Avon Tyres celebrates diamond anniversary of first 100 mph TT lap
At this year’s Isle of
Man TT, 27 May – 9 June, Avon’s motorsport team will be marking the 60th
anniversary of the first ever 100 mph lap of the TT, set on Avon tyres.
The record-breaking lap
was ridden by legendary Scottish rider, Bob McIntyre, on a four-cylinder
Gilera, running Avon's Speedmaster GP race tyres. McIntyre set off in the 1957
Senior 500cc race and managed a 99.99 mph lap from a standing start, with a
full fuel load, before breaking the 100 mph milestone on his second lap
reaching 101.03 mph.
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| Four-cylinder Gilera, running Avon's Speedmaster GP race tyres |
Away from the 60th
anniversary celebrations, the Isle of Man's Mountain Course will once again
ring to the sound of full-bore superbikes and sidecars over the amazing
two-week festival of road-racing.
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| Bob McIntyre rode this for the 100mph lap |
Avon will be offering a
full support service to its solo and sidecar riders. The three-wheeled classes
in particular look to be on a knife edge, with no less than seven top rider/passenger
teams in possible contention for a win. The 2016 Race 1 winner, John Holden, is
running his Silicone Engineering outfit with a new passenger, Lee Cain. Conrad
Harrison and Andy Winkle, five times World Champion Tim Reeves with rookie
passenger Mark Wilkes, and Peter Founds/Jevan Walmsley are amongst the top
teams to look out for in the sidecar races.
Last year’s sidecar Race
2 winners, and current lap record holders, Ben and Tom Birchall will be the
favourites for victory again this year. However, Manxmen Dave Molyneux and Dan
Sayle will be trying everything to add to their considerable tally of TT
victories.
On the solo front,
flamboyant French rider Timothee Monot will be racing on Avon's Xtreme racing
rubber in the Supertwin, Supersport 600 and TT Zero classes.
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