By As the article headline states, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Superbike race, kept trackside fans on the edge of their seats.
8TEN Racing’s Peter Hickman, hole-shot attainer Russell Racing’s Michael Browne, Honda Racing UK’s Dean Harrison remained locked together throughout an action packed seven-lap race. With two laps to go, below 0.6 of a second, covered the top three.
Lap six would see Harrison pass Browne for second at Ballabeg, bank a new race lap-record of 2 minutes 10.885 seconds, as he homed in on race-leader, quickest Motor Isle Billown course newcomer in history, Hickman, who was also inside the previous existing race lap-record.
Onto the seventh and final lap and at Cross Four-Ways, Harrison made the crucial move to the front, which he maintained till the race’s finalisation, winning by 0.942 over fourteen times TT winner Hickman, to make it 28 S100 wins overall.
Third place finisher Browne, setting a huge new personal best S100 lap-time (2.11.790) illustrated again his ability to more than take it to roads scene royalty.
Nathan Harrison (H&H Motorcycles -Honda) was fourth whilst Michael Dunlop MBE fifth (MD Racing/Hawk Racing – Honda), completed his first race of this year’s Southern 100.
Opening Lightweight race winner Joe Yeardsley placed sixth with P7 to P10 result achievements, respectively collected by Conor Cummins (Conrod Motorsport – BMW), Rob Hodson (SMT Racing – Honda), Marcus Simpson (WH Racing – Honda) and Jonathan Perry (Gordon Huxley Racing – Honda).
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
