Argomenti trattati
In a breathtaking showdown at the Isle of Man TT Races on Monday afternoon, Davey Todd emerged victorious in the RST x D3O Superbike Race, marking his third triumph at this prestigious event. Riding for Monster Energy by 8TEN Racing BMW Motorrad, Todd narrowly outpaced fellow competitor Michael Dunlop of MD Racing BMW Motorrad, clinching the win by a mere 1.296 seconds. Dean Harrison from Honda Racing rounded out the podium in third place, making for an unforgettable race.
The race begins amid challenges
The race was delayed slightly, starting at 12:00 PM due to two separate diesel spills on the Mountain Course, creating a tense atmosphere for both riders and fans. As the race commenced, Todd quickly asserted his dominance, leading through Glen Helen on the first lap with a slim margin of just 0.044 seconds over Harrison. Behind them, Dunlop trailed by 2.8 seconds, while Nathan Harrison (H&H Motorcycles Honda), Mike Browne (KTS Racing by Stanley Stewart BMW), and James Hind (North Lincs Components Honda) rounded out the early top six. Surprisingly, several regular front-runners, including John McGuinness, Conor Cummins, and Josh Brookes, found themselves outside the top ten.
Early lap dynamics
As the laps unfolded, Todd’s lead began to grow. By the time he reached Ballaugh, he had increased his advantage to 2 seconds, and by Ramsey, it ballooned to almost 6 seconds. Dunlop was closing the gap on Harrison, reducing the time to just a second. Nathan Harrison held firm in fourth, ten seconds behind Dunlop, while Dominic Herbertson (HRRC/Adam Hewitt Ltd Honda) moved up to fifth place, pushing Browne down to sixth.
Todd’s incredible opening lap speed of 134.275 mph allowed him to build a significant lead—7.8 seconds ahead of Dunlop, who managed a respectable 133.236 mph. Dean Harrison was not far behind, clocking in at 133.051 mph. On this lap, Nathan Harrison celebrated a milestone by joining the ‘130 mph Club’ with a lap speed of 131.270 mph, followed closely by Browne and Herbertson.
Mid-race developments
As the second lap began, Dunlop showcased remarkable speed, clocking the fastest time at Glen Helen and reducing Todd’s lead to 5.9 seconds. Meanwhile, Harrison continued to struggle, losing another two seconds to Dunlop. Todd, however, was not to be underestimated; he extended his lead to 6.2 seconds by Ballaugh, where Harrison had slipped further behind. Nathan Harrison maintained a strong pace, while Herbertson and Johnson advanced to fifth and sixth positions respectively, pushing Browne down to seventh.
By Ramsey, Todd had stretched his lead to 7.5 seconds, but the competition remained fierce. At the Hairpin, Johnson had taken over fifth place, and Hillier moved into sixth. The tension built as the riders approached their mandatory pit stops, a pivotal moment in the race.
Pit stop strategies
During the second lap, Todd recorded a speed of 133.874 mph, but Dunlop kept the pressure on with a slightly quicker time of 133.967 mph, trimming Todd’s lead to 7.1 seconds as they entered the pits. Unfortunately for Dean Harrison, he found himself trailing Dunlop by an alarming 11.2 seconds after a slower lap at 132.682 mph. The positions of Nathan Harrison, Johnson, and Brookes solidified in fourth through sixth, while Browne and Phil Crowe were forced to retire during their pit stops.
As Todd rejoined the race, the gap had narrowed to just 1.8 seconds, igniting the excitement among fans. The official time at Glen Helen on lap three showed Todd ahead by 1.5 seconds, but he quickly rallied, pushing his lead back to 3.086 seconds at Ballaugh. However, a misstep at Parliament Square saw Todd’s lead shrink again, falling to just 1.9 seconds by Ramsey Hairpin.
The thrilling final lap
Entering the fourth and final lap, Todd’s lead stood at 1.9 seconds, with Harrison comfortably sitting in third, 25 seconds back. The drama heightened as Todd’s advantage dwindled to just two-tenths of a second at Glen Helen. Dunlop took the opportunity to pass Harrison at Rhencullen, seizing the lead on the road. But Todd was not about to let victory slip away; he responded fiercely, reclaiming a 2.2-second lead at Ballaugh.
As the riders approached Ramsey Hairpin, there was only a 1.9-second gap, and it tightened further to 2.2 seconds at the Bungalow. The finish line was set for a nail-biting conclusion. With a final lap speed of 135.327 mph, Todd crossed the finish line just 1.296 seconds ahead of Dunlop, who recorded a slightly faster final lap at 135.416 mph. Dean Harrison’s solid performance earned him a commendable third place, marking his 31st podium finish at the TT.
The final standings
In an impressive display of skill, Nathan Harrison finished in fourth place with a lap speed of 131.113 mph. Johnson and Hillier followed closely, rounding out the top six with speeds of 131.097 mph and 131.285 mph respectively. Just beyond the top six, McGuinness, Brookes, Michael Evans—who achieved a personal best lap of 129.594 mph on the Dafabet Racing Honda—and Paul Jordan on the second Jackson Racing bike completed the top ten.
Notably, Amalric Blanc, who secured a personal best lap of 127.726 mph, finished just outside the top ten in 12th place, reaffirming his status as the fastest Frenchman on the Mountain Course.