The final race on the famous Mountain circuit of the 2008 Isle of Man
TT proved the incredible duel everyone had hoped for.
It was John McGuinness who emerged victorious after a six-lap battle
with Australian star Cameron Donald, who challenge faded on the final
lap as the Relentless by TAS Suzuki machine developed mechanical
problems
click on pictures to enlarge
 .
The win means McGuinness is now tied for second most successful TT
rider with the late, great Mike Hailwood, both on 14 wins.
Although McGuinness got a good start, he was put off his stride by
Conor Cummins suffering an engine problem and throwing oil onto the
front of the Padgett’s Honda.
Before the end of the first lap it was Kiwi Bruce Anstey who had
claimed the lead, ahead of McGuinness and TAS teammate Donald.
Over the second lap he built that advantage, entering the bits with
about five second in hand over Donald, who had moved up to second.
However, the first round of pit stops turned the race on its head.
Anstey climbed of the Suzuki and retired with chain and clutch problems
and Guy Martin, who was holding fourth on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda,
ground to a halt as he left the pits.
Martin managed to get the machine going again, but retired at
Quarterbridge.
The retirements and a great stop by Padgett’s saw McGuinness head
Donald by four seconds at Glen Helen on lap three.
Donald clawed back the time to take the lead at Ramsey, but was back in
second, trailing by nearly three seconds, at the end of the lap.
Again, Donald set after McGuinness, bringing the gap down to just 0.56
seconds in Ramsey. Stunningly, he had a three second advantage at the
Bungalow and led as they headed into the pits for the second and final
pit stop.
For the whole of lap five it was all about Donald, who looked set for a
third TT win in 2008. At one point he had a lead of almost seven
seconds, although that had fallen to just under five by the end of the
lap.
It looked like Donald had done enough, but at Glen Helen McGuinness had
a 9.27 second lead. Donald was suffering mechanical problems and
dropped further and further back and crossed the line down on
McGuinness by more than 50 seconds.
It was enough for second place, as third-placed man Ian Hutchison was
almost a minute further down the road.
Hutchy’s AIM Yamaha had been locked in a battle with Ryan Farquhar, on
a Superstock machine, and a flying Gary Johnson. Once again, it was
Hutchy’s AIM Yamaha teammate Steve Plater who put in the final
surprise, moving up to fifth between Farquhar and Johnson at the line.
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