Isle of Man TT qualifying underway after rain disrupted opening day
Qualifying at the Isle of Man TT has officially got underway, with riders reaching speeds of ___mph during the opening session.
It comes after the first day of the event was cancelled due to rain across the island, with doubts around weather conditions for the rest of the week.
Heavy overnight and morning rain gave way to sunny intervals, allowing for a full-length session on the Mountain Course.
All sessions were able to run this evening from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, giving riders the opportunity to test all motorbike classes.
Leading the field were last year's double victors Ryan and Callum Crowe, with the Manx duo tipped for top honours this year aboard their sidecar.
At 7:20pm, the Supersport and Supertwin session started, with most front-runners opting to go out first on their Supersport machines.
Among them Dean Harrison (Honda Racing), Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgett's Motorcycles Honda), James Hillier (Bournemouth Kawasaki), Josh Brookes (Jackson Racing powered by Prosper2 Honda), and Ian Hutchinson (MLav Racing Yamaha). Two notable exceptions from the 'big four' were Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman, who chose different paths.
Dunlop led the session away on his MD Racing Paton, joined by Mike Browne (Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha), who quickly pulled ahead and led on the road.
The evening concluded at 8:15pm with a 35-minute Superbike and Superstock session, giving riders a chance to complete two more laps of the Mountain Course.
Brookes and Hind led the charge, followed by David Johnson (Platinum Club Racing Kawasaki), Jordan, Hillier (Muc-Off Racing Honda), and Phil Crowe (Crowe Performance BMW). Dunlop was out on his MD Racing BMW Superbike, while Hickman initially ran the Monster Energy by 8TEN Racing Superstock BMW.
Qualifying continues until Friday 30 May, before racing begins on Saturday 31 running through to Saturday 7 June.
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Belfast Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Michael Dunlop: I've put Ducati ‘back on top' after securing 32nd Isle of Man TT win
It was the Northern Ireland rider's 32nd victory around the Mountain Course and his third this week, with Dunlop also winning the first Supertwin race on Tuesday evening on his Paton. The 36-year-old has been unbeatable in the Supersport class since 2022, winning eight races in a row. He took something of a gamble this year after making the switch to an Italian Ducati Panigale V2 machine following six consecutive wins on his trusty MD Racing Yamaha. However, the move paid off and Dunlop won both races in style to make it 15 Supersport victories in total at the TT. He took control of the four-lap race from the off and led at every sector on each lap, extending his advantage throughout to win by 26.181s from Dean Harrison (Honda Racing UK), with Davey Todd taking third on the Milenco by Padgett's Honda, almost 16 seconds back. 'It wasn't so bad,' said Dunlop, whose Ducati wins were the manufacturer's first at the TT since Rob Holden's Singles victory in 1995. 'It was going to be difficult, I knew Dean was going to come out the blocks, but I sort of got my act together at the start of the race. 'I was right at the front at the start so I gave myself a little bit less work to do. 'We had a bit of a nervy pit stop, she wouldn't fire again. But the bike was mint – thanks to all the team, they worked late last night to get it going and fair play to them. It was great. 'I'd just like to thank the team and the sponsors – it's not possible without them,' added Dunlop, who recorded the fastest lap of the race on the Milwaukee Ducati on the second lap at 129.297mph. 'Obviously for Ducati as well, it's nice to be back on top and doing the double again.' Dunlop said he had a small issue with the front of the machine but it wasn't enough to jeopardise his march to a record-extending 32nd TT win. 'We had a wee bit of a front end issue,' he said. 'But I knew what we were going to try, which was going to sort of work, and it was windy out there so I didn't know if it was a wind thing. 'But we just kept going, and happy to do the double for the Ducati team, for my own team, and for everybody else.' Runner-up Harrison didn't make his customary fast start but felt Dunlop was always going to be difficult to beat on the Ducati. 'I didn't get the best of starts to be fair, not my normal fast start,' he said. 'I was a bit steady from the start, and so I read my pit boards and I knew that Michael was going to be the man to beat today. 'I just wasn't sure who the battle was going to be with for second. So I got stuck in a bit, just watching my pit boards through the whole race, really.' Paul Jordan from Magherafelt enjoyed a strong run to fourth on the Jackson Racing Honda, with James Hind (North Lincs Components Suzuki) and Jordan's team-mate Josh Brookes finalising the first six. Jordan, who set his best Supersport lap at 126.358mph, said: 'I'm over the moon with the fourth-place finish today as well as the 126mph laps as it was tough conditions out there. 'The wind was pretty strong, which meant it was easy to catch you out, but I simply rode as hard as I could right from the drop of the flag. 'I just kept pushing as hard as I could, so to finish fourth is great, and with Josh in sixth it's been a good day for the team.' James Hillier was holding third on the second lap when he was forced out with an issue with his Bournemouth Kawasaki. Thursday's Sidecar race was postponed because of wet weather and is now due to be run on Friday, when the second Superstock and Supertwin races are also scheduled. There is no racing on Thursday at the TT, which is a rest day for competitors and teams.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Isle of Man TT fans from Florida marshal after being 'recruited' on ferry
A couple on a "bucket list" trip to the Isle of Man TT from their home in the United States said they ended up marshalling at the event after being "recruited" while on the ferry and Cindy Wilkerson, from Florida, said they could not pass up the opportunity after speaking other volunteers on the crossing from as the orange army, a minimum of 563 volunteers are needed around the 37.7mile (61km) course before any practice or race session can go Wilkerson said: "They were recruiting for marshals and they signed us up, and now we've done five sessions and we're really enjoying it." "You do get a front row to the action but it's also being helpful."Mr Wilkerson said he first heard about the TT about a decade ago watching videos of 23-time TT winner John McGuinness on YouTube and had been keen to see it in person."We've just been watching and watching and watching, so this year here we are," he pair marshalled on the Sulby Straight for their second session, where riders can reach speeds of up to 200mph (321km/h)."It was insane speed. They go by so fast I couldn't even see the numbers on the bikes."The pair, who have been married for more than 30 years, also planned to renew their wedding vows during their Wilkerson said they bought a new ring in Peel and planned to exchange vows at Castle Rushen in Castletown before the end of their stay. But the American couple are not the only motorcycle enthusiasts who have travelled a significant distance to be part of the event. Craig Johnston from Sydney first came to the TT in 2007 for the event's centenary year as a witnessing the action first hand he said he knew he had "to come back and be a marshal".He said he had since made "some great friends" who he had "only met through marshalling". A former motorbike competitor in his homeland himself, he said the Isle of Man TT was "so unique"."The community welcomes you and appreciates you, the racing itself is spectacular," he added. Wolfgang Dohnalek, from Herford in Germany, is on the island marshalling for the third time. He said: "It's so amazing, you meet a lot of friends and we have a good time over here, so I must come back every year."The TT fan said he felt compelled to marshal at the event that gave him "so much", so that he could "give a little bit back"."To be a part of this great family, they call it the orange army, I do it with heart," he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Dunlop continues Supersport dominance with 32nd TT win
Michael Dunlop continued his dominance of the Supersport category at the Isle of Man TT by taking victory in Wednesday's delayed race two in the class for this third win of the success in the four-lapper took the Northern Ireland rider's overall tally of career wins at the event to an all-time record-extending had an advantage of 26.1 seconds over runner-up Dean Harrison by the end of the race, with Davey Todd a further 15.8 seconds adrift in 36-year-old has now won 15 Supersport TT races, including the last eight in a row, courtesy of four consecutive doubles between 2022 and county Antrim rider had given Italian marque Ducati their first TT win for 30 years was first in Monday's opening Supersport outing, a triumph which was also notable for being the seventh different manufacturer on which Dunlop had achieved success over the 37-73-mile Mountain Course."The wee bike [Ducati Panigale V2] is mint and it never missed a beat," a delighted Dunlop told Radio TT after the race."We buy our own bikes and choose our own manufacturers and winning races is what I'm here to do so I'm happy. To be in the 30s bracket is great."It's nice for Ducati too, nice for them for them to be back at the top again, so I'm happy to do the double for them." Dunlop in charge from the off Wednesday's race started two and a quarter hours later than originally scheduled because of weather problems, a road traffic accident and a non-racing related medical emergency but when the action did begin, it was Dunlop who immediately headed the timings in the windy a primarily yellow livery in recognition of one of Ducati's preferred colours, in addition to their more customary red, Dunlop found it hard to shake off the challenge of Harrison and Todd on their respective Hondas on lap one, the margin of his lead the end of the opening circuit, he had 1.9 seconds to spare over Harrison, with James Hillier moving into third, before the Hampshire rider retired on the second gradually extended his advantage thereafter, enjoying a lead of 15.9 seconds after his second circuit and increasing that to 21.5 seconds by the end of lap three and then by a further 4.5 fastest lap of the race, 129.297mph on lap two, was marginally slower than the 130.313 he managed in race one, due largely to the breezy also won Supertwins race one on Tuesday, the TT wins record holder will have opportunities to secure a fifth four-timer of his TT career when he takes in the second Superstock and Supertwins races on Friday and the blue riband event of the meeting, the Senior TT, on Harrison, who took his fourth podium of the week, and Todd, Paul Jordan finished fourth, James Hind fifth and Josh Brookes the other solo races held so far this week, Davey Todd took his third TT success by winning the Superbike event and Dean Harrison secured his fourth victory and his first for six years by coming out on top in Superstock race one, giving Honda a first triumph in that class since 2013 and ending the domination of BMW, who had won the previous eight editions from 2016 onwards. Supersport race two result 1 Michael Dunlop2 Dean Harrison3 Davey Todd4 Paul Jordan5 James Hind6 Josh Brookes7 Mike Browne8 Dominic Herbertson
