Milwaukee Yamaha’s Michael Dunlop will start both the 2015 Superbike and Senior TT races from number three, meaning he has only 20 seconds to make himself leader on the roads and have clear run.
But in the way will be Honda Racing’s John McGuinness, the 21-times TT race winner now back to full fitness, as he will lead the field off at number 1. He will be eager to reclaim his King of the Mountain title from Michael Dunlop, whose eight wins in the last two years have seen him rightfully grab the headlines.
Dunlop goes off third with James Hillier, another member of the 131mph club, sandwiched between them on the Quattro Plant Bournemouth Kawasaki.
Bruce Anstey, the current outright lap record holder, will start from his customary number five position. The Kiwi is again on the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Honda and will have that elusive first Superbike victory in his sights.
After Dunlop’s feats of 2014, there are three BMW-mounted riders in the top ten. The Tyco pairing of William Dunlop and Guy Martin go off at numbers six and eight respectively with Michael Rutter starting at number four. The Midland’s based rider is expected to switch to the Penz13.Com team.
Gary Johnson, last year’s opening Monster Energy Supersport race winner, will again take the number seven plate, which this time will be the JG Speedfit Kawasaki, Mark Smith-Halvorsen’s BSB team making their debut at the TT. The top ten is completed by 2010 hero Ian Hutchinson (PBM Kawasaki) and Conor Cummins, the Ramsey Rocket continuing in the Honda Racing set up where he’ll be looking to get his first win after a second and a third last year.
Dean Harrison, riding for the Mar-Train Racing team, is onboard the second front running Yamaha at number 11 with Keith Amor, making his big bike return, lining up at number 12 on the RigDeluge BMW. Another Superbike returnee, Ryan Farquhar sets off 20 seconds later on his KMR Kawasaki, the former team-mates starting either side of 2013 TT Privateer’s Champion Lee Johnston (East Coast Construction BMW) who will again assume the number 13 plate.
Dan Kneen is set to go at number 15 although the talented Manxman is still in the process of finalising his plans having seen his proposed ride with Millsport Racing fall through. David Johnson (Smiths BMW) goes at 16 followed by last year’s sensational newcomer Peter Hickman (Briggs Equipment BMW), Dan Stewart (Wilcock Consulting Honda), the rasping Norton of Cameron Donald and Steve Mercer who completes the top twenty on his privateer Honda.
Dan Cooper, Ivan Lintin - set for a strong season on the RC Express Racing Kawasaki - Russ Mountford, Jamie Hamilton and consistent Italian rider Stefano Bonetti are all just outside the top twenty. Horst Saiger, who almost broke the 125mph barrier last year, will surely achieve that feat this year with regular top privateers Ben Wylie, Rob Barber, Davy Morgan and Robert Wilson back for more.
Some of last year’s leading lights - James Cowton, Martin Jessopp, Michael Sweeney and Daniel Hegarty - give further proof of the strength in depth of the entry with Jamie Coward and Derek Sheils returning to the fold having both missed out on last year’s meeting.
