By Milwaukee BMW’s Davey Todd, joined a specified group of riders to have retained the Southern 100 Solo Championship title, following an intense, gripping nine lap battle with Michael Dunlop.
Second on the grid, Senior TT winner Todd made the rapidest start whilst Hawk Racing’s Dunlop, winner of the prior morning, afternoon Senior, Supersport Challenge races, made a more modest opening to competition proceedings.
It didn’t take long though for ‘MD’ to get into the groove though, by lap two’s ending he was firmly taking the challenge to Todd.
As lap three, came to-a close, the pre-race favourites remained close together with 25 times S100 winner Dean Harrison aboard his own Superstock Honda, keeping pace.
Laps four, five saw Oliver’s Mount Scarborough lap-record holder Harrison scale down the gap to Todd, Dunlop as the top three were covered by below 0.9 of a second.
The next two circulations of Billown would see Harrison’s race winning pursuit, largely de-railed thanks to an uptake in speed from 31 times TT winners’ combined Todd and Dunlop.
On lap eight, Dunlop who’s TT 2024 achievements are to be toasted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, pocketed a new S100 racing PB lap-speed, the races’ new fastest lap, lapping at 116.743 mph, (2 minutes 11.057 seconds).
Despite this fact, he was still behind National Superstock 1000 Championship leader Todd.
You knew, drama, heroics would arise on the ninth, final lap and this firmly came to pass, with the pair grinding the most out of their racing acumen in pursuit of race honours.
On the run up to Stadium, Dunlop made his move but soon after Todd struck back and with his main competitor making a slight error (at Castletown Corner), had a clear run to the chequered flag.
Post race a joyous Todd stated that for this year’s S100 he was aboard a completely brand-new motorcycle prepared by TAS Racing, which hadn’t raced until the ‘Friendly Races’.
Dunlop second (3.123 seconds behind Todd) fairly-pragmatic in defeat, revealed forthrightly that he would not be tackling later this month the Armoy Road Races but is Manx Grand Prix bound in August.
An over the moon Harrison (Dean) joined Dunlop, Todd on the rostrum whilst KTS Racing Powered by Steadplan’s Jamie Coward produced another composed, accomplished display on route to fourth.
Sealing finishes fifth to tenth were Honda Racing UK’s Nathan Harrison, Dominic Herbertson, Super Twins winner x2 Rob Hodson, Amalric Blanc, top newcomer, 2022 Macau Grand Prix victor Erno Kostamo and Wilmslow’s Sam West.
Six more racers completed full race-distance, Jonathan Perry (11th), Matt Stevenson (12th), Ryan Whitehall (13th), Barry Furber (14th), Adrian Kershaw (15th) and Jamie Williams (16th).
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
