- Dean Harrison took his first-ever Superbike TT victory
- Peter Hickman and Michael Dunlop completed the podium
- Kiwi rider Mitch Rees set a new personal best lap of 127.082mph
Dean Harrison finally added a Superbike TT win to his impressive Isle of Man TT résumé on Sunday, while New Zealand’s Mitch Rees continued his impressive Mountain Course progression with a new personal best lap.
Dean Harrison delivered a masterclass around the Isle of Man Mountain Course on Sunday afternoon, leading from start to finish to claim his maiden RST Superbike TT victory.
The Honda Racing UK rider was untouchable throughout the six-lap contest, eventually crossing the line 15.5 seconds ahead of Peter Hickman’s Monster Energy BMW Motorrad by 8TEN Racing machine, with Michael Dunlop completing the podium in third.
For Harrison, it was a landmark result.
Not only was it his first Superbike TT victory, but it also marked the sixth TT win of his career, placing him alongside legendary names including Geoff Duke, John Surtees and Jim Redman on the all-time winners list.
The victory also justified the pace Harrison had shown all week during qualifying, where he repeatedly topped the timesheets and set the fastest-ever opening qualifying lap around the Mountain Course.
Harrison Takes Control Early
Harrison wasted little time asserting his authority.
By Glen Helen on the opening lap, he already held a 4.8-second advantage over Dunlop, with Hickman a further half-second adrift in third.
As the race unfolded, Harrison continued to edge away sector by sector, posting a blistering opening lap of 134.892mph to establish a 12-second lead by the completion of lap one.
Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium positions quickly became one of the race’s major talking points.
Dunlop and Hickman traded mere tenths of a second throughout much of the contest, with the pair repeatedly swapping time advantages as pit stops and traffic played their part.
By half-race distance, Harrison’s advantage had grown to more than 28 seconds, while Hickman had finally edged ahead of Dunlop in the fight for second.
Although Harrison’s lead was trimmed slightly during the final lap, the result never appeared in doubt.
The Honda rider eventually eased home by 15.5 seconds after another superb final lap at 134.587mph.
Hickman claimed a strong runner-up finish on his return from injury, while Dunlop rounded out the podium just 12.4 seconds further back.
McGuinness Impresses Again
Another standout performance came from 23-time TT winner John McGuinness.
Racing a special Honda Racing UK Fireblade carrying a livery inspired by his first TT appearance in 1996, McGuinness spent much of the race battling Josh Brookes for fourth position.
Although Brookes eventually pulled away in the closing stages, McGuinness once again demonstrated his remarkable pace around the Mountain Course, taking fifth place with a fastest lap of 132.248mph.
At 53 years old, the Morecambe Missile continues to prove he remains one of the fastest riders ever to tackle the famous 37¾-mile circuit.
Kiwi Rees Continues To Build
While the front-runners battled for victory, there was also a significant milestone for New Zealand rider Mitch Rees.
The former New Zealand Superbike champion posted a new personal best lap of 127.082mph as he continues to build both confidence and speed around the Mountain Course.
Rees was one of several riders to record career-best laps during the race, but the result is another encouraging step forward for the Auckland rider as he gains valuable experience at the world’s most demanding road race.
With every lap around the Mountain Course, Rees is steadily closing the gap to some of road racing’s established names.
Jordan Joins The 130mph Club
There was another notable achievement lower down the order.
Northern Ireland’s Paul Jordan joined the exclusive 130mph club with a final-lap speed of 130.656mph, becoming one of only a select group of riders to have lapped the Mountain Course at more than 130mph.
Jordan rounded out the top ten behind Nathan Harrison and Mike Browne.
Top 10 Results – RST Superbike TT
- Dean Harrison (Honda Racing UK)
- Peter Hickman (BMW) +15.5s
- Michael Dunlop (Honda)
- Josh Brookes (Honda)
- John McGuinness (Honda)
- Ian Hutchinson (BMW)
- Jamie Coward (Honda)
- Nathan Harrison (Honda)
- Mike Browne (Honda)
- Paul Jordan (Honda)
Pics: Isle of Man TT
