Silicone Kawasaki’s Dean Harrison broke the Isle of Man TT Superbike lap record with his second lap in Tuesday night’s practice, setting a 133.462 to become the second man in history to set a sub-17-minute lap around the 37.73-mile course.
Harrison went off like a scalded cat, putting in the fastest-ever standing start lap of 133.140 with his first and then beat Michael Dunlop’s official lap record of 133.393 set in 2016 as he crossed the line on lap two.
Data engineer Bob Gray told bikesportnews.com: “We told him he couldn’t have any cake until he set a sub-17m lap. Problem is, I didn’t think he would so it today, so I ate the cake last night…”
Dunlop ended the session in second place, setting a 132.319 from a standing start but he pulled in and, like last night, went out on the spare Tyco BMW. He didn’t improve with either his second or third laps.
Manxman Dan Kneen also set a personal best lap, banging in a 132.258 with his flying lap on the Tyco BMW to take third spot with the Smiths BMW of Peter Hickman in fourth. The BSB regular put in a 132.169 on his flying lap before switching to the Superstock bike to top the timesheets.
Ramsey’s Conor Cummins, who didn’t get a lap yesterday due to a breakdown, bagged fifth place on the Padgett’s Fireblade with a 129.756 from a standing start. Veteran Michael Rutter put in a 129.583, also from a standing start, for sixth place.
David Johnson, on the Gulf BMW, put in a 129.360 for seventh with James Hillier eighth. Josh Brookes softened up the suspension on the Norton today and set a 128.590 for ninth place with Phil Crowe in tenth.
Martin Jessopp, Derek Sheils, Jamie Coward, Shaun Anderson and Ian Hutchinson completed the top 15. Hutchy set a 127.038 from a standing start.
