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Isle of Man TT 2024: Crowes win second Sidecar race after red flag restart

The second Sidecar race of the week was meant to run on Tuesday, but unsuitable conditions forced it to be rescheduled to Thursday.

The first race away on the bill on Thursday morning, a crash for the newcomer outfit of Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement at the Waterworks section on the opening lap which brought a red flag.

Both competitors were OK but their outfit wasn’t able to be retrieved in time to take the restart, which got under way at 2:15pm.

Having dominated the first Sidecar race of TT 2024 last Saturday, the Crowe brothers were unstoppable in the two-lap Thursday contest for the class.

Taking the lead on corrected time from the first sector split, the duo eased their lead over Ben Birchall/Kevin Rousseau up across the two laps to complete a dream double in just their seventh Sidecar race at the TT.

Having missed the first race of the week following a crash in practice, 14-time TT winner Birchall and his new passenger Rousseau end the event with a first podium together in their Wyckham Blackwell/Hager outfit.

Completing the podium in one of the most popular results of TT 2024 was Sidecar legend Dave Molyneux, who registered his 31st rostrum and first since 2017.

The 17-time TT winner got his DMR Kawasaki outfit with passenger Jake Roberts into third on the first lap and ensured they remained there through to the chequered flag.

Ryan and Callum Crowe (Photo by: iomtt.com)

There was drama before the start for podium favourites Pete Founds and Jevan Walmsley, as a blown engine in the first start of the race meant they were unable to line up for the second start in the afternoon.

First down the road on the opening lap was Birchall/Rousseau, though on corrected time it was the Crowes who led the way by 4.7 seconds at Glen Helen.

That lead extended to 7.6s through the Ballaugh sector split, while Birchall/Rousseau did bring that gap down by 0.3s through Ramsey.

At the Grandstand, however, that gap had grown again to 9s and would be closed down again as they got to the chequered flag 20.4s clear of Birchall/Rousseau.

The Crowes also joined the 120mph club in the Sidecar class after a final lap of 120.335mph.

TT legend Molyneux moved into third at the Bungalow sector split on the first lap and wouldn’t relent over the rest of the race.

The 60-year-old described his TT 2024 as one of the most difficult of his career, with this potentially being Molyneux’s final outing.

They beat the Alan Founds/Rhys Gibbons outfit – who were on the podium in the first race last Saturday - by 6.7s, with Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney completing the top five.

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