Manx Grand Prix: Lee Johnston storms to victory in Classic Senior race

Lee Johnston took the lead part way through lap two

Northern Ireland's Lee Johnston stormed to victory in the Classic Senior Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man.

The 33-year-old took the win 8.2 seconds ahead of Italy's Stefan Bonetti on his 500cc Yamaha.

The County Fermanagh man finished the shortened three-lap race in a time of one hour, one minute and 39.2 seconds.

Lightweight race winner Mike Browne took third place on the podium 34.8 seconds back after Dominic Herbertson and James Hillier suffered issues.

Bonetti pushed into the lead on the opening lap, with Johnston trailing by just 1.3 seconds by the end of the 37.75-mile circuit.

But Johnston had taken a narrow lead by Ramsey Hairpin on lap two, pulling away to increase the difference to more than seven seconds by the end of the lap.

Bonetti fought back on the final lap, closing the gap slightly before Johnson put in a final push, putting in a lap at an average speed of 111.029mph.

Herbertson had held on to a solid third place for the majority of the race before a mechanical issue forced him to retire on the final lap, putting Browne in line for a podium finish.

Hillier, who had also been in contention for a top-three place, finished the race in 12th place after suffering a broken chain in the closing session, forcing him to push his Honda over the line.

'Absolutely magic'

Speaking to Manx Radio after the race, Johnston said he was "chuffed for everyone involved".

He said: "Credit to the whole team the little bike has worked absolutely magic.

"I'm not the best classic rider in the world so it takes me a little bit of time just to bed in, and I don't really like to push things, but the bike's run amazing all week."

Jamie Coward, Alan Oversby, Michael Sweeney, Michael Russell, Hefyn Owen, Will Loder and John Leigh Pemberton made up the top 10 in the three-lap race.

But there was disappointment for pre-race favourite TT champion John McGuinness, who was a non-starter.

The Morecambe man, who had set the fastest lap in the class in qualifying, suffered a technical problem with his 500cc Paton machine before the race got under way.