2013 Southern 100 Solo Champion
Though Michael Dunlop entered the Southern 100 with much clout – four solo wins at the 2013 Isle of Man TT races and being the reigning Solo Champion of the 2013 Southern 100 – he couldn’t catch Guy Martin this year.
Tyco Suzuki’s Martin put on a spectacular display at the Manx Gas Solo Championship race at the Southern 100 on the 4.25-mile Billown Circuit at the Isle of Man.
When the eight-lap race began, Martin trailed Honda TT Legend’s Dunlop and Kawasaki’s Dean Harrison. He shadowed the two for five laps before taking the lead.
The GSX-R1000 would lead the rest of the race, eventually finishing 0.5 seconds ahead of Dunlop, and 18 seconds ahead of Harrison. On the fifth lap, Martin also set a new absolute lap record of 2:13.923 with an average speed of 114.245 mph.
En route to his second Solo Championship at the Southern 100, the Tyco Suzuki rider also set a new lap record in the Supersport class on Wednesday night with a lap speed of 110.306mph aboard his GSX-R600, only losing top spot on the podium by 0.077sec to Dunlop. Martin also recorded second and third-placed finishes in the Superbike support races on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Guy Martin (Tyco Suzuki GSX-R1000) says: “I’m delighted for the boys and everyone involved with the team. I always knew I could do it when we got things bang on and today we’ve got things bang on. There was no re-inventing the wheel; it was just Danny, Mark and me and this morning we were cutting the grass and having a brew – no stress. But we’ve proved today that it’s not a fluke.
“We caught him [Dunlop], passed him; took the win and the lap record. I said yesterday that I didn’t mind coming last in those first two Superbike races to win the big one and that’s what we’ve done. Suzuki is the bike to be on as we’ve shown this week, and as for the Metzeler tires – they were as good on the last lap as they were on the first. Bang on 100 percent, boy. I’m now looking forward to running the number 1 plate when we return next year. I think we deserve a beer tonight, don’t you?!”
Philip Neill (Tyco Suzuki Team Manager) says: “They say you are only as good as your last race and that’s the race we really wanted to win. Everyone knows how much Guy loves the Southern 100 Races and for him to come away with the main Superbike race and lap records in both Supersport and Superbike classes is thoroughly deserved, and testimony to both Guy and the Tyco Suzuki GSX-R machinery.
“A massive well done to Guy and thanks to the boys for their efforts. It’s nice to give our title sponsor Tyco Security Products and all our other associated sponsors a top notch victory on the roads; not to mention the many fans and supporters we have.”
Manx Gas Solo Championship Race (8 laps of the 4.25 Billown Circuit):
1. Guy Martin (Tyco Suzuki) 18min: 07.864s
2. Michael Dunlop (Honda) +0.5sec
3. Dean Harrison (Kawasaki) +18sec
4. Jamie Hamilton (Kawasaki) +17sec
5. Ian Lougher (Honda) +10sec
6. Russ Mountford (Kawasaki) +25sec