By Michael Dunlop MBE expanded the TT wins record this afternoon, to 34, after another powerful display of Mountain Course riding within the delayed to 3:00 PM start Monster Energy Supersport race curtain raiser.
Honda Racing UK’s Dean Harrison made the sprightliest start in mixed, damp conditions, leading at Glen Helen, Ballaugh Bridge, Ramsey, the Bungalow, Cronk ny Mona on lap one.
As lap one finalised though, Dunlop MBE astride the MD Racing/Scars Racing Ducati, had taken the lead, by the narrowest of margins, 0.127 of a second.
Early race retirements included AJ Venter (fuel-cap coming loose), Maurizio Bottalico and Kevin Keyes.
Fastest during the mandatory pit-stops, Dunlop MBE sprinted away from Harrison on lap two, ending the lap 12.556 ahead.
By the third, final lap’s conclusion, the Ballymoney rider was 24.470 seconds to the good out front over Harrison, sealing in forthright fashion, a 53rd TT podium finish and TT victory no.34.
Harrison second, moved jointly alongside Bruce Anstey on 37 TT rostrum attainments.
Peter Hickman (Swan Racing/PHR Performance Triumph) capped off the podium, after reeling in long term third place occupier, Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing Powered by Prosper2 Ducati).
Josh Brookes (Uggly & Co Racing – Suzuki) placed 18.542 behind Jordan, KTS Macadam Triumph Factory Racing’s Dominic Herbertson took sixth with the remainder of the top ten wrapped up by Jamie Coward (Rapid Honda with DriveLife), Shaun Anderson (Stanford Racing – Suzuki).
Ian Hutchinson (BE/RK Racing – Ducati) and Michael Browne (Boyce Precision Engineering/Russell Racing – Yamaha), hampered by a thirty second pit-lane speeding penalty.
Eleventh to fifteenth were David Johnson (CD Racing Kawasaki), Conor Cummins (NLC – Suzuki) who joined Browne in gaining a thirty-second pit-lane speeding penalty, Mitch Rees (My Coolman Honda), Nathan Harrison (H&H Motorcycles Honda) and former Senior Manx Grand Prix victor Michael Evans.
Post Race Reaction:
Dean Harrison:
“I like riding the little 600, its great fun, ride the bike every week in British Championship, so know the bike quite well.
My aim today was podium, that’s were I wanted to be, so to get second is a good result for us I think.”
Peter Hickman:
“I was P5 at one point, just the conditions were not so good for me, I’m not that keen in those sort of conditions anyway and then obviously it’s no secret I’m not exactly on form at the minute.
So, that does not help, the two negatives, unfortunately pulls us back quite a bit, but happy to have overcome that towards the end of the race and managed to get ourselves up on the podium, great for Swan, great for Triumph, great for the PHR Performance team, so happy enough.”
TT 2026 – Monster Energy Supersport Race Opener Result:
1st – Michael Dunlop MBE
2nd – Dean Harrison
3rd – Peter Hickman
4th – Paul Jordan
5th – Josh Brookes
6th – Dominic Herbertson
7th – Jamie Coward
8th – Shaun Anderson
9th – Ian Hutchinson
10th – Michael Browne
11th – David Johnson
12th – Conor Cummins
13th – Mitch Rees
14th – Nathan Harrison
15th – Michael Evans
16th – Joe Yeardsley
17th – Michael Russell
18th – Jamie Cringle
19th – Barry Furber
20th – Pierre-Yves Bian
21st – Julian Trummer
22nd – Erno Kostamo
23rd – Brian McCormack
24th – Rhys Hardisty
25th – Marcus Simpson
26th – Toby Shann
27th – Ryan Whitehall
28th – James Chawke
29th – David Datzer
30th – Timothee Monot
31st – Dan Forbes
32nd – Loris Majcan
33rd – Tom Weeden
34th – Barry Burrell
35th – Jack Fowler
36th – Ryan Garside
37th – Sam Johnson
38th – Mike Mace
39th – Amalric Blanc
40th – Jorge Halliday
41st – Martin Morris
42nd – Craig Szczypek
Photo credit: Mark Corlett, Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
