HIGHLIGHTS: Historic Senior Classic TT Race | 2025 Classic TT Races

Mike Browne has taken the Historic Senior Classic TT win, crossing the line a mere 0.268 seconds ahead of Adam McLean after two grueling laps around the Mountain Course. From early drama with John McGuinness’s puncture to Browne’s nail-biting charge and the pit-board misread that almost cost him the win, this race had it all.
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With wet weather clearing throughout Friday morning, it will be the historic Senior Classic TT race that opened the action with a 12 p.m. midday start on the final day of the 2025 Classic TT. A wide mix of 500cc machinery took to the start line with the likes of Patton, Norton, Jakati, MV, Matchless, Honda, Yamaha, and Royal Enfield all represented. Just looking forward to get the racing today. I think it’s quite nerve-wracking when you don’t know where the dam patches are. So, we’re going to have to be a bit cautious on the first lap and then once we get the first lap out the way, know where we are, we can push on. The 500’s gone well when it’s gone. A couple of little mechanicals. I’m going to go look at the board in a minute and have a look where the damp patches are. I haven’t quite read the board yet. So, I’m going to see where they are and I’ll just try to ride accordingly and I’ve just feel very similar to the TT I should imagine. So, we had a little bit of damp uh damp practice there, let’s say. So, hopefully it bs well for the race. The pattern on this 500, I’d really I’d like to win this race. I’ve come close a few times last few years, but uh yeah, the bike’s definitely the best thing on the track. So, it’s down to me now on the day. 5 minutes start line. 5 minutes. On the day it was announced that the 2026 Classic TT, scheduled for the 19th to the 28th of August next year, will celebrate John McInness’s 30-year career. The 23-time TT winner would fittingly set off first on the road aboard his team Winfield Pattern. The second rider to be waved down towards Bray Hill was Banksman Joe Yurtsley aboard the striking flitic Royal Enfield. A testament to the variety of machinery in this historic senior race, Dean Harrison would set off third on the road, letting his Ted Wolf matchless G50 sing for all to admire. At number four was supposed to be Jamie Coward, but a lack of confidence with a troublesome Norton throughout practice week meant that next on the road would be the number five pattern of Sha Anderson, the winner of this race in 2024. Podium finisher in the first race of the week, an all round TT icon Ian Locker would set off next on the team Winfield pattern, followed closely by one of his main competitors in the lightweight classic, Adam Mlan. Motivated by a curtailed run in the previous race and having set the third fastest time in qualifying, MLAN’s Royal Enfield would be one to watch. At number eight, Davy Todd would be the first of the Yamaha 500s to get the tap on the shoulder. Behind the Superbike TT winner, it would be Mike Brown setting off on his Norton. The Irishman set the fastest time in qualifying. So, despite an off in the earlier lightweight race, would be one of the favorites in this shortened two lap affair. But with the larger, more powerful, and thirstier twins from the likes of Patton and MV benefiting from the shortened race and therefore no pit stop, Brown would have everything to do on his single cylinder Norton. At Glenn Helen, it was still John McInness first on the road and first on the leaderboard, comfortably ahead of Yurtsley and Harrison. Meanwhile, Sha Anderson sadly retired at Union Mills, a winner from 12 months ago, not able to repeat that this year. Despite qualifying faster, Mike Brown was nearly 5 seconds a drift as McInness as he arrived at Glenn Helen, only 3/10 ahead of Paul Jordan. The Royal Enfield of Adam Mlan fourth fastest with Dean Harrison and Ian Locker in hot pursuit on the matchless and pattern respectively. John McInness was the first to leap over the bridge at BAF and it would be a waiting game to find out how the standing stood at this second timing sector. Number three, Dean Harrison had already caught and passed Joe Yertsley on the road, though still sitting over 12 seconds behind for Guinness. Mike Brown and Paul Jordan continued their battle after Glenn Helen. The gap sitting at 510 by Balath Bridge. Meanwhile, the other Yamaha hopeful, Davy Todd, would seemingly struggle on this opening lap, dropping to 10th place. McInness was firmly on his own at the front by the time they reached Ramsey. The pattern 6 mph faster than anyone else through the Solie Speed Trap on lap one and 17 seconds ahead of Harrison, the timing sector in Ramsey. It would then be a long wait back to the number nine Norton and number 10 Yamaha to see who had come through in second place. Brown appeared 8 seconds behind McInness on the timing screens, but no sign of Paul Jordan. The Northern Irishman a retirement at Parliament Square. This promoted Adam Mlan to third place with Dean Harrison 5 seconds off the podium places at Ramsey on his Ted Wolf match list. A testament to the pedigree of machines on show in the historic senior. Dan sail was on the beautifully prepared MV Augusta 500. A bike previously raced by the likes of Jakamo Agustinini and Mike Hailwood. The Maxman’s second fastest through the SBY speed trap. On the run up the mountain to the bungalow. Adam Mlan had clearly dropped the sandbags, closing to within 6 seconds of the leader John McInness. While doing so, the Royal Enfield rider had also overcome the gap and overtaken Mike Brown for second place. Dean Harrison and Ian Locker found themselves increasingly in no man’s land in fifth and sixth, respectively. 10 seconds ahead and 10 seconds behind. They would both need to up the pace to catch the leaders. After just under 21 minutes, McInness appeared into view. His pattern though not on tune as he came down Glen Crutchery Road and into the pit lane. Dean Harrison was promoted to third place as Mike Brown flashed by less than 3 seconds a drift of MLAN on corrected time. [Music] Ian Locker up to fourth place and Bass Ferber aboard the number 17 Honda was now into the top five with John McInness out of the race. The second pass through Gl then Helen would see Dean Harrison lead on the road. Chasing him down was Adam Mlan clearly on a charge. [Applause] In fact, the gap from first to second had opened up further. Mike Brown breaking the beam some 4.7 seconds down on the leader. Troubles for Todd meant that he came through Glenn Helen in close quarters with Connor Cummings and Michael Sweeney. The number 13 finding extra pace on this second tour, jumping to the top five in the standings, though still some 26 seconds behind Ian Locker. Harrison comfortably on his own at BF. his matchless on course for a podium finish as he accelerated out of the village. Next to Crest the Bridge was the race leader Adam Mlan, hoping his luck would hold for this one after mechanical problems suffered in the lightweight race earlier in the week. Number nine, Mike Brown on the Norton next through the Balash checkpoint. 2.5 seconds a drift of the race lead. The gap yo-yoing on the final tour of the mountain course. Locker on course for another top five and a podium should something happen to those in front. While Michael Sweeny was now nearly 2 seconds ahead of Baz Ferber in the battle for fifth place. [Music] With Dean Harrison firmly in his sights, Adam Mlan had a hair to chase through Ramsey. But that wouldn’t be enough to secure the lead as Mike Brown would swiftly break the beam at Ramsey, jumping back to the top of the timing screens, but only by a little over a second. Ian Locker came through in an almost guaranteed fourth, whilst fifth place runner Michael Sweeney had now caught and passed Connor Cummings and Davy Todd on the road. With just the mountain section to go, Baz Ferber only needed to find 1.6 seconds for a top five finish over the tram lines for the final time. And Mlan now the leader on the road with Harrison 45 seconds of drift on corrected time. But on the ascent up Snell, Mlan had closed a vital few tenths to Brown. The gap now sitting under a second with six miles to go. Ian Locker the next to make the left turn at the bungalow. The pattern closing 6 seconds on the climb on third place Dean Harrison. Could Lucky Locker grab his second podium of the week in the historic senior? Across the line came Adam Mlan, but it would be a waiting game to see if it overcome the gap to the leader. But as Mike Brown crossed the line, the Irishman just held on to claim the win by a quarter of a second on the Royal Enfield. A charging Ian Locker clocked a personal best on the last lap, but it wasn’t enough to claim the third step on the podium. Dean Harrison holding on by 5 seconds. In the battle for fifth place, another long wait showed that Bass Feret had clinched a top five by 20,000 of a second. An amazing feat after 75 miles of fantastic historic racing. Connor Cummins and Davy Todd continued their on track battle across the line to finish in seventh and ninth respectively. Michael Evans came home in eighth and Alan Oversby completed the historic senior top 10. Uh definitely caution to the wind in the first lap and just watched where where you’d be coming around to the damp patches, but uh started the second lap, I remembered a lot of them, so I knew I could push a lot harder. And uh just coming down off the mountain there, the the chain I’d say slipped the cog even. Uh a lot of the cogs are broken. I knew there was a bit of a bite there, but uh we got it over the line. [Music]