Barber powers to historic TT win (From Bury Times)

Barber powers to historic TT win

4:56pm Wednesday 17th June 2009

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MOTOR SPORT: RADCLIFFE racer Rob Barber is celebrating after making TT history in the Isle of Man.

The 29-year-old became the first ever winner of the zero-emission TTXGP, and set the lap record in the process.

The Team Agni Pro-Class rider completed the mountain course in 25 minutes and 53.50 seconds, averaging more than 87mph.

He crossed the line more than three minutes before second-placed German Thomas Schoenfelder in a dominant display in a race that uses battery-powered bikes.

“It’s amazing and I am still on cloud nine,” said Barber, who was competing at the TT for the third time.

“The bike is absolutely brilliant to ride and to win a race in the Isle of Man is a dream come true.

“I was competing against teams with budgets of millions of pounds and my bike was built in a garden shed in Potters Bar.

“To set the lap record was also fantastic and the team did really well all weekend. We were also the quickest in practice.”

The victory shot Barber into the spotlight of the international media, and he says it was fantastic to capture the attention of millions of people worldwide. “I was interviewed for television in America, Australia, India and the UK,” said Barber, who is back in action in the Ulster Grand Prix in August. “It’s great to think my face is being beamed all around the world.

“It wasn’t just motor sport journalists either, there were plenty of technology publications that wanted to do features with me.”

He added: “I finished 12th in the main race too, and I was very happy with that. I wasn’t far off my ambitions of a top 10 place.

“It was a fantastic weekend and now the organisers want to take me all over the world racing in the zero-emission class.”

Meanwhile, Ainsworth bike ace Ben Grindrod, who recently stormed to the top of the MRO Junior Stocksport 600 Championship had a tough weekend at Snetterton in Norfolk, but still managed to extend his lead at the top of the standing.

With a number of contenders using the event as a practice for the National Superstock 600, Grindrod had a difficult job, but in the first race he finished sixth overall, and fifth junior to pick up valuable championship points.

It was a similar story in the second race on Sunday, but he finished first junior to extend his lead at the top of the championship from to 33 points.

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