RACING
Racing history
Over the years, the Kay family has been restoring and building beautiful classic Italian racing bikes and, to demonstrate the quality of the engineering, have raced them at most of the country's famous circuits. This is a record of their successes, culminating in Bob McIntyre's tribute lap, when the first 100mph circuit of the IOM mountain course was matched on a Kay replica Gilera.
MV AGUSTA RACING HISTORY FROM 2008-2017 July 2008 500/3 First Win Chimay Rider Phil Sharpe 2nd Win Chimay Rider Alan Oversby August 2009 500/3 No results IOM Rider Alan Oversby May 2010 500/3 Second Win Hiro 2 Rider Brian Richardson June 2010 500/3 Third Win Pre TT Senior by 29 secs Rider Alan Oversby June 2011 500/3 Fourth Win Pre TT Senior Fifth Win 850 class Race Record both by Alan Oversby August 2013 350/3 3rd place Manx GP Alan Oversby September 2013 500/3 Goodwood lap Record 97.89mph August 2014 350/3 Sixth Win Lap record 105.2mph 3 lap race Ride Lee Johnston August 2015 500/3 Seventh Win Manx GP Rider Dean Harrison Fastest Lap 110.463mph 3rd place Lee Johnston 108.8mph Fastest Lap August 2016 350/3 Eighth Win Manx GP Rider Michael Dunlop Fastest Lap 104.475mph 500/3 2nd to Paton in 500 race Rider Dean Harrison 112.482mph Fastest start from standing lap August 2017 350/3 2nd to Rutter Rider Lee Johnston 350/4 6th place 1st finish Rider Dean Harrison Gilera 100.5mph lap on 60th Anniversary of Bob Mac's 1st 100mph lap Rider Michael Dunlop with Full Dustbin Fairing Summary 2013 to 2017 Manx GPs 3 Wins: 2 - 350/3, 1 - 500/3 2 Seconds: 1 - 350/3, 1 - 500/3 Second to Third for 500/3 All bikes 7 Podiums in 5 years; 350/3 4 Podiums in 4 years Record Fastest Laps: Goodwood 97.89mph with 500cc MV 2013 98.36 mph 2017 Michael Dunlop Pre TT 850cc Class with 500cc MV 2011 Manx 350 - 105.2mph Race Record 2014 Manx 500 - 112.482mph from standing start 2016
A dream come true -
a win at the 2015 Classic TT 500
Extracted from an article first published by Classic Racer in September 2015
You have to turn the clock back to 1972 for the last time two MVs finished on the podium in the Isle of Man. On that occasion it was a one-two for Giacomo Agostini and Alberto Pagani in what was to be the last appearance of the factory Agustas on the Mountain Course. Four decades on, Dean Harrison and Lee Johnston rode the Kay family’s Black Eagle Racing triples in the 500cc Classic TT. A standing start lap of 110.463mph gave Harrison an initial advantage of almost 16s over Lougher, with Johnson another 2.5s back in third. All three lapped in under 21 minutes. Harrison powered down through Hillberry and Cronk-ny-Mona for the final time with plenty in hand. At the line he was 26.8s ahead of Lougher on corrected timing to claim his first 500cc Classic TT victory.
Michael Dunlop was the surprise winner of the 2016 Okells Classic TT
An extract from an article by John Patterson
Next came the Okells Junior Classic. Dunlop lapped at 102.567mph to head Friday’s 350cc qualifying. He is known for is robust riding style, and clearly the team was pleased that their engineering proved equally rugged. But would the bike withstand a gruelling four laps of racing, under the guidance of someone, who by his own admission, was an imposing figure on the dimintive MV? Well, the outcome could not have been better for the team. Dunlop rode the classic MV sensitively and with remarkable expertise, given that he had come so late to the party, and especially since he was used to riding so much faster and bigger bikes. Near the end, his nearest rival, Michael Rutter had to be content to ride in Dunlop's wake, but for some time, they were neck and neck, much to the delight of the crowd. Dunlop’s winning time of 1hr 27min 51.735s beat Chris Palmer’s record from 2013 by almost a full minute,but was just short of Lee Johnston's record, set in 2014 on the same bike. After his first Classic TT win away from the Superbike class, Dunlop said how much he had enjoyed riding the little MV. “I didn’t think that anyone as fat as me could win a race like this. I’m delighted to do it for the Kay family. There are three generations here working on the bikes and they are a great team."
2015 Classic TT: Harrison victorious in 500cc race
Taken from an article by Phil Wain. First published by Bikesport News on 29th August 2015 Dean Harrison won Saturday’s 500cc Classic TT, the opening race of the 2015 Festival of Motorcycling, with the Black Eagle Racing MV Agusta rider coming home ahead of last year’s winner Ian Lougher. Harrison’s team mate Lee Johnston took third as a number of expected front runners retired. “Apart from the last lap when I had a bit of an oil leak, the bike never missed a beat and if you don’t have an oil leak on a Classic bike, it’s not a classic bike is it! I was a bit wary at the beginning with the tyres but once got into the race, everything just flowed and it was a really fun race,” said Harrison. “I didn’t have any pit boards and when I saw John and Ryan parked up, I started to try and work out who else could be pushing at the front and who could be a rival. I never really saw anyone during the race and just kept it steady. Conditions were good apart from a bit of drizzle on the Mountain on the last lap between the Verandah and Brandywell. I’ve been told Ian (Lougher) would have won the race had he not been penalised for speeding in pit lane but it serves him right, he should know better at his age!” It was quickest in practice John McGuinness that led at Glen Helen on the opening lap by 1.1s from team-mate Ryan Farquhar, closely followed by Harrison, Lougher, Johnston and Michael Dunlop but by Ballaugh it was clear the Morecambe Missile was in trouble as he was down to fifth with Farquhar now leading by just over three seconds from Harrison. Michael Rutter and William Dunlop were also in trouble stopping at Sarah’s Cottage and Ballacraine respectively and McGuinness was soon posted as a retirement at Parliament Square. There was further drama when Farquhar was reported as having suffered a similar fate at the same corner. So, at the end of a dramatic opening lap, it was Harrison who led with a lap of 110.463mph, which gave him a 15.8s lead over Lougher who pitted for fuel. Johnston was in third on the second MV followed by Michael Dunlop, Dan Cooper and Danny Webb. Just like twelve months ago though, Lougher was penalised by 30s for speeding in pit lane, dropping him back to eighth. Dunlop was now leading on the road but Harrison was the man setting the pace and he was really pressing on, extending his lead throughout the second lap. Indeed, with another 110mph+ lap, his advantage over team-mate Johnston was now 18s, the duo both stopping to refuel. Dunlop was holding a good third from Lougher and Webb but Cooper was another retiree, coming to a halt along the Cronk y Voddy straight. The pit stops closed the field up and at Glen Helen on lap three, Harrison’s lead over Dunlop was only 3.2s with Johnston a further 14.3s adrift. Lougher was also charging, only four seconds behind the final podium place. However, for the remainder of the lap, Harrison reasserted his authority back on the race and heading into the fourth and final lap, his lead was back up to 25 seconds over new second place man Lougher, who lapped at 110.729mph. Dunlop was two tenths of a second behind Lougher in third as Johnston dropped back to fourth but Webb’s good run came to end at the pits, the British Supersport runner retiring from fifth There was no such trouble for Harrison though and he duly came home in first, the third different Classic TT winner in as many years. His gap over Lougher at the end was 26.8s as Johnston completed the podium in third. Dunlop went out at the Mountain Mile on the final lap and that allowed Jamie Coward and Chris Swallow to move up to fourth and fifth with Keith Amor’s persistence being rewarded in sixth. Wattie Brown, David Madsen-Mygdal, Ivan Lintin and Phil McGurk completed the top ten.
The Black Eagle Racing Team celebrates successes in 2016
The plan was to enter two riders, Dean Harrison and Lee Johnston in the Bennetts Senior, and Lee Johnston in the Okells Junior 350cc race, which he had won in record time in 2014. But, as we know, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Lee was not available to ride after having broken his collarbone during the Ulster Grand Prix qualifying sessions earlier in the year. This left a vacancy, into which Michael Dunlop fitted very well. During the 500cc practice sessions, the team were disappointed when they had to withdraw Dunlop’s machine from the Senior battle after detonation problems caused a loss of compression on one cylinder. This left Harrison alone to fly the Black Eagle flag in the senior race. In a battle of attrition against the legendary John McGuinness, the early stages were nip and tuck, with fractions of a second between them. However, after a fuel stop, McGuinness forged ahead and Harrison was unable to catch him. Despite having set the fastest time in practice, Dean finished second, relinquishing his 2015 title to McGuinness. For the third year running, a Black Eagle MV was on the Classic TT podium. And.... there's always next year....
Goodwood Revival 2013
A report by Dave Kay.. Goodwood Revival - the classic event of the year! Three of the MV Meccanica Verghera's manufactured triples competed: The No 10 500cc MV, owned by John Chapman and ridden by Mick Grant and Gary Johnson. The No1 Black Eagle Racing Team's 500cc MV ridden by Alan Oversby and Phil Sharpe. The No3 420cc MV owned by Dave Kay ridden by Brian Richards and Gordon Russell All bikes were in adjacent pits so there was lots of friendly rivalry and banter. I think the Black Eagle Racing Team looked resplendent in their embroided blue overalls. Practice and qualifying was on Friday 13th September No10 mv pole position at 1.30.219 No1 4th on grid 1.33.389 No3 15th on grid with a time of 139.300 which was better than expected seeing that it has 25bhp less than the 500s. Saturday 14th September 12.30pm was Bike Race 1 It was won by no10 Grant/Johnson with a best lap of 129.111 The Black Eagles' no1 crashed out while leading on lap 5 and no3 finished 12th with a best lap of 138.539. However, the fastest time was recorded on lap 4 by no1 Alan Oversby at 1.28.497 - 97.63mph Sunday 15th September was Bike Race 2 No1 bike, after its inspection for wildlife in the gravel trap had only suffered minor damage which was repaired with duct tape and presented to chief scrutiner for inspection. All OK None of the MVs won the race but the no10 Grant/Johnson came second with a best time of 128.432 and no1 Oversby/Sharpe 3rd with best time of 128.195. Bike no3 Richards/Russell finished 16th. The lap record was again achieved by Alan Oversby at 128.195 - 97.96mph The combined classification of the two races gave no10 Grant/Johnson the win. Bike no3 Richards/Russell finished 12th which they were well pleased. Bike no1 after the disaster in the gravel trap archived fastest lap in both races and the lap record of 128.195 So to summarise, the 3 bikes built by MV Meccanica Verghera Ltd over the 2 races were 1st 2nd and a 3rd with bikes no10 and no1, two fastest laps with bike no1 and a lap record of 128.195. All 3 bikes had a successful weekend with no mechanical failures. Finally a sincere congratulations to John Chapman, Mick Grant and Gary Johnson for finally winning Goodwood on an MV - The first time Nortons have been beaten!
Goodwood Revival 2019
A report by Dave Kay.. At the request of the organisers we have attended and raced at the Goodwood revival since 2005 with little success. One of our client’s MV3 bikes, built by MV Meccanica Verghera, won the event in 2013. We achieved top six placing but the win was elusive. Having had 6 podiums in 4 years in the I.O.M Classic TT’s, which included 3 wins, 2 seconds and a third, for whatever reason the team was not invited to the 2018 or 2019 races, which amazingly helped win at Goodwood. In 2019 Black Eagle Racing rebuilt with great care the 2016 MV Triple just for this event. Usually the bike we entered had already been thrashed at the TT for 250 miles. In past years due to race dates, we had not had the time to rebuild the bike for the Revival, so it went as it left the TT to Goodwood. With a rebuilt motorcycle and two top riders Lee Johnston and Jon-Boy Lee, the latter who had not raced for 10 years entered the event. We won races 1 and 2, the win being the average placing of both races, so at least we were victorious. It took 14 years and proved the MV was more than competitive. All of the team was, to say the least, well pleased and well lubricated.
Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy 2021
1st – Michael Dunlop and Steve Plater – MV Augusta 500/3 Report - Richard Heseltine Michael Dunlop and Steve Plater dominated the opening instalment of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy on Saturday morning. Nevertheless, the race wasn’t without incident for the MV Agusta duo, with Plater fortunate to survive a clash with a high-siding backmarker with little more than a minute left to run. Battle raged behind them, too, the identity of the remaining podium finishers being only settled on the run to the line for the final time. Michael Dunlop and Steve Plater continued from where they left off on Saturday to dominate the second instalment of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy. In doing so, they bagged the overall win on aggregate by a colossal margin. It wasn’t all plain sailing, though, because Plater couldn’t get their MV Agusta in gear at the start. He was way down the order on the opening lap as Peter Bardell claimed an early lead on the Matchless G50 he shared with James Haydon, the duo having finished second in the opening race on Saturday. However, the Italian machine was simply too fast for the opposition. Plater had recovered to seventh place by the end of lap two. This had become fifth by lap three and third by the time he reached Madgwick for the fourth time. He soon swept into the lead and scampered off up the road, handing the machine over to his wingman with a commanding lead. Dunlop ventured trackside in second place behind Haydon who had taken over from Bardell several laps prior. Haydon attempted to fend off the Isle of Man TT superstar, but to no avail. Dunlop wasn’t to be denied.
Press images for videos pt1/2
Circuit de Chimay
Andy Hornby - 350cc/500cc 3 Wins in total for Black Eagle Racing Team! x 1 500cc x 2 350cc Chimay Classics Round up By Stevie Rial. Iconic sights, sounds, smells were in abundance throughout the latest Chimay Classics meeting. As in 2022, various UK racers enjoyed prodigious moments a plenty. Former Junior, Senior Classic TT Champions Black Eagle Racing, took race successes times three including overall 500/750cc combined race 2 victory, thanks to the sterling efforts of Andy Hornby. Fellow renowned yesteryear racing specialist David Tetley, swooped multiple triumphs, Colin Wilcock led the Vintage 200cc fraternity whilst Kieran Clarke/Andrew Johnson sped yesterday to Sidecar Post Classic G3 race honours.
Army Road Races
July 2023
AMRCC 🏁Race 7🏁 Fay Stewart Senior Classics 351cc – 500cc & 501cc-1000cc 🥇Andy Hornby 🥈Richard Ford 🥉David Suddes