Ian Lougher scored victory in a shortened Light🦂weight Manx Grand Prix after long-time leader Michael Dunlop encouꦿntered bike issues close to the finish.

The Lightweight Manx GP 💛was due to run across two laps, but a bleak weather forecast forced organisers to shorten it to one lap in༺ order to bring forward the Classic Superbike finale.

Though setting o𒈔ff at number one on the road, Lougher played second fiddle to Dunlop for the first half of the sing⛎le-lap contest on the Isle of Man.

Leading by 6.3 seconds into Ramsey, another victory on the TT course in 2024 looked certain for Dunlop aboard his MD Racing H🐈onda.

But he began to lose time across the mountain and had to coast his bike home, leaving Lougher to secure a comfortable win aboard his Laycock Racing Yam🌌aha TZ250.

Dunlop has endured problems with both of his machines in the Lightweight and Classic Superbike classes throughout th🍰e 2024 Manx GP.

Things looked better for Dunlop at the start of the one-lap race as he led by𓂃 0.932s from Lougher through Glen Helen.

Dunlop twisted the knife further on the run to Ballaugh to get hi꧙s lead up to 3.7s, increasing it further to 6.3s by the time he got to the♓ Ramsey sector split.

But signs of trouble appeared at the Bungalow sector split, with Lougher closing the ൲gap down to 3.285s.

Lougher took the chequered flag first on the road, while Dunlop was late coming through Cronk-ny-Mona towards the e𒐪nd of the lap.

As time continued to pass without Dunlop emerging where he should have been on correctedꩵ time, Lougher’s victory wa✃s cemented.

Dunlop eventually appea🎃red coasting to the chequered flag, with the Ulsterman classified in 15th.

His misfortune promoted Lee Johnston up to second, with the one-time Supersport TT winner guiding his Reed Racing Honda to the podium on his return to racing after an extended injury layo✱ff following a serious accident at the North West 200 last year.

Stuart Hall completed the podium on the Whippet Racing Yamaha, with Rhys Hardisty and Michael Evan📖s rounding out the top five.

The top 10 was comple൩ted by Stefano Bonetti, Gareth Arnold, Joe Yeardsley, Paul Cassidy a🐬nd Own Monaghan.

Pre-race favourite Mike Browne🌟 was an early retire𒁏ment. 

Picture credit: Manx Grand Prix Press