SuperBike Magazine July 2020

With few re-passing opportunities remaining,
the Birchalls were forced to settle
for the runner-up spot.
‘That’s the best race I’ve had in my life,’
beamed Tim after retaining the title.
His passenger, Farrance, was making his
first appearance on the course since he
was a ‘kid’ of 17 in 2002. He turned 32 last
Wednesday.
2017
The 2017 Southern 100 had just about everything
- perfect conditions, a quality entry,
superb racing, and record speeds.
The four-day Isle of Man Steam Packet
Company-sponsored International meeting
all came to a spectacular finale on Thursday
afternoon with the two main solo and sidecar
Manx Gas championship events.
From the change of lights, Michael Dunlop
got off to a flier on the Bennetts Suzuki
and had a narrow lead over Dean Harrison
and Dan Kneen at the bottom of Ballakaighan
straight. A couple of bike lengths
behind the leading trio were James Cowton,
Derek McGee, and Jamie Coward.
The gap between Dunlop and Harrison
was considerably tighter at 0.475 of a
second after two laps and hammering down
Castletown Bypass another lap on the three
leaders were virtually side-by-side. The official
margin was 100th of a second between
Dunlop and Kneen.
Dunlop continued to lead, but then Harrison
jumped to the front with his first 115mph
lap on the next circuit to grab the lead.
He held the advantage for the next two
circuits before Kneen got his nose in front
on laps seven and eight. All the time, the
speeds were continuing to increase.
Harrison and Kneen looked the likely
contenders coming into the closing stages,
with Dunlop biding his time behind them on
the Suzuki. Harrison led for half a circuit on
lap seven, but Kneen nipped back ahead of
him on the brakes into Cross Four Ways.
On the final lap it was all change again
with Harrison leading into Iron Gate from
Dunlop, with Kneen third.
Harrison held on this time, and Kneen
managed to edge Dunlop out of second
place to cross the finish line a bike-anda-half
length behind winner Harrison. The
official margin was 0.131 of a second.
Amazingly, despite finishing third, Dunlop’s
final lap was the fastest of the race, a
new absolute lap record of 115.707mph in a
time of 2min 12.231sec.
2018 & 2019 Dean Harrison Takes Command
Bradford rider Dean Harrison, riding the Silicone
Racing Kawasaki machines continued
where he left off the previous year, retaining
his Southern 100 Solo Championship crown.
In addition he won the two ‘big bike’ races
on Wednesday evening, the repeating the
exercise on Thursday morning.
2019 saw Dean take all five 1000cc and
600cc races and once again lifting the
coveted ‘Derek Ennett’ Trophy for winning
the prestigious Southern 100 Solo Championship
race, making it three in a row, only
the third time this has been achieved since
the races started in 1955. Dean Harrison take
the accolade alongside Joey Dunlop, 1976,
1977 & 1078; Guy Martin 2013, 2014 & 2015, and
himself 2017, 2018 & 2019.
All was looking well for 2020, until the
Covid-19 pandemic took over the world and
the 65th running of the Isle of Man Steam
Packet Company Southern 100 Road Races
were officially cancelled.
Southern 100 Racing, the organisers are
now in the throws of planning for 2021 and
look forward to welcoming friends, old and
new to the Colas Billown Course on Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12th, 13th,
14th & 15th July for the Isle of Man Steam
Packet Southern 100 Road Races.
2019 - Dean Harrison Podium After 3rd Solo
Championship win (A HAT-TRICK)