Tough weekend for RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki team at Isle of Mann

The RAF team's Gary Johnson ran out of fuel in the Superstock race. Picture: Barry Clay (Image: Archant)

In Saturday's six lap Superbike race Gary Johnson slotted into full race mode with a standing start lap of 129.710mph putting him straight into sixth place and just a fraction off the magical 130mph lap.

A second lap just missed it again and then it was time to pit for fuel and a fresh rear tyre at the end of lap two but he maintain his sixth place holding off Josh Brookes and Michael Rutter until he was forced to retire with problems at Sarah's Cottage on lap four. The race win went to Michael Dunlop with Manxman Conor Cummins second and James Hillier third.

On Monday Johnson had two races and the team were optimistic of a good result and in the first Supersport race held in the morning he soon settled into race pace on the RAF Regular and Reserves 675cc Triumph with a first lap of 125.375mph and seventh place just behind Cummins and ahead of Brookes. Johnson was involved in a battle for sixth place with Brookes going into the last lap but a yellow flag meant he had to slow down and he came home in an excellent seventh place to claim his first silver replica of the week. Dunlop took his second win with Dean Harrison second and the team's former rider Peter Hickman third.

With no time to enjoy the success of his Supersport race it was time for the Superstock race on the 1000cc Kawasaki and with a first lap at 129.862mph that 130mph lap was certainly looking to be on the cards as he crossed the line in eighth place but with another quick lap nearly over he ran out of fuel as he reached Hillberry and was forced to retire from the race. The race win went to Hickman, his first TT win.

RAF rider Gary Johnson exits the Ramsey Hairpin at the Isle of Mann TT. Picture: Barry Clay (Image: Archant)

Johnson has three chances left now to add to his tally of TT victories and his best bet has to be the second Supersport race.