Michael Dunlop is back on the top of the podium, taking his 19th career TT win riding the Paton 650 to victory in the Lightweight TT.

Dunlop out-dueled Jamie Coward in the two-lap race, the two riders within a couple of seconds apart the whole time. After the first lap, Dunlop held a 0.748 second advantage over Coward with Lee Johnston in third.

Coward and Dunlop swapped the lead between them on the second lap, with Dunlop gaining a 1.4 second lap at Ramsey as they both made their down the final stretch. Dunlop crossed the line just short of his own Lightweight TT lap record but had to wait to see Coward’s time. When Coward finally crossed, he was 1.299 seconds slower, giving Dunlop his 19th TT victory.

Despite falling short of the win, Coward achieved a personal best with his first career TT podium. Johnston completed the podium in third.

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Dunlop Takes 19th Tt Race Win with Narrow Bennetts Lightweight TT Race Victory

Michael Dunlop took a thrilling Bennetts Lightweight TT Race victory at the 2019 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, on Thursday evening when he beat Jamie Coward by just 1.299s at the end of the shortened two lap race.

Dunlop (SC Corse Paton) and Coward (KTS Racing Kawasaki) swapped the race lead on a number of occasions and were never more than a few seconds apart but the Ulsterman just held off Coward for his 19th TT victory. Lee Johnston finished in third place on the KMR Kawasaki.

Dunlop led Coward at Glen Helen on the first lap by 2.68s with Gary Johnson only 0.676s adrift in third. Bonetti slotted into fourth ahead of Michael Rutter and Johnston with Peter Hickman the best of the Nortons in eighth.

Coward pulled two tenths of a second back on the run to Ballaugh but by Ramsey Dunlop had extended his lead to four seconds and although Johnson was still in third, he was now 5.8s behind Coward. He had his hands full with KMR Kawasaki team-mate Johnston who had closed to within 0.158s but John McGuinness was a retirement at Ballaugh.

Over the Mountain, Coward took 3.7s out of Dunlop’s lead to trail by just three tenths of a second at the Bungalow and he took the lead for the first time at Cronk ny Mona. His opening lap of 120.65mph gave him a slender 0.748s advantage over Dunlop but Johnston had made great progress to move up to third ahead of Stefano Bonetti, Johnson and Paul Jordan.

Davey Todd retired his Norton at the pits but at the head of the field, Dunlop cut Coward’s lead by three tenths of a second at Glen Helen second time around with just under half a second separating the duo. Johnston was only two seconds ahead of Bonetti as Jordan moved ahead of Johnson into fifth.

At Ballaugh, the gap had come down further still to 0.163s but at Ramsey Dunlop was back in front by 1.4s with just the final run over the Mountain to come. Coward wasn’t giving up without a fight though and he had the better run to the Bungalow as he brought the deficit down to 1.158s.

The Yorkshire rider took another four tenths out of Dunlop as they passed through Cronk ny Mona and as Dunlop flashed across the line at 122.746mph, three hundredths of a second outside his own lap record, he had an agonising wait to see if he’d won.

Coward lapped at 122.52mph but fell 1.299s short although second place saw him claim his first ever TT podium. Johnston took third for former winner Ryan Farquhar with Jordan taking an excellent fourth place finish in his third TT ahead of Rutter and Bonetti.

Johnson faded to seventh as Peter Hickman gave Norton something to cheer about in eighth with Dominic Herbertson and Horst Saiger completing the top ten.

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Peter Hickman won his third TT race of the week, and second in the same day following the Supersport TT Race 2, winning the 2019 Superstock TT.

Hickman led through Glen Helen on the first lap, ahead of Dean Harrison and James Hillier. By Ballaugh, Hickman’s lead increased while Michael Dunlop passed Hillier for third. At the end of the opening lap, Hickman had developed a solid nine-second lead before heading in for the three-lap race’s mandated pit stop.

By the second time through Glen Helen, Harrison had cut the lead down to 5.8 seconds but Hickman later began to pull away once more, restoring a nine-second advantage by Ramsey. Entering the third and final lap, Hickman’s lead grew to 16.576 seconds.

As Hickman continued to pull away on the final lap, the drama shifted to the battle for third between Dunlop and David Johnson, with the latter ahead by 0.784 seconds at Glen Helen. Dunlop continued to chase Johnson but fell 0.208 seconds short and missed the podium.

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Peter Hickman Bags his Second Win of the Day in Dominant RL360 Superstock TT Performance

Peter Hickman joined a select group of riders to win two races in a day at the Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, when he dominated the RL360 Superstock race to win by 26.045s from Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Kawasaki).

The Smiths Racing BMW rider followed up his Monster Energy Supersport success from earlier in the day to take his fifth TT victory – and his third of the week – with David Johnson (Honda Racing) achieving his maiden TT podium in third as he got the better of Michael Dunlop on the final lap by just 0.208s.

A superb first sector saw Hickman lead through Glen Helen on the opening lap, – 1.68s ahead of Harrison with James Hillier a similar distance back in third. Dunlop slotted into fourth ahead of Michael Rutter and Davey Todd who was having a storming ride in sixth.

Hickman increased his lead by a further seven tenths of a second at Ballaugh, while Dunlop moved ahead of Hillier for third. At Ramsey Hairpin the Burton upon Trent rider’s advantage had grown to 3.978s. Harrison was now almost five seconds clear of Dunlop with Hillier, Conor Cummins and Johnson occupying fourth to sixth positions.

A brilliant run over the Mountain and an opening lap of 132.02mph gave Hickman a 9.026s lead over Harrison as the riders all made their mandatory pit stop. Dunlop was just over four seconds behind Harrison but 6.7s ahead of Hillier although the Kawasaki rider picked up a 30s pit lane speeding penalty which dropped him down the order. Johnson was now in fifth having overhauled Cummins.

Hickman’s lead at Glen Helen had come down to 5.8s as Harrison made his bid to close the gap and it looked like it was now a two-horse race with Dunlop over eleven seconds in arrears in third. Johnson had moved up to fourth, courtesy of a superb pit stop, from Cummins and Rutter as Hillier went through in ninth.

As the lap unfolded, Hickman began to reassert his authority back on the race once more and the lead was up to nine seconds at Ramsey with Dunlop having lost a further three seconds on the west part of the circuit. Indeed, he was now coming under pressure from a charging Johnson on the Honda Racing machine.

Hickman’s second lap speed of 128.13mph gave him a healthy lead of 16.576s over Harrison as he headed into his third and final lap of the 37.73-mile course. Dunlop was now only 3.2s ahead of Johnson as Cummins and Rutter slotted into fifth and sixth. Hillier had fought his way back up to seventh.

At Glen Helen third time around, Hickman had extended his advantage over Harrison to 18.078s but Johnson had now moved up to third at the expense of Dunlop, although the gap between the pairing was only 0.784s.. Cummins and Rutter remained in fifth and sixth respectively but the battle for third was getting closer with Dunlop having closed to within 0.114s at Ballaugh.

Throughout the final lap, Hickman continually pressed home his advantage and with a final lap speed of 131.38mph, he took the chequered flag by 26.045s to move on to a career total of five TT wins.

Harrison took his second runner-up spot of the day, and third of the week, with Johnson getting the better of Dunlop for third by 0.208s as he overhauled the Ulsterman in the final sector. Cummins and Rutter took fifth and sixth with Hillier, Todd, Jamie Coward and Gary Johnson completing the top ten.

Dean Osborne was reported to be unhurt after coming off at Appledene.

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After rain forced TT organizers to shuffle its race schedule for several days, the 2019 Isle of Man TT finally resumed with Peter Hickman winning the second Supersport TT race. Hickman beat out Dean Harrison and James Hillier for his fourth career TT win and first in the 600cc Supersport category.

The race was shortened from four laps to two in order to fit it into a more compressed schedule, meaning pit strategies had to be tossed out in favor of a pure sprint twice around the Mountain Course. The good news was that the course was now mostly dry, with only a few slightly damp patches.

Hickman had the early lead at Glen Helen, but Hillier was just 0.06 seconds behind. In fact, the lead six riders were all within two and a half seconds at that waypoint.

Harrison took over the lead at Ballaugh, but Hickman regained the advantage when they wound through Ramsay. Hillier, meanwhile, was just slightly behind them in third.

By their second time through Glen Helen, Harrison had moved back into the lead over Hickman while the gap ahead of Hillier in third widened. Harrison and Hickman remained neck-and-neck the rest of the way, before Hickman finally gained an advantage, finishing 3.302 seconds faster than Harrison.

Dean Harrison led through parts of both laps before Peter Hickman finally pulled away.

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Hickman Takes Fourth TT Win

Peter Hickman claimed his fourth TT Race victory at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy when he won Thursday’s two-lap Monster Energy Supersport TT Race, his first win in the 600cc category.

The Trooper Beer by Smiths Racing Triumph rider was locked in battle throughout the two laps with Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Kawasaki) but with his now customary charge over the Mountain on lap two, the Burton upon Trent rider edged to a win by 3.3s. James Hillier took third on the Quattro Plant Wicked Coatings Kawasaki.

Having originally been scheduled for 10.45am on Wednesday, the race, cut from four laps to two, eventually got underway at 12.55pm on Thursday and with dry conditions all round the Mountain Course, except for some sight damp patches at Laurel Bank, the Black Dub, Glen Helen, Kerromoar and Ramsey Hairpin, it was Hickman who led at Glen Helen on the opening lap.

However, his lead over Hillier was just 0.06s and it was close across the leaderboard with Harrison, Gary Johnson, Lee Johnston and Jamie Coward filling third to sixth place positions as just two and a half seconds covered the top six. Ian Hutchinson was in trouble though with the Honda Racing rider retiring at Quarter Bridge.

James Hillier remained close to Hickman and Harrison on the first lap but couldn’t come close to challenging them for the lead.

It was all change at Ballaugh as Harrison took over the lead from Hillier and Hickman with the trio separated by only half a second but by Ramsey Hickman moved back to the top of the leaderboard. The gap was only 0.038s as Hillier dropped back to third, one and a half seconds adrift of Harrison.

The trio remained close as they went up and over the Mountain for the first time but an opening lap of 127.21mph gave Hickman a 2.3s lead over Harrison with Hillier just under a second further back in third. Conor Cummins and Coward had moved up to fourth and fifth as Johnston slipped back to sixth.

With no pit stop on this occasion, the riders went on to their second and final lap but Harrison’s strength on the opening sector could again be seen as he turned his deficit into a half second advantage as the riders swept round the left hander at Glen Helen. It looked to be a two-horse race as well as Hillier was now three seconds in arrears of Hickman.

By Ballaugh, Hickman had edged ahead again but it remained extremely tight with Harrison only three tenths of a second behind. Hillier dropped another second but stayed in third over six seconds clear of Cummins as Coward and Johnson completed the top six.

As they arrived at Ramsey for the final time, the gap, amazingly, was almost exactly the same and, just like last year’s Senior race, it was all going to come down to the final run over the Mountain.

Through the Bungalow, Hickman had added another six tenths of a second to his lead and he’d increased it to 1.9s at Cronk ny Mona. Indeed, with the fastest lap of the race, 128.14mph, Hickman clinched victory by 3.302s for his first Supersport TT win.

Harrison had to settle for second with Hillier taking another 600cc podium in third as Cummins finished in a safe fourth. Coward took his best ever TT result in fifth ahead of Dunlop with Davey Todd also having his best ever TT finish in seventh. Gary Johnson, Lee Johnston and David Johnson rounded out the top ten.

Hickman’s victory saw him extend his lead at the top of the Joey Dunlop TT Championship to 13 points and he now leads the way on 66 from Harrison (53) and Hillier (49).

Coward took his third successive maximum haul of points in the race for the TT Privateers Championship and he’s moved onto 75 points ahead of Derek Sheils (47) and Paul Jordan (45) who took 12th and 11th respectively in today’s race.

Matt Stevenson was reported to be off at Greeba Castle and was treated at the scene for a wrist injury.

Tickets for the 2019 events are now on sale via the Official iomttraces.com website including Official Grandstand Tickets, VIP Hospitality Experiences, and Official Entertainment Events. You can stay up to date with all the latest TT news by subscribing to the Official Isle of Man TT Races Newsletter.

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Ben and Tom Birchall captured their seventh-straight Sidecar TT race, winning the two-lap second sidecar race of the 2019 Isle of Man TT. The Birchall brothers have been unbeatable on the Mountain Course, once again winning solidly ahead of second place finishers John Holden and Lee Cain.

The Birchall brothers led through Glen Helen on the first lap, but Holden and Cain were only a second behind. Holden and Cain managed to keep a good pace but by Ramsey their deficit had increased to 2.757 seconds. By the end of the opening lap, the lead had stretched to 10.602 seconds.

Despite Holden and Cain’s best efforts, the Birchalls continued to pull away on the second lap, eventually winning by 20.511 seconds. Holden and Cain finished comfortably in second, while Peter Founds and passenger Jevan Walmsley completed the podium in third.

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Birchalls at the Double with Second TT Race Win in a Week

Ben and Tom Birchall matched the ten wins of TT legend Rob Fisher when they took their second victory of the week in the Locate.im Sidecar TT Race at the 2019 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy.

In a weather affected fortnight the race was moved forward from Friday’s scheduled start and reduced to 2 laps to complete a packed programme of races.

The Nottinghamshire brothers overcame the early challenge of John Holden/Lee Cain to win by more than twenty seconds with Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley sealing the final podium position in third.

The Birchalls led Holden/Cain by a second at Glen Helen on the first of the two laps with Alan Founds/Jake Lowther, Founds/Walmsley and Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney slotting into third to fifth. Dave Molyneux/Harry Payne and Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes both got further than what they had done in the opening race but were back in sixth and seventh respectively.

Founds/Lowther only made it up the hill and were reported to have stopped at Sarah’s Cottage where they were making adjustments while Monday’s sensational newcomers Ryan and Callum Crowe failed to make the start with machine issues but at the head of the field, it was extremely tight as Holden/Cain reduced the deficit by a tenth of a second as they took the jump at Ballaugh Bridge.

Through Ramsey Hairpin first time around, the Birchalls injected a sense of urgency and their lead had increased to 2.757s but with Alan Founds reported as stopped, brother Pete moved up to third albeit over 14 seconds adrift of Holden/Cain. Blackstock/Rosney were now fourth with Molyneux/Payne in fifth and Reeves/Wilkes up to sixth.

An opening lap of 118.38mph saw the Birchalls extend their lead over Holden/Cain to 10.602s while Founds/Lowther remained in third albeit now thirty seconds behind the leaders. Blackstock/Rosney, Molyneux/Payne and Reeves/Wilkes continued to occupy fourth to sixth.

The lead had stretched to 13 seconds at Glen Helen second time around and Holden/Cain were also extending their advantage over Founds/Walmsley, the gap now up to 24.636s. Blackstock/Rosney continued to hold on to fourth but they pulled into the car park by the commentary point to make adjustments before rejoining the race.

Former race winners Molyneux and Reeves were now split by only 0.2s as they circulated in fifth and sixth but by Ramsey for the second and final time, the Birchalls were almost 17s clear of Holden/Cain and with a lap speed of 118.609mph, they took their second win of the week, and tenth in total, by a commanding 20.511s.

Holden/Cain had to settle for second once more, the Blackburn driver’s 12th podium in a row, with Founds/Walmsley finishing in third and taking their first podium since 2016. Reeves/Wilkes came through to take fourth ahead of Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde with Estelle Leblond/Franck Claeys finishing in a fine sixth place after another 110mph+ lap for the French female driver.

The top ten was completed Blackstock/Rosney, Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas, John Lowther/Scott Hardie and a slowing Molyneux/Payne.

Passenger Julie Grosset-Bourbange was reported to have come out of the sidecar at Rhencullen and sustained an arm injury.

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