MOTORCYCLING: Bardney racer Linton rides to six podium finishes

Ivan rode to a fourth place in his seventh race and would have been looking at a third place in the Superbike race but it was red flagged after two laps distance and he decided not to contest the restarted race that was run at the end of the day.

His wins came in the two 250/650cc races which he led from lights to flag, taking both wins by a hefty margin from the rest of the field. After his win in the Mike Kerruish Plumbing and Heating race, Ivan commented: “It was a little damp, certainly round the back of the course. I had a plan and it worked so I am well happy.”

He also won the Ocean Ford 250/650cc race and set the fastest lap with 2min 27.823sec at 103.502mph. Ivan said: “The bike was misfiring a bit when we got up to speed in third gear, which is at most places around here on that little thing. I obviously was trying to nurse it home as it was getting worse and worse but we got her home OK. Last lap I thought, just keep going, come on, and the little girl did us proud. Adam built the bike in his shed in the Isle of Man and just worked on it all over winter and it hasn’t lost anywhere as yet. We have had a lot of luck with it and the team has built a good bike as it has all the right gear on it and it’s all going well.”

The two second places were in the 600 class and in the first event on Wednesday, Ivan missed out on the win by just four hundredths of a second to Dean Harrison with the two riders crossing the finish line side by side. The two third places came in the Ellan Vannin Fuel senior race on Wednesday evening and the Manx Gas Solo championship on Thursday afternoon. In Wednesday’s race, the weather played its part as the track was wet after a shower of rain. Ivan was using full wets and on the final two laps was beginning to catch Dan Kneen for second place, but at the flag he was still two seconds adrift and had to settle for third.

On Thursday, the weather was fine and dry and once again Ivan secured a third place finish on the RC Express 1,000cc Kawasaki.

His fourth place came in the S&S Motors 600cc event although, but for a mistake in the early stages, he would have been third. He overshot early on and ran down the escape road, losing a lot of time and getting back on track down in 15th place. He rode like the wind and made it back up to fourth position at the flag but was just too far back to claim his third podium position of the week.

Rounding up Ivan said: “We have had a good week with two wins, two seconds and two thirds plus a fourth so I can’t complain.

“We are back to Scarborough next weekend, it seems never ending. Then we are going to the Ulster GP in a few weeks and then back to the Isle of Man for the Classic, so it’s a really busy time of year for us.”