Lee Johnston claimed his first race victory around the Isle of Man TT course when he won the 350cc Classic TT on Tuesday. Riding an MV Augusta, the Hull based Maguiresbridge rider smashed the lap record on his way to winning the race by a massive 45 seconds.

His win came despite misfiring problems that cost him time early in the race. He quickly hauled back the lost time with a lap record of 105.239 mph on lap two, establishing a lead that he was not to relinquish. “We had a few issues on the first lap,” he revealed. “The bike just wasn’t running right with the carbs on it. We struggled a little bit and I even thought about pulling in at one stage, and then about two thirds of the way around the first lap it cleared out and after that it was fine. I was about ten seconds down on William Dunlop on the first lap. He was leading and although he ended up breaking down on the last lap, I was already leading by about seven or eight seconds at that stage. It was nice that everyone was still in the race when I was leading, rather the inheriting the lead. We broke the lap record on the second lap by about three miles per hour.” The racing does not match the incredible speeds of today’s modern racing bikes, but Lee admitted he loved the experience of riding the course on a classic bike. “It’s awesome,” he said. “The thing I was on was worth £180,000! It’s a bit daunting at the start, but once you start racing you don’t care about the price of it. You are just there to do a good job and everything else goes out the window. They are a bit different to ride than what I am used to. There are no electronics or anything and you have to be a lot more gentle on them.” The weekend had not started so well for Lee. His first race on Friday ended prematurely when the petrol tank exploded on the bike before the end of the first lap, forcing him into retirement. That was long forgotten as he sprayed the champagne on Tuesday afternoon however, and he reckoned he not only came with a win but also knowledge of the course that he can put to good use at next year’s TT races. “It’s all about getting more laps and I have learnt quite a few bits and pieces,” he said. “You are going a bit slower and you get to see more. That was one of the main reasons why I went.” Lee now switches from the roads to the track for the next round of the British Championship, which is held at Donnington in two weeks.