RACE GUIDE

CLASSIC SENIOR

True 'classic' machinery in the Carole Nash Classic Senior Race - 500cc 4-strokes that were manufactured before 1973, or 2-strokes manufactured before 1968. What results is the class with biggest variety of motorbikes of them all and one of the few races where strategy can come into play.

Single cylinders, twin cylinders, triples, and four cylinders, plus for the first time in 2022 - a rotary! The once common theme however, is that they are all air-cooled.

The class has been dominated in recent years by Paton, with Ryan Farquhar, Olie Linsdell, Ian Lougher, Josh Brookes and John McGuinness all crossing the line first on the twin-cylinder Italian machine. The key ingredient? Four valves per cylinder, able to deliver more power and more speed. But for 2022 it won't just be the Paton's with the 8-valve power advantage, as the Davies Motorsport team have been hard at work developing their Yamaha TX500.

The single-cylinder machines - championed by the British manufacturers - might be down on power but what they lack in top end, they make up in fuel efficiency. With no need for a pit stop they save around 45 seconds, leaving them with a straight, 4-lap dash for the finish line.

All that being said, 150-miles is a long way for these old machines and to finish first, first you must finish...