Lee Johnston claimed victory at the Isle of Man Classic TT with a commanding win in the Lightweight race.

It was a memorable week for the Maguiresbridge rider, who also finished third in both the Junior and Senior Classic TT races, making it three podiums from three starts around the legendary road racing circuit.

“It’s something I have wanted to do for years and years,” Lee said of his Lightweight victory.

“To finish any classic race is a bit of a result because the bikes aren’t designed to get a thrashing like that, especially not the last three or four laps round here, so to get on the podium in three out of three races was pretty lucky I think. It was a good week.”

Lee had targeted race wins at the start of the season, but the top step of the podium had remained out of his reach in 2018 until his victory in the Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT on Saturday.

On board his Padgett’s Honda, Lee settled in to an early third place behind Adam McLean and Ian Lougher.

As the opening lap progressed Lee hauled in and then passed the Yamaha of Lougher to finish lap one four seconds adrift of leading rider McLean.

Lee continued to push hard on lap two and midway through the lap the times showed him edging into the lead, eeking out an advantage of a second and a half as the bikes came in for refuelling. McLean’s well drilled pit stop narrowed the deficit, but once back out on the track Johnston demonstrated his speed as he pulled well clear of his challengers. He posted a fastest lap time of 117.919 mph and continued to extend his lead, eventually taking the chequered flag almost 30 seconds clear of McLean.

The race win was Lee’s second ascent to the podium, having already taken third place earlier in the day in the Senior Classic TT.

Riding a Honda, Lee was trailing the top three over the opening laps. There was no catching John McGuinness who was making his return to the island following a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury, but behind him the battle for the remaining podium positions developed into a contest between Johnston, Jamie Coward and Chris Swallow. ‘The General’ was in fourth with a lap remaining, but after a late pit stop to refuel Lee fought back from 14 seconds back to edge past Coward and claim third overall.

The Junior TT on Monday afternoon was to be Lee’s final ride of the week, and his chances of completing a trio of podiums were looking remote after he was plagued my mechanical problems in practice.

Poor weather had reduced the race from four laps to three, and on lap two Lee was well off a top three placing, lying in fifth spot on board his Davies Motorsport Honda. Leader Michael Rutter was to suffer a puncture that would take him out of the race, and on the final lap Johnston mounted another late fight back. This time he overhauled teammate Alan Oversby to snatch another third place finish and round off a successful week.

Lee is back on board a classic bike in two weeks at the Goodwood Revival, and that outing will round off his season. He has managed a second place finish at the Ulster Grand Prix and a second and a third at the North West 200, but admits his year’s racing did not bring the race wins he was hoping for.

“It was average to be honest,” he acknowledged.

“It was disappointing that we haven’t won any races, especially Supersport races on the Padgett bike, but it’s good to get through the year and not have any big injuries like last year and we can move on to next year.”