Riding the Barnes/Jackson Racing machines, Ian Lougher ended his 2009 Isle of Man TT on a double high when he took the honours in the Lightweight 250 and Ultra Lightweight 125cc races at Billown.
In the first 250cc race Ian and his friend and rival Chris Palmer led the way on the first lap, Palmer led on the second circuit with Michael Dunlop in third from Andrew Neill and Barry Davidson. On lap four Lougher hit the front and opened up a small gap over Palmer, with Dunlop still in a safe third.
Ian still led for the next lap but on the sixth lap, Palmer began to close in and eventually went in front only to retire with a seized engine at Ballakeighan.
Ian was now comfortably in the lead and coasted over the line with Dunlop second and Barry Davidson third.
Palmer didn't come out for the second leg due to a broken crank and as the race got underway it was pole-setter William Dunlop who grabbed the lead but on Lap 4 he was out at Cross Four Ways with a suspected broken radiator.
Ian
then took over at the front by over three seconds from Michael Dunlop
and was never caught as he crossed the line to claim yet another win.
Lougher
and
Palmer were at it again as the battle for the 125cc honours got
underway. The first 8-lap race saw Palmer again hit the front from the
off with Ian tucking in behind.
There
was nothing between them as they circulated on their penultimate lap
but again Palmer was forced out,
leaving Ian well clear of the rest of the field. He comfortably took
the honours by almost 15 seconds from Roy Richardson and William
Dunlop.
In Race Two Chris Palmer got a good start and at the end of the first lap he led by over two seconds. He continued to pull away and at the halfway point he had extended his lead by a further seven seconds.
Behind him though Ian Lougher's experience was very much in evidence and he knew exactly what he had to do to take the overall win. Riding calmly, Ian held on to second position and with it, another TT victory.