Ilkeston motorcycle racer Owen Monaghan has secured his best-ever Manx Grand Prix result after finishing fifth in the Supersport race on the Isle of Man.
Monaghan enjoyed an impressive day on the famous Mountain Course on Saturday (August 22), recording two top-ten finishes across the Sportbike and Supersport races.
His standout result came in the Glover Law Supersport Manx Grand Prix, where he brought his Suzuki GSXR750 home in fifth place – his highest finishing position at the event to date.
The race was won by Johnny Stewart, with Graham McAleese second and Eddy Wormald completing the podium.
Andrew Farrell finished fourth, with Monaghan taking fifth and Liam Chawke completing the top six.
Earlier in the day, the Ilkeston rider had also produced a strong performance in the Road Racing News Sportbike race, finishing eighth aboard an Aprilia RS660.
Strong week on the Mountain Course
Monaghan had already shown impressive pace during qualifying.
On Thursday he completed a Supersport lap of the 37.73-mile Mountain Course in 19 minutes 22.943 seconds, at an average speed of 116.797mph.
His official Manx Grand Prix rider record now lists a fastest speed of 116.829mph, achieved in the 2026 Supersport event.
The fifth-place finish continues an impressive progression at the Manx Grand Prix for Monaghan, who first competed at the event in 2023.
His previous results include 11th place in the 2024 Junior race, while in 2025 he recorded three top-15 finishes – 13th in the Junior and 14th in both the Supertwin and Senior races.
Following Saturday’s results, his Manx Grand Prix record stands at 10 races across four seasons, with seven Silver and three Bronze Replicas.
Road to the TT
The Ilkeston racer has an even bigger target ahead.
Monaghan has made no secret of his ambition to progress to the Isle of Man TT in 2027, describing his current racing programme as his “Road to the TT”.
Away from racing, he works for motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield and spends much of his spare time racing, working on bikes and making custom parts.
His racing career has already included success on English circuits and at the Pre-TT Classic before his progression onto the Mountain Course.
This year’s fifth-place Manx Grand Prix finish represents another significant step forward as he works towards his TT ambition.
Monaghan had plenty of support from home during the event, with a number of people from Ilkeston making the journey across to the Isle of Man to cheer him on.
Congratulations to Owen on a fantastic result from everyone at Ilkeston News.