Michael Dunlop Secures Record-Breaking 27th Isle of Man TT Victory
As the 2024 Isle of Man TT racing season unfolded on Friday, 7 June, Michael Dunlop emerged as the most successful rider in the history of the event, surpassing his late uncle Joey’s record of 26 wins with a total of 27 victories.
Prior to the start of racing, Dunlop’s win count stood at 27, following his victories in the first Supersport and first Supertwin contests. There is still a possibility that he could end the week with 30 wins under his belt.
Although Dunlop has had an impressive run, he hasn’t had it all his own way. Visor issues cost him a victory in the Superbike TT, allowing Peter Hickman to take the win with a 14th career victory. Meanwhile, Davey Todd secured the top spot in a tense Superstock 1 event on Thursday, 6 June.
In the last 23 TT solo races, only two have been won by someone other than Dunlop, Hickman, or Dean Harrison. The exceptions are Lee Johnston, who won the Supersport event in 2019, and Todd, who took the Superstock win in 2024.
The dominating quartet of Dunlop, Hickman, Harrison, and Todd have consistently occupied the top four positions in all but the Supersport and Supertwin races, showcasing their superior skill and dominance on the Isle of Man circuit, particularly on the high-powered Superstock and Superbike machinery.
In the Superbike race, the foursome were the only riders to breach the 135mph lap barrier in the six-lap contest.
Top 5 Finishers in the 2024 Isle of Man TT Superbike TT:
- Peter Hickman, BMW – 135.534mph
- Davey Todd, BMW – 135.664mph
- Dean Harrison, Honda – 135.185mph
- Michael Dunlop, Honda – 135.970mph (race class lap record)
- James Hillier, Honda – 132.441mph
The outright lap record, set by Hickman on a Superstock bike last year, stands at 136.358mph. While the weather conditions may have affected the chances of breaking this record, it remains a possibility in the final few days of TT 2024.
Top 5 Finishers in the 2024 Isle of Man TT Superstock 1 Race:
- Davey Todd, BMW – 135.092mph
- Peter Hickman, BMW – 135.140mph
- Michael Dunlop, Honda – 133.733mph
- Dean Harrison, Honda – 133.835mph
- James Hillier, Honda – 131.684mph
Despite not being on the same pace as the top two in the first Superstock race, Dunlop and Harrison’s performances still demonstrate their superior skill and separation from the rest of the pack.
Other notable riders, such as 14-time TT podium finisher James Hillier and 23-time TT winner John McGuinness, have also been going strongly at TT 2024 aboard their respective Honda machines.
“For me, it’s just through mostly a lot of fast corners where the bike is out of shape and hard to hold onto,” Brookes tells Autosport. “You need to use literally from the hedge of the left over the kerb on the right and back over to the hedge on the left on the way out, and vice versa.
Josh Brookes, a double British Superbike champion, has been racing on and off at the TT since 2013 and finished on the podium in Supertwins in 2023. However, he’s had an unfortunate 2024 event so far.
Brookes believes that the difference lies in the faster sections of the track, where maximizing lap time is crucial. According to him, the ‘big four’ riders are able to push the limits, using the entire track from hedge to kerb to hedge again, leaving no margin for error.
“I believe I can be in that podium hunt if I can get another successive year under my belt. My times currently suggest that is definitely realistic for the former fastest newcomer.”
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