Barry Kinley won the Manx National Two Day Trial for the third time in 10 years amidst some of the hottest conditions in the 70-year history of the event.

There was an extremely close finish between him and fellow local Chris Madigan, with only a single dab separating them after 72 observed sections over the two days.

Riding a new Honda-Montesa 4RT, Kinley’s success is only the second rider of a four-stroke to win since Nick Jefferies back in 1976 on the works 306cc Honda. The other was Graham Jarvis on a four-stroke 320cc Sherco in 2007 and 2008.

Conditions were good for the four-stroke at the weekend, being generally dry underfoot. Kinley completed Saturday for a single dab on the last section at Pooilvaaish, where all the other leading experts rode clean strangely enough.

Madigan was second on the 300 Gas Gas, dropping seven - consisting of two dabs, a single two and a three on section 15, the last at Ballarock.

Third overnight was Ben Butterworth of Darwen on nine, then 2023/2024 winner Tom Swindlehurst of the Lake District on the Birkett Scorpa with 15.

Juan Knight, a multiple podium finisher and winner in 2015, had a disastrous start when fiving the opening section of the trial on the Gasworks steps in Douglas, nicking the bricks holding the wire flags.

He doubled his score with another fail (again hitting a flag) on the first at Knock Froy, with a third on the last at South Barrule (the tight gulley within the plantation), ably marked by 14-year-old youth rider Lily Butterworth and her father.

This put Knight seventh overnight and effectively out of it. Next of the locals were Owen Chestnut in 11th and Aaron Molyneux a handful of marks behind in 13th.

The considerably larger field of clubmen rode slightly easier versions of the same sections, with the odd exception.

Two-day veteran Darren Wasley of Sheffield cleaned all 36 sections on day one aboard his 300 TRS, but fellow regular Kiaran Hankin of Darwen wasn’t far adrift on five with the Montesa 4RT.

Best of the locals here was Corey Peters, third on six - the same score as Sam Medcalfe of Westmorland - but 16-year-old Liam Barker was having a stormer on his 125 Beta to hold onto fifth with a loss of eight. This despite the motor ‘nipping up’ on the road in the heat.

Conditions were much the same on Sunday, with the exception of a stronger breeze on the northern hills. The going was a tad tougher, particularly at Ballure Plantation where overall leader Kinley suffered his biggest losses of the weekend with a three on section one in the trees and his only five on number four in a stream. ‘I got off line and had a dab, but my foot slipped and I ended up on my side,’ he explained.

‘Chris Madigan was riding a little bit behind me on Sunday and I didn’t realise how close it was on marks.’

Having earlier required a dab to maintain forward motion on the muddy section at Ellanbane near Glen Duff, observed by former Manx Two-Day clerk of the course Phil Ward, Kinley maintained his composure to ride the remaining sections for a lone dab at Slieu Ouyr Gulley just off the Clarum/Glen Mona track.

The 44-year-old car sprayer and panel beater from Andreas finished on 11 for the trial.

Ballagarey man Madigan had a really strong day. He and Butterworth each one’d the last of three sections at West Baldwin Bridge but Madigan then went clean until the last at Tholt-y-Will Quarry. A three at Ellanbane was replicated by many of the experts, but only bettered by Kinley’s one.

That was the last that Madigan dropped, so with Kinley losing eight at Ballure it made for a nervous finale all-round. One mistake by Kinley could have swung the result in Madigan’s favour, but he was not to be denied a third win to add to back-to-back successes in 2016 and 2017. Madigan was also runner-up in 2023.

The two Manxmen were comfortably clear of Butterworth in third on 21, who very nearly got ousted from third place by Swindlehurst in the mid-part of day two. At the close, they were also only one mark apart.

Joseph Collins was fifth on the John Lee Beta, with Knight salvaging sixth after such a poor start.

The best solo newcomer was Ryan Dalton of Weardale in eighth spot, on the same marks as his brother William.

Chestnut finished up 11th on 66, Molyneux 14th on 91, followed by Craig Norrey (15th), Stan Cubbon (18th) on the 125 TRS and enduro rider Max Ingham (19th).

Wasley, one of the oldest and most experienced riders in the trial, dropped nine marks on Sunday, including a five at Ellanbane and a three at Ballure to finish on nine for the trial - five clear of Medcalfe who, similar to expert runner-up Madigan, avoided a five all weekend.

Resident Cumbrian Nigel Sharp moved up from seventh overnight to finish third on 16, edging out Hankin by one mark.

Peters dropped a couple of places to fifth on 22, while young Barker came home from the presentation with the Hugh Kelly Cup for the best clubman newcomer and the Bridge Car and Motorcycle Tuition Trophy for the best Manx Clubman newcomer. He finished sixth on 29.

Other locals receiving first class awards were Robin Arnold (14th), Jack Christian (15th), fellow teenager Summer Peters (21st) and former Peveril MCC chairman Gaz Temple (23rd). Summer also received the Sykes Bowl for the best performance by a female in the Clubman class.