MORETON-IN-MARSH’S Wayne Lockey achieved two top-10 finishes in the prestigious Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.

Lockey teamed up with his Real Racing sidecar partner Mark Sayers for the event.

Lockey and his passenger Sayers were pleased with their efforts despite set-backs with the bike’s suspension, engine and the weather conditions.

Lockey made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2006 and this was his 11th attempt.

Last year saw Real Racing match their best ever finish, with an impressive sixth place out of 50 competitors.

The duo managed three practice laps before the first race this year which saw them enjoy good speed around the 37.73-mile course.

But the outfit seemed to be lagging a bit when it got to race day.

After a good second lap and then a hard third lap, the pair secured a 10th-placed finish.

However, Lockey appeared to be fighting with the bike and Sayers found the rear suspension a bit soft.

Adjustments were made in readiness for next practice and race.

After reading the data and checking the engine, the team decided to change the engine.

The first engine had struggled and a significant amount of oil burned out but there were no leaks and the team knew it was an internal issue.

However, Lockey still felt something was wrong with the engine in the practice before the second race.

He said: “We put everything into the engines this year, development and testing, so it was disappointing when all the hard work and travelling around doesn’t seem to pay off.”

The night before the second race, Lockey was told there was a problem with the fuel tins and that had led to air getting into the fuel which degraded it. The problem contributed to a lack of power in the engine.

After a fuel change, Lockey set off in 14th position because the qualifying time had been lower due to the power issues.

But that didn’t deter Lockey and Sayers from giving it their best shot.

After three gruelling laps, the pair brought the outfit home in ninth place. They were tired but safe and proud to still be in the top 10.

Real Racing’s next big event is The Southern 100 on July 11,12 and 13.

Lockey said: “We have an immense amount of work to do for our next big race of the year, but we will be there.”