Vincent no Lightweight

Jun 18 2009 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

TWO brilliant starts earned Bickerstaffe motorcycle race ace Jon Vincent fifth overall in the Motorsport Merchandise Ultra Lightweight TT, staged on the 4.25 mile Billown circuit, near Castledown in the Isle of Man, last weekend, writes Steve Hirst.

From back of the grid positions in both his races, Jon made storming starts on his 125cc Honda and was soon up among the group of midfield contenders where much of the exciting action took place.

He finished both races in sixth place but, with the overall result being taken on a points system from the two eight lap legs, he was classified fifth.

In the second race less than two seconds separated the fifth to tenth finishers, with Jon missing out on fifth by just over three hundredths of a second!

Jon, a former pupil at Ormskirk Grammar School, had been a regular competitor at the TT until the popular Ultra Lightweight event was controversially scrapped after this 2004 races where he finished seventh, on the grounds of lack of support.

Last year the event was reinstated, as part of the TT programme, and is now staged on the Billown circuit, rather than on the 37.73 mountain pack.