THERE was delight for the large Skerries fraternity on the ' Island' for the Manx Grand Prix, as Michael Sweeney became only the second ever Southern rider to win a Junior Manx Grand Prix. And despite the controversy that surrounded the race, it was a well-deserved win. The 28-year-old truck driver had been fastest in practice for most of the week around the 37.75-mile Mountain Course, and was just outside the magic 120mph lap by the time practice had finished.

Race week started on Monday with the newcomers/ post classic races.

In the Post Classic, Michael Dunlop started off behind Ollie Linsdell, and at the end of lap 1 Linsdell had averaged 117.271mph on a 750 Yamaha ridden by his father in the TT in the 1980s. Dunlop was faster still on the XR69 Suzuki that was raced in the Island six years before Dunlop was even born, with Mark Buckley third.

Dunlop was well ahead by the end of lap two, as Linsdell had crashed at Bishopscourt and was air-med to hospital. He was later transferred to Liverpool where his condition was described as critical.

Dunlop slowed up but still finished over two minutes ahead of Buckley, with Geoff Martin third.

In the junior class Chris Palmer had an easy win over Phil McGuirk, with Barry Davidson third.

In the Newcomers A, Shaun Anderson finished second and Billy Byrne sixth, and in the ' B' race Gerry Daniels was fourth. Later, Sean Leonard equalled his best ever finish at the Manx with an eighth in the Junior Classic and another replica, aboard his lovely 350 Honda.

The two main races at the Manx are the Junior and Senior, and in 2007 Derek Brien won a pulsating junior by .002 of a second o become the first ever Southern Irish winner of this prestigious race.

At the start Skerries' David Lumsden, number two alongside Drogheda's Wayne Kirwin, couldn't get his 600 Yamaha to fire, as someone had hit the kill switch. He eventually got off the line, well behind.

What lay ahead of the 100+ riders who came to the start line was a series of disasters. By Greeba Castle, Tim Venables, winner of the Newcomers A on Monday, had crashed heavily and was air-med to Nobles hospital. And as the leader Dan Sayle neared the end of lap one, he crashed at Signpost corner and was taken to hospital, thankfully being discharged after two hours.

At the end of lap 1 Manx rider Simon Foulton was leading Sweeney, with Kirwin third. David Lumsden was up to eighth, but Andy Farrell was having machine trouble and well down the field.

By the pit stop at the end of lap two Foulton was still in the lead, with Kirwin and Sweeney together in their pits. With the new rule on pit-lane speed, Foulton and Kirwin were both penalised for speeding and as they left the pits Sweeney led by 19 seconds, with Lumsden up to an incredible second.

It was then we realised a tragedy had taken place, as there was the rare sight of a red flag. There had been another crash at the very fast section of the course just before Ballaugh Bridge, and the accident claimed the lives of two racers.

James Adams was a 28year-old serving officer in the Royal Navy from Prestwick in Scotland, and Chris Bradshaw ( 39) a traffic police officer from Tamworth in Birmingham. The race was abandoned and so was the Senior Classic that was to be held later in the day.

Manx regulations allow for a race to be classified after half-way, and this was the case, but the results were classified from lap one, as it was the only complete lap. This gave the race to Foulton, with Sweeney second and Kirwin third.

There was to be more controversy, when the marshals on duty at the Dan Sayle crash reported Foulton for dangerous riding and not slowing down, and the clerk of the course penalised the Manx rider 30 seconds, handing the race win to the Skerries rider.

' This is not the way I wanted to win. I know I was leading when the race was stopped, but the tragedy shows just how dangerous our sport is and our thoughts are with the families of the deceased riders,' said Micko. David Lumsden was eighth, David Yeomans 34th, just outside the replicas, and Andy Farrell back in 78th.

The Senior Classic was run on Thursday, and Roy Richardson was the winner.

The final day of the festival is the premier one, with the Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight followed by the prestigious Senior in the afternoon.

There was good local interest in the two morning races, which were run concurrently.

Pre-race favourite Dan Sayle ( double sidecar TT passenger winner) only got to Quaterbridge when his Honda seized, leaving Neil Kent in the lead with Davy Morgan second, only for Morgan's Honda to seize on lap two, leaving Kent to win his first Manx after 21 years trying!

Sweeney was third in practice on the Kiely Heating/ Sweetman Motors 650 Suzuki, but he only lasted one mile before retiring at Bradden Bridge. Phil McGuirk broke the lap record and won by over a minute from Rob Davies, with Joe Phillips third and Andy Farrell 10th despite getting a ' speeding ticket' in the pit lane.

Sweeney was favourite for the senior, having topped the practice leaderboard. Right from the start he took the lead on the Tracblast/ Greenclean Yamaha, but the engine of the Yamaha blew at Kirk Michael, leaving Foulton leading Kirwin, with Ivan Linton and David Lumsden close behind.

On lap two Foulton averaged 120mph, but disaster hit Lumsden when he came in to re-fuel, as his Yamaha refused to start – the cause a dead battery. Lumsden had to retire.

Foulton had a great scrap with Kirwin and they finished in that order, with Ivan Linton third. Andy Farrell had another 10th and David Yeomans had his best senior result, 27th, and achieved a best-ever lap of almost 112mph.

The tragedy that left two dead was a stark reminder of the nature of road racing.

Sweeney's win was controversial, but riders had been warned about breaking the rule over slowing down at accidents, so the win should be regarded as his true win, and we can congratulate ' Micko' on his great win on the world's toughest road racing course.

Keep ' er lit.

- JACK CORRY