Trooper Triumph’s Peter Hickman took victory in today’s second Monster Supersport race, beating Dean Harrison by 3.302s in a two-lap dash with James Hillier completing the podium.
Hickman and the Silicone Kawasaki of Harrison were locked together for most of the race, swapping the lead twice and it took a Herculean effort from Hickman over the Mountain on lap two to finally break Harrison with a 128.14mph lap.
Harrison admitted afterwards that he had started too slowly and was on the path on lap one at Governor’s but managed to get his head down and claw back three seconds from the Grandstand to Glen Helen and lead there on lap two.
By then, Hillier had slipped to almost four seconds in arrears but had a healthy lead over Manxman Conor Cummins in fourth with Jamie Coward in fifth place.
Hickman, meanwhile, stole back the lead on the run to Ballaugh, making the leap with a 0.323s lead over Harrison, and the gap was the same as the rounded Ramsey Hairpin.
But, as is usual, Hickman put in a stunning sector to the Bungalow to increase his lead to a little under a second and it was double that at Cronk-ny-Mona.
As he crossed the line, the gap was more than three seconds and it was a fourth TT win for the Lincolnshire rider.
Hillier was a little non-plussed in parc ferme, saying he had left nothing out on the circuit. The Quattro Kawasaki rider finished 7.856s behind Hickman with a 127.59mph lap.
Cummins was 16s in arrears with Coward posting a brilliant fifth place on the Prez Racing Yamaha. Michael Dunlop was uncharacteristically off the pace, taking sixth and 43s behind.
Davey Todd crossed the line in seventh on the Milenco by Padgetts Honda with Gary Johnson, who had been in fourth early doors, in eighth.
Race one winner Lee Johnston could only muster ninth place with Honda’s David Johnson in tenth. Paul Jordan was 11th, Derek Sheils 12th, Sam West 13th, Dominic Herbertson 14th and John McGuinness 15th.
Ian Hutchinson only made it as far as Quarterbridge on lap one before retiring his works Honda.
