Michael Dunlop led Glen Helen in the first round with 2.68 seconds on Coward. With a gap of just 0.676 seconds, Gary Johnson followed. This was followed by Bonetti, Michael Rutter and Johnston.
Michael Dunlop takes victory in Lightweight TT
Coward got two tenths of a second off Ballaugh, but until Ramsey Dunlop had extended his lead to four seconds. Johnson was still in third place, but already with a gap of 5.8 seconds on Coward. Only 0.158 seconds behind was teammate Johnston.
John McGuinness had to give up his race at Ballaugh.
Over the mountain, Coward took 3.7 seconds on Dunlop and took the lead in Cronk ny Mona for the first time. He drove a lap average of 120.65 mph in the first lap. In third place was Johnston, ahead of Stafano Bonetti, Johnson and Paul Jordan. Davey Todd had to park his Norton in the pit.
When Glen Helen passed for the second time, Dunlop had caught up again. The gap was just under half a second. Johnston drove to three, just two seconds ahead of Bonetti. Jordan passed Johnson in fifth place.
Dunlop continued to catch up, and Ramsey was back in the lead. But Coward did not give up and had a better run through bungalow which was only a good second apart. In the last stretch Dunlop was able to regain some distance and crossed the finish line with an average speed of 122,746 mph. That was only three hundredths slower than his own lap record. At the finish, he had to wait when Coward crossed the finish line to see if he had won. Since the TT is started at 10-second intervals, it does not necessarily mean that the first one who finishes the race has also won …
Coward drove a lap of 122.52 mph, 1.299 seconds behind Dunlop, finishing second. It was his first TT podium ever. Johnston finished third. Horst Saiger finished the Top10.
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