No matter occurs for the remainder of the week, Michael Dunlop will depart the Isle of Man as essentially the most profitable rider ever on the TT after beating his late uncle Joey’s record of 26 victories.
As of Friday 7 June, previous to racing getting below means, Dunlop sits on 27 wins after scoring victories within the first Supersport and first Supertwin contests. There’s a probability he might finish the week on 30.
He’s not had all of it his personal means although. Visor points robbed him of a victory within the Superbike TT, with Peter Hickman coming by for a 14th profession win, whereas Davey Todd took the spoils in a tense Superstock 1 occasion on Thursday 6 June.
In final 23 TT solo races held, simply two of them have been gained by somebody aside from Dunlop, Hickman or Dean Harrison. One is Lee Johnston (Supersport) in 2019 and Todd (Superstock) in 2024 is the opposite.
In all however the Supersport and Supertwin race up to now, the quartet of Dunlop, Hickman, Harrison and Todd have been the highest 4 (although Dunlop/Todd/Harrison had been the highest three in Supersport and Dunlop/Hickman high two in Supertwin). And they’re a reduce above the remaining proper now, particularly on the massive Superstock and Superbike equipment.
Within the Superbike race, that foursome was the one one to breach the 135mph lap barrier within the six-lap contest.
2024 Isle of Man TT Superbike TT high 5
1. Peter Hickman, BMW – 135.534mph
2. Davey Todd, BMW – 135.664mph
3. Dean Harrison, Honda – 135.185mph
4. Michael Dunlop, Honda – 135.970mph (race class lap report)
5. James Hillier, Honda – 132.441mph
The 135mph barrier was damaged by Hickman on the final lap of a wide ranging Senior TT finale in 2018. Now 4 riders have formally clocked it.
Davey Todd, Michael Dunlop Superbike TT 2024
Picture by: Pacemaker Press / iomttraces press
The outright lap report, set by Hickman on a Superstock bike final 12 months, stands at 136.358mph. With a clearer run of climate, that would effectively have been below risk this 12 months. And whereas it’s attainable we might see it damaged within the remaining few days of TT 2024, it appears unlikely at this price.
2024 Isle of Man TT Superstock 1 high 5
1. Davey Todd, BMW – 135.092mph
2. Peter Hickman, BMW – 135.140mph
3. Michael Dunlop, Honda – 133.733mph
4. Dean Harrison, Honda – 133.835mph
5. James Hillier, Honda – 131.684mph
Whereas Dunlop and Harrison weren’t fairly on the identical tempo as the highest two within the first Superstock race, it’s nonetheless evident that the extent they’re working at isolates them nonetheless from the chasing pack.
Don’t look upon that as disparaging in the direction of the competitors. Hillier, a 14-time TT podium finisher and a race winner within the Supertwin class, has been going strongly at TT 2024 aboard the WTF-run Honda within the large bike class. And 23-time TT winner John McGuinness has been going sooner than ever on his Honda as a constant high six risk.
The extent on the high is certainly not indicative of a weak discipline. Removed from it. One rider capable of supply an perception into why the ‘large 4’ are so quick is FHO Racing’s Josh Brookes, team-mate to Hickman.
Double British Superbike champion Brookes, who has been racing on and off on the TT since 2013, has been a high six risk for plenty of years and completed on the rostrum in Supertwins in 2023. However he has had an unlucky 2024 occasion up to now.
A snapped chain pressured him out of the Superbike race early, whereas a difficulty within the pits stopped him from advancing on a distant eleventh. However Brookes, two years again after a four-year hiatus beforehand, has been displaying flashes of nice pace on his FHO-run BMW Superbike and Superstock bike.
Brookes fired in a 131.5mph lap within the Superstock race, and clocked a 132.438mph effort as his greatest on the Superbike by qualifying week (although he tells Autosport that, unofficially, his workforce’s knowledge registered 133mph laps on each his Superbike and Superstock bikes).
Josh Brookes Superbike TT 2024
Picture by: Pacemaker Press / iomttraces press
For the Australian, the distinction is being made by ‘the massive 4’ by the sooner sections, the place maximising lap time comes from going hedge-to-kerb-to-hedge once more. For him, that’s a matter of expertise as a result of they’re leaving no margin for error.
“It’s simply by principally a variety of quick corners the place the bike is off form and arduous to carry onto,” Brookes tells Autosport. “It’s essential to use actually from the hedge of the left over the kerb on the proper and again over to the hedge on the left on the way in which out, and vice versa.
“The place I’m leaving a metre or so, once I make errors I’ve to have a buffer as a result of I’m nonetheless in that studying section. I’m making an attempt to hurry up the training course of, however I’ve nonetheless bought to anticipate to have the ability to make errors every now and then. So, if I used to be to journey from hedge to apex to move once more whereas making an attempt to study at a more moderen, increased pace, there wouldn’t be any room for error.
“You noticed the opposite day I made a mistake and was pressured to go to the kerb [Brookes hopped a kerb going through Kirk Michael in practice]. That’s fortunate in that state of affairs there was a kerb to go to. It additionally wasn’t the quickest nook on the monitor. Clearly, it was a mistake, however I need to reside by it. So, I would like to simply accept that there’s going to be components on the monitor the place they’ll be faster.
“It’s simply going to take time earlier than I can use the monitor to its full potential. There’s the information from Hicky, so I can see what I must do and the place I must do it. It’s not prefer it’s a thriller, it’s simply actually a studying course of. There’s no strategy to study a quick monitor with out being right here and racing. Sadly, I’m dictated by the legal guidelines of physics and human adaptability. So I’ve simply bought to study it on the pace my physique and thoughts and eyes and sensations will enable.”
Brookes believes he could be in that podium hunt if he can get one other successive 12 months below his belt, and his occasions at present recommend that’s positively sensible for the previous quickest newcomer.
“I’ve solely ever executed two years in a row. I did 2013 and 2014, after which I had two years off,” he provides. “Then I did 2017 and 2018 after which I had 5 years off. And now that is my second 12 months again. Yearly has been a development, yearly I’ve come again I’ve gone faster than the 12 months earlier than, regardless that there’s been a number of years in between.
“However yearly I’ve gone faster and I’ve executed the identical factor once more this 12 months. I’m nonetheless progressing. With the pace that the likes of the highest lads, with Hicky being there yearly for the final 10 years or so, Harrison even longer and Dunlop even longer once more, for me to try to compete with these guys I must at the least have a couple of years in succession – at the least three years. If I come again subsequent 12 months, I can see myself being a contender, however in the mean time it’s nonetheless a piece in progress.”