olie Linsdell – Flitwick Motorcycles – BMW S1000RR – 19’47.97 (114.337 mph)
41- Gary Carswell – Carswell Racing – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 19’49.20 (114.218 mph)
42- James McCullagh – JKJ Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – 19’50.19 (114.123 mph)
43- Yoshinari Matsushita – Penz13.com Racing – BMW S1000RR – 19’52.36 (113.916 mph)
44- Rico Penzkofer – Penz13.com Racing – BMW S1000RR – 19’52.60 (113.893 mph)
45- Lee Johnston – Millsport Racing – Ducati 1199 Panigale – 19’52.60 (113.893 mph)
46- Karl Harris – SMT Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 19’54.41 (113.720 mph)
47- Brandon Cretu – RevZilla.com – Honda CBR 1000RR – 19’57.59 (113.418 mph)
48- Fabrice Miguet – MIG Racing – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 20’00.55 (113.138 mph)
49- Paul Duckett – Duckett Racing – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 20’01.09 (113.087 mph)
50- Maria Costello – Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 20’04.24 (112.791 mph)
51- Daniel Jansen – New Zealand Motorcycle – BMW S1000RR – 20’07.61 (112.477 mph)
52- Ian Mackman – Norton Motorcycles – Norton V4 1000 – 20’08.82 (112.364 mph)
53- Ryan McCay – Freebrothers Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR – 20’16.12 (111.689 mph)
54- Graham English – TIVA Engineering Ltd – BMW S1000RR – 20’38.36 (109.684 mph)
55- John Ingram – CallMac Scaffolding – Honda CBR 1000RR – 20’48.29 (108.812 mph)
56- Phil Harvey – Phil Johns – Yamaha YZF R1 – 21’18.07 (106.276 mph)
57- Stefan Holz – alpha Racing – BMW S1000RR – 21’43.90 (104.171 mph)