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With impending high winds forecast, there was quite the rush on, to get the Monster Energy Supersport TT opener away.
Honda Racing UK’s Dean Harrison, got off to a flyer, moving almost five seconds ahead of pre-race favourite Michael Dunlop, by Ballaugh Bridge.
As lap one continued, Harrison, Supersport Race Two winner in 2018, sector by sector, was pulling gradually away from Dunlop aboard the rasping Milwaukee Ducati.
By the time opening lap proceedings finalised, Harrison (standing start lap-speed 127.888 mph) had a 7.841 second lead, with Dunlop in turn 10.379 in front of James Hillier (Bournemouth Kawasaki).
Davey Todd (My Coolman/Padgetts Honda) obtained fourth, 1.187 behind Hillier whilst fifth, sixth were two Michael’s, Evans (Smith Racing Triumph) and Browne (Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha).
No.1 plate carrier Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing Powered by Prosper Honda) was the highest profile retirement on lap one.
Harrison lost a bit of time in the pits to Dunlop, as competitors undertook their compulsory pit-stop.
By the time the race front runners reached Glen Helen, all that covered them was 6.413 seconds.
This gap reduced at Ballaugh, Ramsey, the Bungalow, Cronk ny Mona with Dunlop clearly on a potent charge.
With one lap to go, Dunlop had trimmed Harrison’s lead, to under three seconds, setting on lap two, the fastest ever Supersport lap, including a pit-stop.
Hillier, Todd remained third, fourth but were now largely out of the equation for race spoils.
Notable retirements across lap two included Michael Evans who’s top five finishing challenge concluded, same applied to Michael Browne who crashed out at Sulby Bridge, having ran straight on, (reported as ok).
Michal ‘Indi’ Dokoupil, Jorge Halliday joined Evans, Browne on the race retirements list.
Onto lap three and all eyes were fixated on Glen Helen. Dunlop on middleweight class lap-record breaking pace, got to within 0.886 of Harrison’s race-lead.
At Ballaugh, the race-lead was only one tenth of a second but this the race-leader, for the first time this afternoon was Dunlop.
Across Ballaugh to Ramsey, Dunlop had added 3.302 seconds to the gap over Harrison.
From here, ‘Maverick’ entered overdrive mode, pulling further ahead at the Bungalow, Cronk ny Mona.
He went onto the take race honours over Harrison (last lap – 128.688), by 10.229 seconds, setting within the third, last lap, the quickest ever lap for Ducati machinery around the fabled, other worldly Mountain Course (130.313).
Dunlop’s 30th TT success, seventh different manufacturer TT triumph, is additionally Ducati’s first TT win in thirty years! The Italian motorcycling giant last tasted TT success in 1995, when the late, great Robert Holden claimed Singles race victory.
Five-plate Hillier took third, his first TT podium finish since 2019, fifteenth overall.
He’s also now the only bike racer in history, to claim a TT podium and finish the Dakar Rally in the same year.
Superbike race winner Todd was fourth with Josh Brookes taking a gritty fifth place finish.
SMT Racing’s Rob Hodson secured sixth as Jim Hind, Dominic Herbertson, Ian Hutchinson, Conor Cummins, ended the race leader board top ten.
Photo credit: Mark Corlett, Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
Davey Todd (My Coolman/Padgetts Honda) obtained fourth, 1.187 behind Hillier whilst fifth, sixth were two Michael’s, Evans (Smith Racing Triumph) and Browne (Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha).
No.1 plate carrier Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing Powered by Prosper Honda) was the highest profile retirement on lap one.
Harrison lost a bit of time in the pits to Dunlop, as competitors undertook their compulsory pit-stop.
By the time the race front runners reached Glen Helen, all that covered them was 6.413 seconds.
This gap reduced at Ballaugh, Ramsey, the Bungalow, Cronk ny Mona with Dunlop clearly on a potent charge.
With one lap to go, Dunlop had trimmed Harrison’s lead, to under three seconds, setting on lap two, the fastest ever Supersport lap, including a pit-stop.
Hillier, Todd remained third, fourth but were now largely out of the equation for race spoils.
Notable retirements across lap two included Michael Evans who’s top five finishing challenge concluded, same applied to Michael Browne who crashed out at Sulby Bridge, having ran straight on, (reported as ok).
Michal ‘Indi’ Dokoupil, Jorge Halliday joined Evans, Browne on the race retirements list.
Onto lap three and all eyes were fixated on Glen Helen. Dunlop on middleweight class lap-record breaking pace, got to within 0.886 of Harrison’s race-lead.
At Ballaugh, the race-lead was only one tenth of a second but this the race-leader, for the first time this afternoon was Dunlop.
Across Ballaugh to Ramsey, Dunlop had added 3.302 seconds to the gap over Harrison.
From here, ‘Maverick’ entered overdrive mode, pulling further ahead at the Bungalow, Cronk ny Mona.
He went onto the take race honours over Harrison (last lap – 128.688), by 10.229 seconds, setting within the third, last lap, the quickest ever lap for Ducati machinery around the fabled, other worldly Mountain Course (130.313).
Dunlop’s 30th TT success, seventh different manufacturer TT triumph, is additionally Ducati’s first TT win in thirty years! The Italian motorcycling giant last tasted TT success in 1995, when the late, great Robert Holden claimed Singles race victory.
Five-plate Hillier took third, his first TT podium finish since 2019, fifteenth overall.
He’s also now the only bike racer in history, to claim a TT podium and finish the Dakar Rally in the same year.
Superbike race winner Todd was fourth with Josh Brookes taking a gritty fifth place finish.
SMT Racing’s Rob Hodson secured sixth as Jim Hind, Dominic Herbertson, Ian Hutchinson, Conor Cummins, ended the race leader board top ten.
Photo credit: Mark Corlett, Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
