Michael Dunlop has extended his incredible Isle of Man TT win record further by taking his third win of the 2024 event in Saturday’s shortened and rescheduled second Supersport race.
It marked Dunlop's sixth consecutive win in the middleweight class (and 28th overall at the TT) - and it looked in little doubt as he stayed clear of a close battle for second between Dean Harrison and Davey Todd.
MOST ISLE OF MAN TT WINS
Michael Dunlop - 28
Joey Dunlop - 26
John McGuinness - 23
Dave Molyneux - 17
Ian Hutchinson - 16
Mike Hailwood - 14
Ben Birchall - 14
Tom Birchall - 14
Peter Hickman - 14
Delayed from its originally scheduled slot on Wednesday by poor weather conditions on the Isle of Man, the event was cut from its original four laps to three and then finally two - something that traditionally doesn't suit Dunlop’s slow-starting style.
However, it didn’t impact him too much as he made the most of his other trademark skill: pushing hard in damp conditions left over from the rain that saw the schedule pushed even further back on Saturday morning.
“It was a wee bit windy,” Dunlop admitted after the race. “I had a bit of an issue on the first lap and lost the front, but I don’t know if it was the wind, or if I hit a damp spot, or if we’ve lost fork pressure. It was one of the three anyway!
"I just couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to, because it was in my mind that it wasn’t just 100%.
“But I can’t say anything more, the bike was fantastic and everything else was mint. To be beating factory teams on a private bike is fantastic.
“I don’t think the race distance affects them because they’re racing in BSB [British Superbikes] week in and week out and can just go bang-bang-bang.
"But I need a couple of miles to get going, and four laps would have suited me - but I don’t care, a win is a win!”
Behind him, Harrison and Superstock TT winner Todd were trading the second spot back and forth for much of the first lap before the factory Honda rider pulled ahead and remained there until the chequered flag, four seconds behind Dunlop but two ahead of Todd’s Ducati.
With a frantic final day of the 2024 event as the organisers try to complete as much racing as possible, Dunlop will return to the track soon for the second Supertwin TT, also shortened to two laps, and then finally the blue-riband Senior TT over four laps of the 37.73-mile course.
