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Dean Harrison completes Isle of Man TT Superstock double: ‘I can go fast, I've proved that'
Dean Harrison completes Isle of Man TT Superstock double: ‘I can go fast, I've proved that'

Belfast Telegraph

time06-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • Belfast Telegraph

Dean Harrison completes Isle of Man TT Superstock double: ‘I can go fast, I've proved that'

Harrison took advantage of Davey Todd's pit-stop woe when the 8TEN Racing rider struggled to restart his BMW machine, losing approximately 12 seconds, while fellow top rival Michael Dunlop had more issues with his MD Racing BMW after an electronics problem in the first race. Harrison won the three-lap Opul Superstock race – delayed from 10:45am until 2:30pm because of damp patches – by 16 seconds from a disappointed Todd, who had 32 seconds in hand over Dunlop. 'Massive thanks to the whole team and Honda, everyone's put a brilliant bike together and it's great to see the Honda Fireblade on P1,' said Harrison. 'We're constantly trying to adapt. Everyone's in the same boat here, really, it's such a difficult place. Trying to set your bike up around here is a bit of a compromise. 'We had a little bit of a stability issue which we've near enough cured now, and it just means that I can ride the bike how I want to ride the bike. 'I can go fast, I've proved that this week; I just need a bit of luck on my side on the day and here we are.' Harrison's wins are his first at the TT since 2019 and the Isle of Man-based Bradford man could not hide his elation in the winners' enclosure. 'Words can't describe it,' he added. 'I'm absolutely over the moon to get two wins in the Superstock race. 'I got off to a real hard start, I read my pit board and I was P1, P2, and P1 over the Mountain. I saw P1 +13 coming out of Glen Helen on lap two, I thought 'Oh'. 'I carried on as hard as I could and thought, 'I'll carry on this lap to try and manage that, if I can keep that lead the same there's no way someone's going to make 13 or 14 seconds on me in a lap'. 'So, I just kept my head down and I got to P1 +20, and I just read my board from there and just managed it and sort of knocked it off a little bit on the last lap and just brought it home.' Todd won last year's only Superstock race but the Saltburn-by-the-Sea man had to settle for the runner-up spot again after finishing second in the opening race. 'Another frustrating one,' Todd said. 'I'm just disappointed. 'I really felt like we could challenge for that win there, made some improvements to the bike. Then it didn't start in the pit-stop – not a clue why. 'I had the same thing last year, for a different reason, but it just wouldn't start. 'I felt like I had a really steady first lap and we were in the mix there. 'I guess I half-gave-up [after the pit stop] because you're not going to reel that time back on someone like Dean [Harrison] when he's riding the way he is.' Dunlop was equally dismayed after struggling on the first lap especially with his BMW, when Dunlop dropped to 20th by Glen Helen after running on at Braddan. 'I don't know what's going on, we tried everything but something's not working for some reason,' he said. 'Then I ran on – I just couldn't get a gear – I ran on at Braddan and then I knew that was the race [over] after that. 'You can't drop time against these boys and it was just damage limitation after that.' Ian Hutchinson had been in the hunt for a podium on the opening lap before retiring on the MLav Racing BMW. Fourth went to James Hillier on the Muc-Off Honda from Conor Cummins on the Burrows/RK Racing BMW, while Australian Josh Brookes rounded out the top six on the Jackson Racing Honda. Brookes' team-mate Paul Jordan was forced out with a problem.

Michael Dunlop has everything he needs to continue leading way, insists Phillip McCallen
Michael Dunlop has everything he needs to continue leading way, insists Phillip McCallen

Belfast Telegraph

time11-05-2025

  • Automotive
  • Belfast Telegraph

Michael Dunlop has everything he needs to continue leading way, insists Phillip McCallen

Dunlop ended a nine-year wait for victory at the Triangle road race on Thursday, clinching a Supersport and Superstock double. The Ballymoney man then added a Superbike success on Saturday to complete a terrific treble, giving him eight career wins at Ireland's premier motorcycle race. It was Dunlop's first Superbike success around the 8.9-mile course since 2016 when he triumphed on a Hawk Racing BMW. Now riding BMW machinery for the first time since the Armoy Race of Legends national meeting in 2021, Dunlop put himself back on the top step on Saturday, much to the delight of his thousands of sun-drenched fans. It has been an impressive start to 2025 for Dunlop, who was a double winner at the Cookstown 100 in April in the Supersport and Superbike classes as he warmed up for the major road races. Dunlop will now be looking ahead to the Isle of Man TT where he became the most successful rider in history at the legendary event in 2024, winning four times to set a new benchmark of 29 victories. He has changed his stable of machinery for 2025, switching from Honda to BMW for the Superbike and Superstock classes and changing from a Yamaha R6 to a Ducati Panigale V2 Supersport machine. Dunlop is set to continue riding an Italian Paton in the Supertwin races at the TT where he won both races in the summer of 2024 plus both Supersport events to break his legendary uncle Joey's record of 26 wins around the infamous Mountain Course. With long-time backers Stuart and Steve Hicken of Hawk Racing continuing to support Dunlop in 2025 and his close-knit MD Racing team behind him – headed by loyal sponsor and right-hand man Gary Ryan – McCallen says the road racing superstar is in his strongest position for years with the TT only weeks away. 'It's the team and the backup,' said McCallen, who is an 11-time TT winner. 'For the last few years, it's looked like he's had his bikes at the last minute or he's come here still building bikes and doing different things and he's not really ready. 'This year, he's been racing, he's done an endurance race (at Le Mans), he's done other races this year, and I know these are new bikes but the teams are really, really good. 'He's got the same teams as he's had for years and he's totally confident with those people because there is a big worry of 'who is working on my bikes and what are they doing with it'. 'So, he's happy with his teams and he knows he's got good bikes. 'That Ducati, apparently there is no higher-spec Ducati in Europe than that; his BMW Superbike, allegedly – and it looks like it – there's no higher-spec than that in the country as well. 'His production bike is definitely good and the Hawk boys, the team that he is so, so happy with, they have built him TT and North West-winning bikes, although more so at the TT. 'He's happy with them, and in my mind, if I had that Ducati, I'd be happy; if I had those BMWs with that spec, I'd be happy as well. 'I think that's all showing now, and lots of other years he hasn't had the miles he's wanted. 'He has come here (North West 200) with maybe a few race miles done, but this year, he has come mentally prepared, he's definitely physically prepared and he's mechanically prepared, so why would you not be happy?' Carrickfergus rider Alastair Seeley was unable to achieve a milestone 30th win at the North West on his return to the event after a year's absence, however Dunlop is on the cusp of reaching that remarkable landmark at the TT. On current form, it appears to be a matter of when, not if.

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