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Just under 1 hour fifteen minutes after Peter Hickman’s simply sensational, record-breaking feats, attentions fell upon the second three-lap Carole Nash Super Twins race.
Could Michael Dunlop create another piece of TT history, becoming alongside his uncle Joey Dunlop, the joint most winning TT racer of all time?
Many were forecasting this but the Ballymoney racer knew the competition would be stern, fierce.
Lap 1:
Part one of Dunlop’s 26 TT wins mission was accomplished at Glen Helen, opening up a one second lead over BE/RK Racing’s Michael Browne.
At Ballaugh Bridge’s, Dunlop’s lead stretched to 3.353 seconds.
Early confirmed retirements were KTS Racing Powered by Steadplan’s Jamie Coward and PreZ Racing’s Paul Jordan.
Onto Ramsey Hairpin and Dunlop astride the SC Project Paton, added almost two seconds to the race-lead, moving 5.276 clear.
Then drama struck with Dunlop appearing to slow down. The race leader was out.
Dunlop’s demise enabled Southern Ireland’s speediest TT exponent Browne, to slot into first.
At lap one’s end, Browne was 11.645 ahead of outright lap record holder Hickman with third, fourth respectively, Josh Brookes and Pierre Yves Bian.
There was another notable retirement at the pits, in the form of Bathams Racing’s Michael Rutter.
Lap 2:
Post pit stops, Browne led Hickman by 12.193 seconds, were we about to crown a new TT winner?
Browne didn’t appear to be showing any nerves, as he stretched by Ballaugh Bridge his advantage to nigh-on fourteen seconds.
8 mph up on Hickman through the speed trap, Browne’s lead expanded at Ramsey Hairpin, the Bungalow and Cronk Ny Mona.
But then more drama, drama, drama, Browne was out with clutch problems.
Horrible luck for the quietly spoken Irishman, who clinched last year the Irish Road Race Supersport title.
Browne’s misfortune meant Hickman was now P1, Dominic Herbertson P2, VAS Engine Racing’s Yves Bian P3.
Lap 3:
Guess what another twist, Cowton Racing’s Herbertson retired before Ballaugh Bridge.
The battle was now firmly on for second between new second, third place holders 2021 IRRC Supersport Champion Yves Bian, Dafabet Racing’s Brookes.
Amidst all these twists, turns, unforeseen occurrences, Hickman aboard his own teams R7 Yamaha, looked in his usual, calm cool frame of mind.
Wheeling across the line, Hickman chalked up Super Twins TT triumph number two, TT success no.12, equalling the great Bruce Anstey.
Pierre Yves Bian held off fellow first TT podium finisher Josh Brookes, for a superb second place finish.
Italian roads hero Stefano Bonetti placed fourth, SMT Racing’s Rob Hodson banked fifth.
Barry Furber, Michael Evans joined Hodson in swooping up new personal best TT finishes of sixth, seventh.
Final positions within the top ten were attained by Francesco Curinga, Czech ace Michal Dokoupil and passionate racing all-rounder Michael Russell.
Remaining race finishers were Obsession Engineering’s Martin Morris (11th), Jonathan Goetschy (12th), Paul Cassidy (13th), Paul ‘Potchy’ Williams (14th), Gareth Arnold (15th), Slovakia’s quickest TT exponent Miroslav Sloboda (16th).
2016 Senior Manx GP winner Tom Weeden (17th), VRS Racing’s Pete Murray (18th), David Brook (19th), Masayuki Yamanaka (20th), Andy Hornby (21st), Jack Petrie (22nd) and pushing his bike across the finish line, Vinny Brennan (23rd).
Photo credit: Mark Corlett, Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
Then drama struck with Dunlop appearing to slow down. The race leader was out.
Dunlop’s demise enabled Southern Ireland’s speediest TT exponent Browne, to slot into first.
At lap one’s end, Browne was 11.645 ahead of outright lap record holder Hickman with third, fourth respectively, Josh Brookes and Pierre Yves Bian.
There was another notable retirement at the pits, in the form of Bathams Racing’s Michael Rutter.
Lap 2:
Post pit stops, Browne led Hickman by 12.193 seconds, were we about to crown a new TT winner?
Browne didn’t appear to be showing any nerves, as he stretched by Ballaugh Bridge his advantage to nigh-on fourteen seconds.
8 mph up on Hickman through the speed trap, Browne’s lead expanded at Ramsey Hairpin, the Bungalow and Cronk Ny Mona.
But then more drama, drama, drama, Browne was out with clutch problems.
Horrible luck for the quietly spoken Irishman, who clinched last year the Irish Road Race Supersport title.
Browne’s misfortune meant Hickman was now P1, Dominic Herbertson P2, VAS Engine Racing’s Yves Bian P3.
Lap 3:
Guess what another twist, Cowton Racing’s Herbertson retired before Ballaugh Bridge.
The battle was now firmly on for second between new second, third place holders 2021 IRRC Supersport Champion Yves Bian, Dafabet Racing’s Brookes.
Amidst all these twists, turns, unforeseen occurrences, Hickman aboard his own teams R7 Yamaha, looked in his usual, calm cool frame of mind.
Wheeling across the line, Hickman chalked up Super Twins TT triumph number two, TT success no.12, equalling the great Bruce Anstey.
Pierre Yves Bian held off fellow first TT podium finisher Josh Brookes, for a superb second place finish.
Italian roads hero Stefano Bonetti placed fourth, SMT Racing’s Rob Hodson banked fifth.
Barry Furber, Michael Evans joined Hodson in swooping up new personal best TT finishes of sixth, seventh.
Final positions within the top ten were attained by Francesco Curinga, Czech ace Michal Dokoupil and passionate racing all-rounder Michael Russell.
Remaining race finishers were Obsession Engineering’s Martin Morris (11th), Jonathan Goetschy (12th), Paul Cassidy (13th), Paul ‘Potchy’ Williams (14th), Gareth Arnold (15th), Slovakia’s quickest TT exponent Miroslav Sloboda (16th).
2016 Senior Manx GP winner Tom Weeden (17th), VRS Racing’s Pete Murray (18th), David Brook (19th), Masayuki Yamanaka (20th), Andy Hornby (21st), Jack Petrie (22nd) and pushing his bike across the finish line, Vinny Brennan (23rd).
Photo credit: Mark Corlett, Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou 
