By Over one minute inside the previous existing race record, Michael Dunlop MBE rocketed to F1 race victory, his fourth yesteryear Superbike Classic TT capture.
Mikey Browne (Electrical Van Company – Kawasaki) commanded opening lap proceedings, moving four seconds (4.025 to be exact) in front of Dunlop MBE.
Dunlop MBE then acquired the P1 initiative from qualifying week pace setter Browne, post sterling efforts from his team in the pits.
Once attaining first, the TT wins record-holder went into overdrive mode, expanding sector on sector his race-lead.
The third, final lap saw Dunlop MBE closely followed by new second place carrier Jamie Coward (Greenall Racing – Kawasaki), significantly up the ante.
At one stage on course for a 130-mph lap, which he considers possible, his lap three lap speed was 129.078 mph, a new Classic SBK lap-record and new lap-record overall for the Classic TT Races.
Dunlop MBE’s race winning margin, stood at 20.579 seconds over four times TT Privateers Champion Coward, who also prominently bettered the prior all-time-record category lap-speed (final lap – lap speed – 128.712 mph).
Lap one leader Browne finished third, 6.945 behind Coward whilst fourth place finisher Nathan Harrison (Greenall Racing – Kawasaki), joined Dunlop MBE and Coward in beating Bruce Anstey’s long standing record yesteryear SBK turn of pace (final lap – lap speed – 127.692 mph).
Fifth to ninth place finishers were all ZXR 750 Kawasaki propelled, David Johnson, Michael Sweeney, TC Racing’s Julian Trummer, Joe Yeardsley and Paul ‘Potchy’ Williams.
TT Privateers Champion Barry Furber hauled the final top ten leaderboard position.
There were twenty-three finishers in total, fourteen race retirements, including opening qualifying session leader Shaun Anderson, Dominic Herbertson, Rob Hodson, Peter Hickman, and Brian McCormack following a Greeba Castle located incident, wishing the Faugheen 50 Sprint king a swift and speedy recovery.
Post Race Reaction:
Greenall Racing’s Jamie Coward:
“I felt good in practice, I felt like not sand bagging, but I-felt I had a-lot more time in places that I could make up. I was hoping that he might not be able to see me because I knew he would use me as a carrot to catch me, once he came past, that last lap managed to follow him and learnt a few things, try and put that into practice for the next race.”
“If I can take them little nuggets I learnt from him and put into them practice for the next race, should be able to go a little bit faster and hopefully he might not be able to see me, but we’ll see.
Will sit down with the guys at Greenall Racing and make a bit of a plan, decide what direction we want to go in, few little areas, can’t thank the Greenall Racing team enough for putting their faith and trust in me to ride their bike, is absolutely awesome, really enjoy working with them to be fair, so thank you to them.”
2026 F1 Classic TT – Race Result:
1st – Michael Dunlop MBE
2nd – Jamie Coward
3rd – Michael Browne
4th – Nathan Harrison
5th – David Johnson
6th – Michael Sweeney
7th – Julian Trummer
8th – Joe Yeardsley
9th – Paul ‘Potchy’ Williams
10th – Barry Furber
11th – Joey Thompson
12th – Kevin Keyes
13th – Michael Evans
14th – Paul Cassidy
15th – Rhys Hardisty
16th – Chris Moore
17th – Rad Hughes
18th – Jorge Halliday
19th – Andy Hornby
20th – Rodger Wibberley
21st – Noel Carroll
22nd – Kieran Brockie
23rd – Stuart Clotworthy
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
