Dunlop and Hickman absent from the final ranking: it’s time for rising star Davey Todd. Brookes and Harrison also on the podium
June 8, 2024
Cor what else could happen in the sincredible week of the TT? After having kept us in suspense due to the unpredictable weather, canceled the Superstock, experienced the emotions of Michael Dunlop “King of the Mountain”, having surprised us with twists like that of the Superbike, the Senior TT could only be absolutely unpredictable. Yes, the forces in the field were quite clearly aligned: Harrison, Dunlop, Hickman and the new arrival in the “big boys” club Davey Toddfresh winner of the Superstock, actually racing with a bike rather similar to the one used in SBK and Senior.
Dean Harrison
Michael Dunlopfor his part, arrived full of expectations: dominator of Supertwin and Supersport, unlucky in SBK and waiting for redemption with the “big bikes” with which he wants to put the seal on a historic year that sees him, before the start of Senior TT, at 29 total victories: the greatest ever. On the other hand, Hickman is very aggressive, Dean Harrison is excited for having demonstrated throughout the two weeks that he has the right chemistry with the Honda and that he is also ready for a coup after several podiums in the previous days. And then there’s him, Davey Todd: bold, tenacious, very fast and already winner of the Superstock, as well as having achieved podiums with the Ducati Panigale V2 in Supersport. He rightfully entered among the contenders for the Senior TThis opponents know that they have to deal with him for the top step of the podium.
Josh Brookes
TOthe departure Hickman makes it clear that he will not make any concessions today: accumulates record sector after record sector and puts Todd and Dunlop behind him, the latter with a delay of 2.3 seconds; behind them a crowd of riders ready to take advantage of any uncertainty: Harrison, Brookes, Hillier, McGuinness, with Coward forced to retire due to an arm problem.
Peter Hickman
Cith a record sector at Ballaugh Bridge Hickman leads Todd’s BMW M1000RR who however has a full six second advantage over him Dunlop: The Ballymoney driver’s pursuit comes to a halt at the Bungalow, where he is forced to retirement due to a mechanical problem. For Dunlop this year the 1000 seems haunted.
The race continues with Hickman breaking the sector record that goes from the Grandstand to Glen Helen, and then that of Ballaugh Bridge, but this demonstration of strength is of little use to him: in Ginger Hall he slips without consequences physical and his race ends there. At this point Todd finds himself with two laps ahead (“the two longest laps of my life” he will declare at the end of the race) and the pair formed by Josh Brookes and Dean Harrison in pursuit. Todd could manage, also because in the pit stop he is seven seconds faster than Brookes, but he understands that it is his moment and continues to increase his advantage by going on to win with a good lead. 39 seconds ahead of Brookes! Well deserved victory for the 28 year old and third place for Dean Harrison on Honda Fireblade which completes a week that lacked only the sharpness to be beyond all expectations. The top five places are completed by James Hillier and the great John McGuinness, while Stefano Bonetti came in 27th place.
