DAREDEVIL granddad Wayne Bradley joined an exclusive club at this year’s Isle of Man TT races after breaking the six-second barrier in the Ramsey Sprint.

The Farnworth motorbike enthusiast became only the 13th man to go "sub-six" since 1987, when the timed drag race challenge moved to its current eighth-mile course on the Mooragh Promenade.

Bradley, aged 58, of Rawson Street, completed the sprint in 5.95 seconds, reaching a top speed of 128 miles per hour to secure victory in the street legal unlimited class and post the third-best time overall.

“It is one big adrenalin buzz – I am still coming down from it now,” said the engineer, who made his own modifications to his BMW 1000 RR bike.

“I can’t explain the feeling, to speed along at 130 miles per hour in front of 20,000 people. It is some rush.”

The Ramsey Sprint is a popular annual fixture in TT week. It is run on the front at Ramsey on the middle Tuesday, a rest day for the main round-the-island event.

Spectators decamp en masse to the Mooragh Promenade to create a unique atmosphere.

The event is open to anyone with a bike, amateurs as well as professionals.

There are 11 different classes – Bradley was competing in the unlimited CC section of the street legal category, which includes almost every kind of motorcycle, as long as it is taxed, insured and has an MOT and does not have a nitrous jet or turbo.

More than 300 race enthusiasts took part, including 50 in Bradley’s class, and entrants are able to go on an unlimited number of timed runs over the day.

“I think I had about seven runs,” said Bradley.

“It was a hot day, great conditions to go fast but pretty strenuous on the bike.

“My clutch went in the end, but I went under six seconds pretty early on.

“Once my race day was over I sat on the sidelines watching all the other guys try to beat my time.

“I beat Jimmy Fern (already a member of the sub-six club) by 100th of a second. He kept coming back trying to beat it but was getting slower and slower. All the guys were frying their clutches.”

Racing remains an “expensive hobby” for Bradley, who has two daughters and three grandchildren.

He is currently second in the UK ACU (amateur) Championships, which is held at the Santa Pod and Avon Park courses in Northampton and Stratford.

And despite being close to qualifying for a bus pass, Bradley says he has no plans to call it a day any time soon.

“My grandkids and daughters think it is great, they love cheering me on,” he said.

“It was a great feeling to finally go under six seconds at the Sprint. I have been going since the early 1990s and have had something like 19 wins.

“It is quite expensive to keep going and I have had a few years off recently because I couldn’t afford it, but after this I will definitely be coming back next year.”

Bradley was welcomed into the sub-six club by race organiser Trevor Duckworth, the first man to go under the barrier on the current course in 1995.

The 70-year-old said: “It is great to see Jap (Bradley’s nickname) come good. He is definitely one of the characters of the Sprint.”

Previous winner Paul Furlong posted the top time this year in the Superstreet class, finishing the course in 5.73secs.