SuperBike Magazine July 2020

2014 - Dean harrison & James Cowton
the six-lap race was 0.3 of a second, but at
the finish line the two 650cc Kawasaki’s
were even closer.
Initially there was some confusion as
Manx Radio’s man-on-the-spot, Chris Kinley,
interview Cowton – congratulating him on
his first Billown success.
But then it was announced that, following
a stewards’ meeting, the line judges gave
Harrison the win.
It is quite possible that Cowton had his
electronic timing transponder fitted close
to the front of the bike and the ruling is the
first front-wheel spindle to cross the line.
Harrison’s elder brother Adrian rounded
out the podium in third, with Dean Osborne
of Douglas again beating John Barton for the
best local in sixth spot.
There have been two dead-heats on the
Billown Course – the 1961 350cc Southern
100 between Phil Read and Alan Shepherd,
and the 1988 Classic Southern 100 between
Alan Dugdale and Alan Smith, but they were
before the days of electronic timing.
2015 Guy Martin Equals Joey’s Record!
Guy Martin has become only the second
rider in the history of the Southern 100 to win
the solo championship title three years in
succession.
In a thrilling and somewhat dramatic
finale on Thursday, the ever-popular Lincolnshire
ace equalled the feat of another
charismatic character, Joey Dunlop, when
he won the title back-to-back three times
between 1976 and 1978.
It was a fitting climax to the IoM Steam
Packet-sponsored diamond jubilee meeting
that started in miserable wet conditions and
ended in blazing sunshine.
The final two days of racing were packed
with superb action and nostalgia, to crown
one of the best meetings in the history of
the great Billown event.
The Tyco BMW was pushed hard in the
main nine-lapper, not by Michael Dunlop,
as perhaps many had expected, but by Manxman
Dan Kneen who produced a terrific ride
on the Valvoline Racing by Padgett’s Honda.
Dunlop’s afternoon ended with a visit
to hospital after he was low-sided from his
BMW exiting Ballabeg Hairpin on lap three.
2016 The Southern 100 has witnessed
some exciting sidecar races over the decades,
but arguably none more thrilling than
last week’s encounters.
The calibre was top drawer, with the four
leading crews from this year’s TT all going at
it hammer and tongs.
It was no surprise then that the lap