Tyco BMW’s Michael Dunlop took the TT 2018 Superbike win today after Dean Harrison was forced to retire the Silicone Engineering ZX-10R on lap four after setting an outright lap record of 134.432mph from a standing start on the first lap.
Harrison took off like a scalded cat, setting record sector times for the whole lap and opening a gap of more than 11 seconds as he set a new lap time of 16’50.384s. Dunlop finished the first lap with a 132.934 and when they crossed the line to re-fuel on lap two, Harrison had set a 134.180 compared to Dunlop’s 133.513 for a 16.379 deficit.
Harrison steadily slowed on lap three with the gap down to 11.523s as Dunlop grabbed back the Bungalow to Cronk-ny-Mona sector record. At Ballaugh Bridge on lap four, Harrison’s lead was only 4.642s but he didn’t make it Ramsey, retiring at Sulby Crossroads.
This left Conor Cummins to take second place on the Padgetts Honda, finishing 50.861s behind Dunlop as the Ballymoney man managed his gap to the Ramsey rider but they finished together on the road. James Hiller took third place on the Quattro JG Speedfit Kawasaki, crossing the line 21s after Cummins, knocking his pace off on the run down the mountain. The podium men all paid tribute to Dan Kneen, who lost his life in practice.
David Johnson bagged his best-ever finish in the Superbike class, taking the Gulf BMW team to fourth place while Michael Rutter - using an almost-stock road engine in his S1000RR - grabbed fifth place for Bathams BMW.
Padgetts Honda’s Lee Johnston got off to a slow start but upped his game from the third lap onwards to take sixth place, one ahead of the Riders BMW of Martin Jessopp. Fireman Ivan Lintin was eighth on the Dafabet Devitts Kawasaki with big Phil Crowe in ninth.
Josh Brookes set his own personal best lap on the last, putting in a 130.753, to finish in tenth after having a slow puncture for two laps.
Sam West, Jamie Coward, Shaun Anderson and Derek Sheils completed the top 14 with newcomer Davy Todd bagging 15th place.
Gary Johnson was forced to retire the RAF Reserves Kawasaki and Ian Hutchinson stopped at Governor’s Bridge on lap four. Peter Hickman pulled in on lap one.
RST Superbike - conditions dry
1 6 Michael Dunlop BMW / Tyco BMW 01:44:13.398 130.324 Silver
2 1 Conor Cummins Honda / padgettsmotorcycles.com 01:45:04.259 129.273 Silver
3 2 James Hillier Kawasaki / Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawa 01:45:25.919 128.830 Silver
4 9 David Johnson BMW / Gulf BMW 01:45:58.637 128.167 Silver
5 3 Michael Rutter BMW / Bathams BMW 01:47:27.374 126.403 Silver
6 13 Lee Johnston Honda / Honda Racing 01:47:42.014 126.117 Silver
7 12 Martin Jessopp BMW / Riders Motorcycles BMW 01:48:04.898 125.672 Silver
8 23 Ivan Lintin Kawasaki / Dafabet Devitt Racing 01:48:07.017 125.631 Silver
9 18 Philip Crowe BMW / HandTrans-John Chapman Racing 01:48:12.101 125.532 Silver
10 11 Joshua Brookes Norton / Norton Motorcycles 01:48:14.276 125.490 Silver
11 27 Sam West BMW / PRL / Worthington 01:48:16.964 125.438 Silver
12 16 Jamie Coward BMW / Team Penz13.com BMW Motorrad 01:48:21.999 125.341 Silver
13 24 Shaun Anderson Suzuki / Anderson Race Developments 01:48:31.783 125.153 Silver
14 15 Derek Sheils BMW / Team Penz13.com BMW Motorrad 01:49:08.054 124.460 Silver
15 36 Derek McGee Kawasaki / McGee/Doyne Racing 01:49:42.533 123.808 Bronze
16 80 Davey Todd* Suzuki / Burrows Engineering Racing 01:50:26.513 122.986 Bronze
17 44 Rob Hodson BMW / JGH Racing 01:51:02.779 122.317 Bronze
18 25 James Cowton Kawasaki / McAdoo Kawasaki Racing 01:51:05.421 122.268 Bronze
19 30 Stefano Bonetti BMW / Speed Motor 01:51:42.662 121.589 Bronze
20 39 Kamil Holan BMW / McRace 01:52:04.733 121.190 Bronze
21 48 Danny Webb BMW / Penz13 BMW by PSi Leathers 01:52:28.041 120.771 Bronze
22 52 Raul Torras Martinez Yamaha / Martimotos.com Racing 01:52:29.155 120.751 Bronze
23 45 Barry Lee Evans Suzuki / PRF Racing 01:53:14.349 119.948 Bronze
24 43 Bjorn Gunnarsson BMW / Alternativ1 MC 01:53:26.171 119.740 Bronze
25 56 Julien Toniutti BMW / Team 2B - Moraco / Martimotos / B 01:53:54.201 119.248 Bronze
26 59 David Hewson BMW / Obsession Engineering Ltd 01:53:58.089 119.181 Bronze
27 79 David Jackson* BMW / The People’s Bike 01:54:01.530 119.121 Bronze
28 47 Barry Furber Kawasaki / BMF Racing / Moto-Design 01:54:25.679 118.702 Bronze
29 81 Ian Pattinson BMW / Weardale Racing 01:54:28.729 118.649 Bronze
30 71 Davy Morgan BMW / DM71 01:54:38.480 118.481 Bronze
31 49 Darren Cooper BMW / NW Racing 01:54:42.183 118.417
32 58 Allann Venter Suzuki / Cookstown Burrows Engineering S 01:55:22.411 117.729
33 53 Adrian Harrison Kawasaki / Graham Barker 01:55:52.151 117.225
34 60 Charles Rhys Hardisty BMW / The People’s Bike 01:55:54.458 117.186
35 70 Paul Potchy Williams BMW / Potchy’s MOT Station 01:55:55.078 117.176
36 72 Josh Daley Kawasaki / Josh Daley Racing 01:57:09.621 115.933
37 63 Tom Weeden Honda / Tom Weeden Racing 01:59:23.799 113.762
38 74 George Spence Yamaha / Dod Spence Racing 01:59:38.166 113.534
