First-time Isle of Man TT podium finisher Michael Evans has been stripped of his second place in Tuesday’s opening Supertwin TT after the Dafabet Racing team failed to present the bike for technical scrutineering after the conclusion of the second supertwin race on Friday.
It’s believed that an issue with the bike’s engine was discovered following the opening race for the class, where Evans finished second to Michael Dunlop - but with a second race coming up later in the week, organisers agreed to seal the engine for further inspection rather than to strip it (a standard procedure for podium finishers at the TT).
However, while Evans then subsequently broke down at Glen Helen on the first lap of the second race on Friday night, his bike simply never returned to the paddock for that follow-up check, leaving technical stewards no choice but to take action.
“Initial checks were undertaken by the event’s Technical Director, Technical Officers, and Technical Officials,” said TT organisers in a statement, “at the conclusion of the race on Tuesday 3 June.
“As part of this process, the engine was sealed and subject to further mandatory examination at the conclusion of the Supertwin TT Race 2 on Friday 6 June.
“The Team were unable to produce the machine for the Technical Inspection within the required timeframe. Therefore, the competitor has been disqualified from the race result.”
The news means that Hodson, also a first time TT podium finisher for the SMT Racing team, finished the race in second behind Dunlop, while North West 200 class winner Paul Jordan is promoted to third, recording his second TT top-three finish.
