- 2 days ago
Part 1 of highlights of the 2026 Isle Of Man TT.
Michael Dunlop Interview - 04:09
Superbike Grid Walk - 09:02
Superbike Race Start - 12:30
John McGuiness Interview - 23:05
Supersport Race 1 Grid Walk - 31:13
Supersport Race 1 Start - 35:00
Michael Dunlop Interview - 04:09
Superbike Grid Walk - 09:02
Superbike Race Start - 12:30
John McGuiness Interview - 23:05
Supersport Race 1 Grid Walk - 31:13
Supersport Race 1 Start - 35:00
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SportsTranscript
02:27All right, so we've had a little bit of a walk around the paddock and we're going to have
02:30a bit of a sit down now at RST because the big development this year, that airbag suits
02:36are now mandatory for every competitor at the LMA TT.
02:39The TT is always pushing to make the event safer and something else that they've done
02:43as well is that the six lap races, so the super bike and senior TTs will have their own standalone
02:49day.
02:53What a day it's been so far, Lee.
02:55It's been great to see the paddock ahead of any bikes going to the course, but I guess
02:59we have to talk about the super bike race, the senior TT.
03:02That's been won the past two years by Davey Todd, but of course he's not riding this year, so
03:09that opens the gates to a few competitors.
03:12Yeah, and I think on paper coming in, you can't look past Dean Horace and he's probably
03:17the most consistent rider.
03:19He's looking really, really strong, but that still can't count out Megan Laugh, Peter Hickman.
03:24We're all excited to see, so I guess we can't do much more until the bikes actually go out,
03:29but for now I think we can enjoy an ice cream.
03:31Cheers.
03:36Yeah, it was definitely ice cream weather at the start of qualifying week and keeping himself
03:40cool in a different way.
03:41Was Michael Dunwap coming here to the Isle of Man with all the expectation of being the most
03:46successful rider in history. Four victories here last year, took him to 33 in total.
03:51But it wasn't exactly clear what kind of form he was bringing to TT26.
03:56Steve Day sat down with him to find out.
04:02Dunlop for his 33rd TT win.
04:09Michael, this is the first chance that we've had to speak to you since you added four to the tally
04:14from last year to make it 33.
04:16Would you have thought this was possible when you picked up your first TT win in 2009?
04:21Probably I wouldn't have really cared.
04:23It was more every year we just wanted to try and be as successful as we possibly could.
04:27We never thought about a tally or a, you know, my always goal was in one point in my life
04:32was
04:32to be the greatest TT rider of all time. That was always my goal.
04:34So obviously the goal was obviously beat the 26th record or be the first person to beat it.
04:39And that was always my goal.
04:41We know initially that you were supposed to be riding the Ducati for this year's TT, but that's changed.
04:46You're now out there on the Honda. Has that affected preparation in any way?
04:50We've had zero miles with the Suter bike, which is, it's just, it's just the way it is obviously.
04:57It hasn't helped, that's for sure, but nothing we could do about it.
05:01So that's going to be a big hill to climb basically.
05:07Last year you managed four in a week. To make it five this year, which would be amazing,
05:12you would need a win on a big bike.
05:14Looking at them at the moment, which of the two do you feel like you have the strongest chance?
05:18There's no reason why I shouldn't be good in any of them.
05:2223, we won a Suter bike race.
05:2524, we should have won a Suter bike race.
05:28Visor had detached itself.
05:31Absolute nightmare stopping on one of the fastest parts of the track here.
05:35Michael Dunlop is hemorrhaging time.
05:39It's easy saying you had it won because we obviously didn't, but, you know, so we're competitive, that's for sure.
05:48Final question, Michael.
05:50We come into this year's TT, 33 TT wins, and we expect that number to climb.
05:54You're in the peak of your powers at the moment.
05:57You mentioned 26 was a target, but are there any more?
06:01No, listen, the main thing is I feel like I'm riding well enough.
06:06The bikes are all in a good place, hopefully.
06:08And, you know, just be competitive, not just come here because I've got s**t all else to do.
06:13You know, I want to be here, I want to be fast, and I want to, you know, put as
06:16much into it as I can.
06:17And there's not anything on my mind other than I'd like to win races.
06:20That's what I like to do.
06:21All being well, we can push as hard as we can.
06:24Thank you for your time. Good luck this week.
06:29It's always interesting to hear from Michael Dunlop.
06:31It's a rare thing, actually, these days, Cam.
06:34And sometimes you wonder how much you learn, really, from it.
06:37Because on the one hand, he says, I'm not chasing records.
06:39On the other hand, he is.
06:41And in a lot of ways, he's come here to this TT in terms of his machinery with more questions
06:45than answers.
06:46Yeah, well, he certainly has.
06:47I mean, the smaller bikes, machines that he's raced previously, he's got that base set up.
06:52But the Superbike was where the big question mark was.
06:55I mean, only announcing in April that he'd ride the Ducati.
06:58Logical choice.
06:59That new V4 is dominant in British Championship, World Superbike Championship.
07:04But I think after testing, they realised there were some shortcomings with that machine to bring here to the TT.
07:10And that really left him late.
07:11In saying that, even if the bike worked, he was still on the back foot.
07:15He really only had weeks to prepare before the Northwest, where he ran his BMW, Stocker and Honda Superbike.
07:22And we still don't know what the issues were with that Honda machine.
07:25But he's really come here unprepared compared to the competition.
07:29No matter how good a rider you are in that big bike class, you can't come unprepared.
07:34You need every box ticked.
07:35And you'll still find issues when you get here.
07:37Well, the other thing that didn't help him was the fact that as soon as qualifying got underway,
07:41Dean Harrison rolled straight out of the pit lane.
07:44Fastest first qualifying lap ever in TT history.
07:47And looks like he's going to be the man to beat.
07:50And he's ready to raise the bar again.
07:51Yeah, it shows that excellent preparation gives excellent results.
07:55And due to the circumstances around Michael's lead up to this year's TT, it was far from perfect.
08:02He really should have been able to capitalise on, you know, Davey Todd out with injury.
08:06And Peter Hickman coming back with a cloud over what he was capable of in saying that he's done well.
08:12But he's definitely not at his best.
08:15So maybe a missed opportunity for Michael there.
08:18But I think he's really learnt from it.
08:20I mean, he's even commented and saying this won't happen again.
08:23So it's up to him to make sure it doesn't.
08:25Yep.
08:26Question marks then over Peter Hickman and over Michael Dunlop in particular,
08:29going into our first super bike race of TT 26, where Dean Harrison was very much the man to beat.
08:35We'll find out if anybody could do it when we come back from the break.
08:51Welcome back to the Isle of Man, where race week actually started out in perfect conditions.
08:56We'd had some bad weather on Saturday, but the sun was out for Superbike Sunday and a six lapper.
09:01And we are stood right at the top of the grid next to number one, John McGuinness, who has just
09:08revealed his bike livery that he'll be running in this race.
09:12So as we can see here, it looks absolutely fantastically.
09:16So this is a replica of his very first 250 bike that he took around the mountain course in 1996.
09:24And you can see that John's looking quite emotional, giving a kiss to his helmet ahead of this one.
09:30John, we just want a quick word before you head out.
09:32You've just unveiled this special 30th anniversary livery.
09:36How are you feeling right now about to head out on the number one plate?
09:40A little bit overwhelmed, really, to be fair.
09:42It's just all the races, all the years I've done it.
09:46I can't believe I'm still doing it.
09:50Yeah, a bit emotional. Jordan's on the grid here. Birdie's dad.
09:54A little bit of a nod to everybody that's been part of my journey, you know.
09:58And yeah, a bit nervous to say the least, but I've done it so many times before.
10:01I've got to just put six laps together, strong laps together.
10:03I've got the original leathers on, I've got the white helmet on, I've got the scrutiny sticker on from 1996.
10:08So, yeah, hopefully we can do the bodywork and the team a bit of justice out there, to be honest.
10:13Just go out and enjoy it.
10:14You look absolutely fantastic.
10:16And looking at some of the stats, it was an average lap of 109 miles per hour back in 1996.
10:21I'm sure you're hoping to go faster in this one. A bit different, hey?
10:24Well, yeah, but if we're doing 109 mile an hour lap, I'll be getting a P45 on this one.
10:28But yeah, it's going to be a fast race. It's going to be a great race.
10:32I want everybody to be safe, everybody to enjoy it, you know.
10:34Thanks to everybody out there, everybody's patient.
10:36I've had a rough day yesterday with the weather, but this is looking perfect.
10:39And let's all get on a good show and do some fast speed racing around the best track in the
10:43world.
10:44What a way to set off. Have a good one, John. Thank you.
10:46Credit to the whole Honda team for making that happen.
10:49And it looks amazing.
10:50It does. It really does. And we've just walked up to third position here, which is Dean Harrison.
10:55So, of course, John McGinnis' teammate, he topped the timesheets in qualifying.
11:01We can see the radio's just had a quick word with him there, maybe.
11:06Oh, see if we can get in. I think he's just having a quick word with his team in the
11:09radio.
11:09So, actually, we might go to number two, who's in the middle of John and Dean, who's had a lot
11:16of support from the Honda garage and is hoping for a good TT.
11:20Nathan Harrison. Nathan, we just want a quick word from you sitting at number two.
11:24This is going to be a good strategy for you sitting in this position.
11:27Yeah, exactly that.
11:28I was just saying to Chris there on Manx Radio that, obviously, I've got to remember, obviously, John's in these
11:3330-year colours.
11:3430 years ago, I wasn't even born. So, the likes of John.
11:39Coachy, his first TT. I was in year two when he was in his first TT.
11:42So, I've just got to remember, just take the experience from this.
11:44Hopefully, I can learn a thing or two from Dean if he catches me.
11:47And if I catch John, obviously, it'll be good to learn a thing or two from him.
11:51Good luck for this one, Nathan. Thank you.
11:54Yeah, I know he's looking forward to this and hoping that he'll get a tow off of those two factory
11:59Honda riders as well.
12:01So, we are about to get underway. We've got the three-minute board down here.
12:06John McGuinness rolls up to the line with the green plate on the number one.
12:11That's because back in the day, he was on a 250cc bike provided by Paul Byrd.
12:14Fantastic to see the tribute livery.
12:171996 was his first race around this incredible 37.73 mile course.
12:23Pulls the clutch and then into gear.
12:25Phones at the ready. Look, everybody wants a shot of John McGuinness.
12:29Particularly with this livery on the bike.
12:31Starter on the right-hand side. The famous tap on the shoulder.
12:34And we're underway for 2026.
12:36Pops a little wheelie off the line and heads down Glen Crutchery Road.
12:40But this man, Dean Harrison, has been absolutely unbeatable.
12:45Fastest in every session on the big bikes. The stockers, the superbikes.
12:48He is undoubtedly the favourite for this as he can.
12:51Yeah, without a doubt. He's come into the race.
12:53Hot favourite. Let's see what he can do.
12:56Now it's crunch time.
12:58The next offline, Michael Dunlop.
13:01A man with the most TT wins of all time around this iconic course.
13:06Now Dean's going to pull out as they head into Schoolhouse.
13:09Can he get up the inside? Yep.
13:11Beautiful move.
13:12And look at him use all the road and then some into the bus stop on the exit.
13:16As Dean makes his way down to Parliament Square.
13:20Need to see where Hickman is when he comes through Ramsey Harpin.
13:22He's a little way further.
13:25Into Schoolhouse.
13:26See Mike Brown in the background.
13:28Heading through Schoolhouse.
13:29Well, we expected Dean to start quickly.
13:31But that is a sensational pace to be able to pull that gap so soon on the first lap.
13:36He's pretty much doing what he has done in qualifying every night.
13:39And that is leave the blocks at a scolding pace.
13:41Here comes Hickman.
13:42Let's see where he fits in on the timing.
13:451.9 behind Dunlop.
13:46So Harrison's lead is 8.0.
13:48Hickman was the man I was expecting might be in the mix.
13:51And he's only 1.9 off the back of Dunlop.
13:53So potentially a good fight between Dunlop and Hickman.
13:56And you ride on board now.
13:57Up onto the mountain section.
14:00And this is crucial at this point.
14:02With a 17 second lead.
14:04We're going to move further on up and see if we can catch Mike and the Lopp now.
14:07Just coming into the pit lane.
14:08We can hear the buzzer going.
14:10I believe that should be for him.
14:12As we see him coming into shot now.
14:14Yes, we can.
14:15The big plan is never to rush that wheel change.
14:18Because the fuel is always the time we're waiting on.
14:20But really good stop there for Mike and the Lopp.
14:22It was 24.3 on the way into the pits.
14:26And we know.
14:27Look at the gap.
14:27So yeah, Dunlop's got Hickman back by just under 3 tenths of a second.
14:31As you see McGinnis through Glen Helen.
14:34As we follow Dean down through Kepplegate.
14:36Look, he's going to go through the high speed.
14:39Left hand flick past Kate's cottage.
14:41And he'll launch over the hump on the way.
14:43Yep, there.
14:44Front wheel off the ground.
14:46Driving down to Craig Navar.
14:48Big, big brakes.
14:50This is Hickman ahead of Harrison and Brooks at the bungalow.
14:55And about to hit Hale Woods.
14:57Josh Brooks is going to line up Nathan Harrison as they head up.
15:00Up the hill.
15:03Talk about super stock to super bike.
15:06Josh Brooks absolutely blasting past Nathan Harrison.
15:11And it's the other Harrison.
15:12Dean Harrison at the head of the field.
15:14Nearly 30 seconds up the road from the next best.
15:19With McGinnis now.
15:20Look at that focus in his eyes.
15:21Look how far up the road he's focusing.
15:24The faster you go, the further up the road you need to look.
15:27You can't focus directly in front of your front wheel.
15:29You'd feel like you were doing a thousand miles an hour.
15:31Further you look up the road, slow down the scenery.
15:36Harrison continues to lead.
15:38There he is.
15:38Oh, it's gone up.
15:39The gap's gone up again.
15:41So look, seven tenths of a second between Dunlop and Hickman.
15:44But Harrison has pushed the gap up over that magic 30 seconds.
15:48Just incredible.
15:49So he's still on it, Cam.
15:50We're not quite on that record pace.
15:52But it is still very, very quick.
15:55He's pushing at a pace that must be leaving Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman.
15:58Literally scratching their heads.
16:01When they see their pit board and they see that he's got 30 seconds in front of them.
16:04Meanwhile, they're riding out of their skin.
16:07That would be hard to take.
16:09What was the speeds there, Cam?
16:11199.
16:11Michael Dunlop has topped the speed trap in excess of 199 miles per hour.
16:17He might be only third in this race, but he's certainly first through the speed trap.
16:23Right.
16:23We are heading into the final bit of Jeopardy.
16:26Well, there's two more laps to come.
16:27Don't speak too soon, Andrew.
16:28Harrison pops a little wheelie.
16:30Let's get down to Lee Johnson with our second set of pit stops.
16:34Yeah, guys.
16:34We just heard the buzzer go there now.
16:36And we've been up and down the pit lane in between this race.
16:38And the mood is completely different in the two camps.
16:41Obviously, the pressure's on the Honda guys now for completely different reasons.
16:44Not to do with speed.
16:45This just needs to be a controlled pit stop and no mistakes.
16:49Michael Dunlop should be coming into the pits now.
16:51We can just hear that buzzer go.
16:52That will be for him.
16:53And the tension sitting there with his crew as he was coming into the pits was completely different to the
17:00Honda guys.
17:01Here he comes.
17:01As normal, Pete's come in.
17:03No visor for him this time.
17:04He's still got a tear off on there.
17:06Albeit that one looks a little bit...
17:08Yeah, he's got some flies and stuff on there.
17:09So I'm surprised he hasn't gone for a different visor with this one.
17:13Because he's still only got one tear off on there.
17:15And that has to do the remaining two laps.
17:17And we are off again.
17:19So it looks like this top three guys is not going to get decided in the pits.
17:24Which is something that we want as riders.
17:26But the tension is there nonetheless.
17:28Credit to the whole team's mega display.
17:32Two more laps of this 37.73 mile course to go.
17:36Of course, they're around halfway through that already on lap five.
17:39No, not halfway.
17:39I guess a third of the way here at Kirk Michael.
17:42And still Dean looking comfortable, isn't he?
17:45And still pushing.
17:46Still with a big wheelie over the crests.
17:49Hickman trying to break Dunlop's result.
17:52They'll have their pit boards around the course.
17:54Here comes Josh Brooks.
17:56Yeah, he's still sitting in a strong fourth place position at the moment.
18:00Come on, John. Let's go.
18:02Ah, tear off comes off.
18:04Nice slow point to do it again.
18:05Pick your moments.
18:06And he's just ripped it off on the exit around to your hairpin.
18:08Now he's got a perfect view for another lap and a half of this place.
18:12He knows so well.
18:14Josh Brooks.
18:15Brooks, look, he's kind of in no man's land, isn't he?
18:17Look, 55.
18:18Actually, let's wait for the splits because that was at Balaf.
18:21But 42 up the road from Coward.
18:24He's starting to get a little bit of space now.
18:26But I tell you, Josh Brooks.
18:27John McInnes has kept that man honest this entire race.
18:31It's been quite close between the two.
18:34Both under-mounted.
18:35And he's still close.
18:37He's 4.5 seconds between them.
18:39So not no man's land at all.
18:40As I said, that's why I said wait for the split.
18:42He had a big gap behind him, but that is not settled.
18:46Come on.
18:47Look at that crowd.
18:48Craig Nabar.
18:49Look at all the motorbikes parked.
18:50Now we come down the hedge on the left here.
18:52A popular vantage point.
18:53As we see, it's absolutely packed today.
18:56Everyone is primed and waiting to see these bikes in action.
19:00We had the delay.
19:01We had to wait.
19:02But you know what?
19:03It's been worth it.
19:04Dean Harrison is lapping riders here with an incredible performance.
19:10They will be very surprised to see him, I'm sure.
19:12But that is the pace differential between him and those who started just a couple of minutes behind.
19:16Look at that focus.
19:19Blast fast.
19:20One more to go.
19:21This is the breaking zone into Hilbury.
19:22Watch for the wall.
19:23There it is.
19:24Does him on the inside on the way in now.
19:28What a camera view.
19:29If that doesn't make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, nothing will.
19:33Incredible.
19:34Peter Hickman, meanwhile, has broken that battle with Michael Dunlop and should be on for P2 here.
19:40I'll tell you what.
19:41This is going to be a very special result for Peter Hickman.
19:44He's been through a lot.
19:45He has indeed.
19:46But this man has been absolutely dominant.
19:48Did the double last year on Superstock and pulls a wheelie as he completes the set of categories
19:54with six perfect laps for his sixth TT win.
19:58Dean Harrison takes the Superbike race here.
20:01A look back.
20:02There's nobody there.
20:04That's how far up the road he is.
20:05What a ride.
20:06Absolutely sensational.
20:08A masterclass.
20:11Soaking it up.
20:12What a ride.
20:14Dean Harrison takes the win here.
20:16Peter Hickman gets second place after a mighty battle with Michael Dunlop.
20:20What a way to start up TT 26.
20:27Dean, congratulations.
20:29You have added a Superbike TT to your collection.
20:32And what a storming lead.
20:35How happy are you that you've added another win to Honda's tally?
20:39Honestly over the moon.
20:40I went hard from the start and tried to get a gap as a bit of a buffer.
20:44Because I felt strong all week to be honest.
20:45I had a little bit probably quite a bit in the tank.
20:47So I got stuck in.
20:48Got a decent lead coming in the pits and just trying to manage it from there.
20:50But it's so hard to keep the concentration.
20:53Six laps around here is so physical to do.
20:54And it's actually point to point to point to keep pushing the whole time.
20:58So absolutely.
20:59To get another Superbike win for me.
21:00I said to Neil Fletcher, the boss.
21:03I said, Neil, I really want to win a six laps Superbike race.
21:06So we sort of went away.
21:07We built a special bike for the listed Honda.
21:09So I need to say a big thanks to them.
21:10Because they pulled it out of the bag for me.
21:12And I feel like I've paid them back now to win the Superbike win.
21:14So it's good for me.
21:15Because I've won every single race now.
21:16I've got the Superbike, Supersport, Senior, Superstock.
21:18So I just hope there's a try again later in the week.
21:21There's a few more to come.
21:23You've got a brilliant collection now.
21:25And as you mentioned, you requested a special bike for this year's TT.
21:28And maybe a few uncertain faces at Honda.
21:31So do you feel you've got a good formula now?
21:33Yeah, exactly.
21:33The bike never missed a beat the whole race, to be honest.
21:35It sort of makes it easier to ride.
21:37Because around here, yes, you've got to be fast.
21:39But it's also an endurance at the same time.
21:41We're racing for nearly two hours.
21:43And honestly, it's so physical to race around here on one of them big bikes now.
21:47With it being so fast and so powerful.
21:49So you've got to just like have something that's a bit of a happy medium.
21:52And you've got to be fast.
21:53But also it can't wear you out in case you're in a bit of a dogfight come the last lap.
21:57Well, you certainly got the memo from Honda to get a Superbike TT win.
22:01Go and enjoy this, Dean. Congratulations.
22:02Cheers. Thank you very much.
22:16So a superb victory then for Dean Harrison.
22:19But no doubt that one of the most popular performances came from his teammate John McGuinness.
22:23We'll be catching up with the TT legend when we come back from the break.
22:40Welcome back to our look back at TT 26, a race week that was rudely interrupted by the weather after
22:47that superb start.
22:48With the victory for Dean Harrison in the Superbike race.
22:51It did give us the opportunity though to open up the studio doors and welcome in the TT legend himself,
22:56John McGuinness.
23:08Yeah, it's insane. I just can't. Where's it gone? 30 years gone by so fast.
23:13But so many memories, so many bikes, so many miles, so many laughs, a few tears along the way and
23:23the ways.
23:23But yeah, to still be lined up on the grid with the factory Honda at number one.
23:28Super proud of it, really, you know, still being able to hold my own and, you know, I'm not sort
23:32of falling down the field.
23:33We're still sort of at the sharp end and yeah, proud to put the Honda kit on and go to
23:38number one tomorrow.
23:39So it's, yeah, I feel a bit nervous, a bit of pressure on myself, but there's none from the team.
23:44So I know my way around. I've just got to get on the bike and go and enjoy myself for
23:48six laps.
23:49I remember when I was a newcomer all them years ago and...
23:53That was a long time ago. It was a long time ago. Yeah, 96.
23:57It was, I was in a seven and a half tonne box van with a half finished wicks kitchen in
24:02the back of it.
24:03It was all, and a mattress and sort of didn't know where it was all going to go.
24:09But at my first lap, just pulling out of here, it was, it was quarter past five in the morning.
24:16And it was, I did a lap in the bus, the Newcomers bus. I remember the Newcomers bus.
24:21There was me, David Jeffries and Bruce Anstis. So between us, we won a few and Paul Owen and a
24:29couple of other lads.
24:30We were just bouncing around in the back of the coach. I've really got no idea.
24:33And it was all steamed up. The coach couldn't see a thing.
24:35Philip McCallum was, was commentating. And he's just like, this is flat out. This is flat out.
24:39I couldn't understand the word he said. Come around like that in the back of it.
24:43Yeah, it was a tough week. Practice week was tough that way. A lot of rain and holdups and not
24:47much practice.
24:48Then the son come out for the race and I finished 15th. I got a bronze replica.
24:54I was the fastest newcomer in the class. And yeah, it was, the rest is sort of history really, yeah.
25:01I mean, you've become a role model to so many, more than just TT riders, to motorcycle racers and other
25:07sports people.
25:08Did you have a role model that you sort of wanted to mirror yourself off?
25:12Or is that something you've always had? Because it's the way you've been ever since I've known you.
25:16Yeah, I don't know. I've sort of paddled my ship along sort of my way.
25:21I looked, my heroes were Joey Dunlop, but he was a man himself really, you know, quite, didn't say a
25:28right lot.
25:28But I got to be Joey's teammate. I had some fantastic teammates. I've had you as a teammate.
25:33Me and you, you know, we finished fourth in the World Endurance Championship in 2012.
25:37So fierce competitors can. You know, I've had a few battles with you.
25:41But I don't know. I've just, I've always tried to be, like I say, humble.
25:45I've always tried to be fair. I've always tried to be honest with everybody.
25:49And not just me. I sort of hope it reflects in my sponsors who've been around me.
25:55I've been with a wife 37 years, you know.
25:57My Ewan was here at a couple of months old and he's 25 years old now and he works in
26:02the industry.
26:04My daughter was conceived in the back of the motorhome after the 2009 Formula One win.
26:09So this place has got hard to answer for.
26:13But yeah, I just, you know, I love the fans and the people out there.
26:18The paddock's buzzing, you know.
26:20And even though we're having a day off today with the weather, I've just been stood in the corner for
26:25an hour.
26:26And everybody, it's really, really nice that people come up and say,
26:30I was here for your first TT. I've really enjoyed watching your journey.
26:33I've seen all your wins and that to me means a lot because without fans and people, we're nothing, you
26:39know.
26:40So I treat everybody the same, you know, all my friends, all the riders.
26:44I look out for riders. I've looked out for, I'm sure I helped you when we're team mates.
26:48I've helped Davey and Dean and I've had some incredible team mates over the years.
26:53Davey John's helped you out a lot, I guess, on the bike, but also off it as well.
26:57He's kind of welcomed you in almost as one of the family.
27:00How much have you taken from that experience and seeing how John lives off the bike,
27:04especially during TT fortnight when there can be so much pressure around?
27:08Yeah, absolutely.
27:09It's been a, it's no secret that John's been an enormous part to my TT career since I started here.
27:16And if anything, more so off the bike than on the bike.
27:21There obviously is bits on the bike, but just the biggest thing for me
27:26and like listening to him talk there is like the passion behind it.
27:29Like there's a, there's a lot of people that come to the TT
27:32and race all different kinds of motorcycles at different levels,
27:36but not many with the amount of passion for the sport as John does, like he says,
27:43for the, for the fans, for racing itself.
27:45But we go away from the track.
27:47I'd spend a lot of time or have spent a lot of time at John's house over the years.
27:52And, and he's, he's like a 16 year old kid when it comes to, you go to his house and
27:59you,
28:00you'd think I would go out for dinner, relax and stuff like that.
28:03And he's like, should we get the pit bikes out in the field and make a track and ride around?
28:07Or we'll go out and enduro bikes tomorrow and then we'll do this.
28:10And like, just still love it as much as I love it at the, at the stage I'm at.
28:16And, and I said recently, but like, I want to, I want that passion for everything to do with racing
28:24to be,
28:25I never want that to leave me.
28:26And I want it to be just like how passionate John is at this stage.
28:31You know, I'm so grateful to have someone like him in my corner.
28:34I don't think there's anybody, arguably anybody better to have in your corner and support you and help you with
28:41decisions.
28:42We, we always joked about him, been his, been, been my manager when I, when, when he retires.
28:49But I don't, I don't think, I don't think he ever will, to be honest, but the other way around.
28:56But honestly, you know, it's, it's genuinely sort of been that sort of, that role model and that friend to
29:06me to advise me on making the right decisions
29:09and the right thing to do at, at certain times, the right teams to ride for.
29:13And, and that has been absolutely invaluable to me.
29:17So it's, it's really cool.
29:19And what's your advice been to Davey over the last few weeks then, John?
29:22Because you, you know what it's like to, to come here injured, to have to miss out.
29:27It's, it's a really difficult thing for him to do, but he's, he's, he's 20 odd years younger than you
29:32are.
29:32And with a long career still to go.
29:34Yeah.
29:35I mean, well, when we heard the news, obviously I reached out and we had some chats on the phones
29:42and on the phone.
29:43And, you know, at that point, it's awful, you know, it's horrendous.
29:49You don't really want to talk to anybody about it.
29:51You just want to be left alone for a bit on your thoughts.
29:53But it's just one of them things.
29:57It comes with the territory, you know, I got injured in 17, I had to miss 17 and 18, you
30:01know, and I was desperate to ride.
30:03But I was just telling once, once it's difficult now, because we're all going around.
30:08But when it finishes, when the last bike crosses the line, you forget about it.
30:13And then you just look forward to the next, the next year's TT.
30:17But yeah, just got to be fit.
30:18Like I say, you've got plenty of time.
30:21When I did my first TT, I was 26, so I was fairly late to it.
30:25So you've not been doing it a long time, 30 years.
30:27But yeah, you've got your prime to look forward to.
30:30You're not in your prime just yet.
30:31You think you are, but you're just not quite in your prime.
30:33So yeah, just be patient and come back stronger.
30:41Always good to catch up with John.
30:42And we were all hoping to see him in action again before the end of the week in the Superstocks
30:46or in the Senior.
30:47After the break though, we'll bring you action from the first of the Supersport races.
31:04Welcome back.
31:04Race action on the way now from the first of the Monster Energy Supersport races.
31:09Mike Brown was first on the road.
31:11Cam Donald and Andrew Coley were in the commentary box.
31:14Back to Grace and Lee.
31:15Stood here on the start finish line.
31:17It's very much dry, but as you can see the course information board behind us,
31:22there is a long list of damp patches around the course.
31:25And Lee, we've just seen a few riders taking a good look at that board walking up here.
31:30Yeah, it was no secret when I was racing.
31:31I didn't know the names of any of the corners.
31:33So it would be in this situation.
31:34Milky would very kindly come over and help me out with the ones I didn't know.
31:38But yeah, the guys have all took up to the front here and took all that information on board.
31:42So yeah, that's just another part of the process here at the Isle of Man TT that you wouldn't have
31:47to deal with on a short circuit.
31:48Yeah, but they do look after each other.
31:51As you say, Milky's been walking up and down here speaking to a few of the riders, which we'll try
31:55and do now as well.
31:56So we want to try and grab a word with number one, the leading Yamaha, which is Mike Brown.
32:02But he has swapped from an R9 to an R6.
32:04We'll just get a quick word from him to see how that's going.
32:07We just mentioned there, Mike, that you had a bike change in qualifying week from the R9 to the R6.
32:12How's that looking for you?
32:14Yeah, sure.
32:14Look, we brought the R9, but we didn't actually run it in qualifying.
32:18So we started with the R6 and no, it's good.
32:21We're going to stick with it now.
32:23And going off as number one, is that something that you requested for this year?
32:26I didn't really put much thought into it until about now.
32:30No, maybe.
32:30I'm not so sure it was a good idea, but yeah, no, it's fine.
32:34Look, it's good pressure.
32:34It's good pressure.
32:35Well, what a unique experience.
32:37Go and enjoy it.
32:37Yeah, thank you.
32:39He says he didn't really think about it till now, Lee.
32:42But he's got no choice now, eh?
32:44That does not doubt me in any shape or form.
32:46Believe me, guys, that is not an act.
32:48That is the one and only Mike Brown.
32:50Yeah, brilliant there.
32:51But yeah, there is going to be a feeling to that because the first time you do set off at
32:54number one,
32:56you are scaring what we class as the animals, the birds, everything.
32:59That's the first bike through.
33:00So this is all a thought process that he will not have experienced.
33:02As John McGuinness says, you are the scarecrow.
33:04I didn't want to say that to you, but he was still smiling.
33:07But number two, we can see that the team are looking at us there, Lee.
33:11So we'll squeeze past the Jackson racing team and see if we can get a word with Paul Jordan,
33:16who's going off at number two and someone that's just come out of the 1.30 club the other day.
33:22Paul, congratulations.
33:24Now onto the Ducati.
33:25How's it looking for this one?
33:26Yeah, it's looking good.
33:27You know, I felt strong during practice.
33:29So I'm just looking forward to getting stuck in here and getting this one out of the way.
33:32We've got another one during the week.
33:33So, yeah, let's see how we get off.
33:35And I'm sure you're hopeful for a good result.
33:37Fourth last year, it'd be amazing to get a podium on this one, right?
33:41Yeah, that's the aim.
33:42You know, there's a lot of good company in this class, you know, in all classes especially.
33:45So, yeah, we were in good company last year.
33:47So I believe that I can try and do a bit better.
33:49We wish you all the best for it, Paul. Thank you.
33:52Yeah, very composed and focused there.
33:54We'll try and squeeze up to number three.
33:58Maybe if we step back here.
33:59It's so busy on the grid today, Lee.
34:02This is probably the busiest we've seen it, I'd say.
34:04Yeah, I'm glad this barrier is on the right-hand side because the crowd up here is, yeah,
34:09like you said, busier than we've ever seen before.
34:11But Dean looks pretty relaxed there.
34:12So we might be able to just jump in and grab a quick word with him just before he puts
34:17his helmet on
34:17or as he's putting his helmet on.
34:19Well, we know that he's just been speaking to John McGuinness.
34:22So maybe, Scott, if we could just grab a quick word from you.
34:25Dean's just putting his helmet on there.
34:27But we did see John McGuinness had just been out for a lap speaking to Dean there,
34:31which is really nice to see that teammates are looking after each other.
34:34Any messages that John passed on to Dean?
34:36Yeah, I mean, you know, just reiterating exactly what the officials have said about, you know,
34:40rain flags and keeping your eye on the first lap, just making sure that you're cautious, really.
34:45John's obviously quite knowledgeable.
34:46So all of the main areas that he's pointed out to him, he's aware of.
34:50But he also said to him, just remember, there's always another race.
34:55Three laps, one compulsory pit stop.
34:57And this man leading us off.
34:59So Mike Brown at the front of the field for Supersport.
35:02Away on the Yamaha.
35:04Tucks himself in.
35:05He goes off down Bray Hill.
35:09And second up, Paul Jordan on the Ducati Panigale.
35:14This, of course, the machine we're expected to see great pace from Michael Dunlop,
35:17who's running at number six, number three, Dean Harrison, our winner
35:21from just a couple of days ago in the Superbike encounter.
35:24But not quite on the pace of Dunlop.
35:26Really, to be honest, Cam, no one was on the pace of Dunlop.
35:28In the same way Harrison dominated the big bike qualifying week,
35:32Dunlop qualified with the other classes, was at the top of the other classes.
35:35Showed the competition a clean set of heels on that V2 Ducati
35:38in every practice session of the Supersport class.
35:42Here is Harrison now coming down towards Courterbridge on the first lap.
35:46So just look at the road cam.
35:48Doesn't seem to be too much dampness around there.
35:50But let's get this man away first.
35:52Michael Dunlop.
35:55Smoothly away.
35:56Everybody panning the phones just to get a glimpse of the man as he heads off.
35:59Of course, the most successful TT racer of all time with 33 wins to his name.
36:04He's going to make it 34 this afternoon.
36:07We just saw Josh Brooks head off on that immaculately prepared Suzuki GSXR7
36:11in 50.
36:12And then it was Mikey Evans.
36:14Yeah.
36:15And now Peter Hickman.
36:16So Hickman, of course, on the Triumph Street triple.
36:22Dave O'Johnson is being caught by Michael Dunlop very early on in this lap.
36:26As we head out there.
36:28Wow.
36:28Speed of Dunlop cam.
36:30Yep.
36:30Up the inside.
36:32And he just blast past as he flicks that Ducati through Gorsley.
36:39And let's have a look at these sector times to give an indication of how hard these boys
36:43are pushing off the get-go.
36:45And Harrison's up Luke by 1.5 seconds.
36:47So this wasn't necessarily what we were expecting.
36:49As I say, Dunlop's been on it all week.
36:51And Harrison might just make it tricky for him.
36:53You're on board with Mike Brown now.
36:55And a 4.29 in that first sector is slightly down on the time I'd expect to see in ideal
37:00conditions.
37:01And there are our splits at Balaft Bridge.
37:03So Dean Harrison has extended his lead look by half a second in the sector at the bottom
37:08of your screen there.
37:09And there's some three seconds quicker than Mike Brown.
37:11So they're in a class of their own here at the moment in terms of their outright pace.
37:15As we've seen, Dean Harrison there tucked in pushing so, so hard.
37:19He's passed Paul Jordan.
37:21And this is incredible.
37:22A lot of people thought Michael Dunlop might just run away from the start.
37:25But Dean Harrison is going well on that Honda.
37:27And he's going to make a race out of this.
37:28Harrison gets on it straight away, doesn't he?
37:30He doesn't need any switching on, he's just on it and flat out immediately.
37:34Yeah, we've seen him set a first lap record in qualifying, record time for qualifying.
37:40He knows the course, he's got so much confidence in that bike beneath him.
37:44As we see Michael Dunlop literally suck the stickers of Jamie Coward's Honda on the way up the mountain.
37:51Just blasting past again.
37:53Brilliant view of the Isle of Man coastline in the background as well.
37:56This stunning little island in the Irish seat.
37:58Harrison fully tucked in.
38:00I guess getting the smaller the bikes, the more important it is you're tucked in.
38:03Absolutely.
38:04It all counts that little bit more when you've got that little bit less horsepower.
38:09Michael Dunlop has got the lead down to two tenths of a second.
38:13Let's get down to Lee Johnston.
38:14Yeah, guys, we've took advantage of jumping up onto the podium for this one
38:18because all these guys are within touching distance in the pits.
38:21We've just seen Mike Brown make a little wobble there.
38:23We're going to follow around onto Dean Horace.
38:25The last pit stop this team did, Dean already had a 15 second lead.
38:30So there is a lot more pressure on with this one.
38:32We can palm back to Michael.
38:33Them guys are trying to put that rear stand in.
38:36Obviously, it's a single side swinging arm, so it's a little bit unstable compared to the other bikes.
38:41But he seems really calm there, guys.
38:43And we know that Michael has a tendency to build into races.
38:46And with that few damp patches out there, are we going to see him now really take charge of this
38:51race?
38:52Hickman in the pit.
38:53What's going on here?
38:55Pliers on the fuel cap.
38:57Yeah, we've got major issues here.
38:58You don't use pliers to open a fuel cap unless it's jammed.
39:02That's a big blow for the Swan Racing team in that pit stop for sure.
39:06And it's only a splash and dash.
39:07So, you know, normally you'd have a bit of time while they're sorting out the rear wheel, but no rear
39:11wheel changes here.
39:11So Hickman lost time and he was sitting in P4 look ahead of Herbertson coming into the grandstand.
39:19So is he going to drop down and what's that going to mean to his chances of getting on the
39:22podium?
39:25And Dunlop, 2.3 seconds, Cam.
39:28So the gap's gone up to 2.3.
39:30That's a big gain.
39:32We've seen it go back and forth by a few tens, but 2.3 in one sector's a lot.
39:36And it's the sector that I thought Dee might have been able to make a little bit of ground back.
39:39That has been his strong sector.
39:41Maybe Michael Dunlop was using that first lap as a bit more of a siding lap than Dean Harrison.
39:46Especially with the damp patches out, they would make sense, wouldn't it?
39:48Hickman coming through, still sitting in fourth.
39:514.6 now ahead of Josh Brooks, but he's some 15 seconds back from Paul Jordan.
39:56I think Herbertson might be in the mix there as well when he gets to the next split.
40:00So Hickman's still way off the podium.
40:0215 seconds is a long way to try and make up.
40:069.6 seconds is the gap. Dunlop's come through Bungalow as well.
40:11So this gap is going up exponentially, Cam.
40:13The first lap was so close.
40:15What's the difference here?
40:17You know, they've been in, the fuel load was the same at the start of lap 1 as it was
40:20at the start of lap 2.
40:21What is the difference here? Has Dunlop just woken up?
40:24I think Dunlop has found his feet. Dean's been pretty much at the limit since the start.
40:29I think they're both just riding as hard as they can to their machine strengths.
40:33But I think the Ducati is going to come out on top today.
40:36Well, Hickman still trying to find his way onto the podium with those two in the battle out front.
40:43Hickman again.
40:45Oh, limiter! Just on the limiter, wasn't it?
40:48Yep. Oh, as he passes, Josh Brooks.
40:51So Brooks, look, he's sitting in P6 at the minute and he's a few seconds back on her,
40:56but then using all the road. So I wonder if he'll get a bit of a toe from Hickman here.
41:00Yeah, he just slipped on past there. Douglas Road corner.
41:02Put the foot out just to say, thanks, Josh. I'm coming through.
41:05We ride on board now with Paul Jordan.
41:08This is the run down towards Kaytree Town.
41:10Yeah, he's back down to second gear through that tight left.
41:13Now he's clicking gears and building speed rapidly as we head up towards the Kaytree.
41:18Look at that 140, 550 miles an hour through a very technical part of the course.
41:26Dunlop up to the hairpin and look at the split on lap three.
41:32Three seconds taken off Harrison again. The gap is up to 21.8.
41:35I think at this point Harrison will have waved the white flag as it were.
41:40Right here we've got Paul Jordan round the outside of Mike Brown as we head up towards Waterworks.
41:46There's Pete Hickman.
41:48Josh Brooks is hanging on to the back of him.
41:50He's really getting a toe from Hickey.
41:53Pairs of riders everywhere, but not this man.
41:56Dunlop, you need it by 23.4 seconds.
41:58Very much going solo in this one.
42:00Has picked off everybody that he wanted to.
42:03Yeah, that blitz racing.
42:05Bill Chakadi is not missing a beat.
42:07It looks like it's going to do the job nicely.
42:09Josh Brooks, Cam, look at the splits, was 0.5 of a second behind.
42:13So Hickman here in his charge to the podium is dragging Brooks along,
42:18trying to chase down that position of Herbertson.
42:22Well, that's the way the TT can work sometimes.
42:25Passing riders, catching riders can work for you, can work against you.
42:29Michael Dunlop drops down into the nook, into the tight right here.
42:34Been just ahead of him on the road.
42:35His target, of course, Dean Harrison.
42:38Harrison's done another brilliant ride.
42:39There's no doubt that he's been absolutely flat out,
42:41but he hasn't been able to match the split times of this man.
42:45Over to the right-hand side.
42:47He's not even flat out as he comes out through Governor's dip,
42:49but Michael Dunlop has absolutely got it done.
42:52It is a ninth-class win in a row and another TT win.
42:58He's up to 34.
43:01Fantastic performance then by Michael Dunlop,
43:03taking the win from Harrison, who was absolutely flat out.
43:06Hickman did make it to the podium and he dragged with him.
43:08Look, Josh Brooks up ahead of Herbertson into P5 with Paul Jordan in fourth.
43:16Michael Dunlop, congratulations on your win.
43:18You've looked strong all week in qualifying
43:20and now cemented it with a top step on the podium.
43:23How do you feel?
43:24Yeah, it was good.
43:25Obviously, it makes me good all week.
43:26We've been really comfortable, so the main thing was to try and put it today
43:32and say the conditions were a wee bit strange today,
43:34but the bike never must have beat.
43:36The boys worked really hard and, as I say, it was nice to be back in here winning again.
43:39How confident did you feel coming into this?
43:41That Panigale has looked strong all week.
43:44Yeah, it's been good all week.
43:45It's been good last year.
43:47I'd say it's against everybody else's bike.
43:49It's a next generation bike and the bike's good.
43:52We've been working well with the bike.
43:53The team's working really, really good.
43:54So, you know, it's great to have another one under my belt.
44:08So, another piece of history for Michael Dunlop.
44:10Victory for him in the Supersports.
44:12Nine on the bounce now.
44:13And super bike success, of course, for Dean Harrison.
44:17The two big names so far at TT26, but still plenty of racing to come.
44:21We'll see you next time.
44:22We'll see you next time.
44:25We'll see you next time.
44:25Bye.
44:26Bye.
44:30Bye.
44:38Bye.
44:39Bye.
44:43Bye.
44:46Bye.
44:52Bye.
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