Dean Harrison returned to the top step of the Isle of Man TT podium on Tuesday evening with a commanding performance in the RL360 Superstock TT, claiming his fourth career TT victory and his first since winning the Senior in 2019. Riding for Honda Racing UK, Harrison laid down a blistering final lap of 135.692mph — the fastest of his life around the Mountain Course — to beat Davey Todd (Monster Energy by 8TEN Racing BMW Motorrad) by 11.6 seconds.
Michael Dunlop, riding for his own MD Racing BMW outfit, crossed the line in third, notching up his 47th career TT podium — drawing him level with John McGuinness in the all-time podium standings.
The race, originally scheduled for a mid-morning 10:45am start, was pushed back to 6:30pm due to delays and shortened from the standard three laps to just two laps — increasing the stakes and reducing margin for error.
Early Moves and Close Margins
It was Todd who made the early statement, taking a slender 0.2-second lead over Harrison at Glen Helen on the opening lap. James Hillier (Muc-Off Racing Honda) sat third, trailing by just over five seconds, while Nathan Harrison (H&H Motorcycles Honda) followed in fourth, a further 1.2 seconds back.
That put Nathan just ahead of Michael Dunlop, with Michael Evans (Dafabet Racing Honda) rounding out the top six. Impressively, only one second separated the riders in positions five through eleven — underlining just how competitive the Superstock class has become.
By Ballaugh Bridge, Todd had edged his lead to a full second, though Dunlop had climbed into third. Meanwhile, Hillier and Nathan Harrison each dropped a place, with Dominic Herbertson (HRRC/Adam Hewitt Ltd Honda) moving into sixth.
As the field rounded Ramsey Hairpin, Harrison began to apply serious pressure, cutting Todd’s lead down to two seconds. Dunlop, now firmly in third, had fallen 13.3 seconds adrift of the race leader, while Hillier, Nathan Harrison, and a resurging Ian Hutchinson (moobob/MLav Racing BMW) formed a tight chasing group just behind.
Harrison Begins to Haul In Todd
Todd physically overtook Dunlop on the road at Creg-ny-Baa and clocked an opening lap of 133.712mph, but Harrison was hot on his heels with a lap of 133.658mph. The gap between the two was now a razor-thin 0.4 seconds.
Dunlop’s lap speed of 131.061mph kept him comfortably in third, while Hillier (130.498mph), Nathan Harrison (130.315mph), and Hutchinson rounded out the top six. Hutchy’s lap marked a personal milestone — his first 130mph lap since 2017, a significant return to form.
Just behind, Herbertson (129.949mph), Conor Cummins (Burrows Engineering/RK Racing BMW, 129.919mph), and the Jackson Racing Honda duo of Paul Jordan (129.859mph) and Josh Brookes (129.429mph) were all tightly grouped and battling for position inside the top ten.
Final Lap Surge Secures It for Harrison
As the riders passed Glen Helen for the final time, Harrison had taken control of the race, now leading Todd by 2.3 seconds. Dunlop remained in a distant third, 20 seconds off the pace, while Hillier held onto fourth. Hutchinson, now in fifth, had a two-second cushion over Nathan Harrison.
With the road ahead clear, Harrison made the most of his opportunity. By the time he leapt over Ballaugh Bridge, his lead had grown by another second. At Ramsey Hairpin, it had swelled to five seconds — a sign that Todd was being hampered by back markers between Ginger Hall and the Mountain climb.
Crossing the tram lines at the Bungalow, the gap had nearly doubled, and Harrison closed out the race with a sensational second lap of 135.692mph — the fastest of the race, and the best of his career. It sealed not only his first ever Superstock TT win but also marked Honda’s first Superstock victory since 2014.
Podium and Final Classification
Todd, despite the traffic, held on for second with a lap of 134.077mph, narrowly ahead of Dunlop’s 134.081mph — a close finish that showed Dunlop’s fighting spirit even as he lacked the pace to challenge for the win.
Hillier wrapped up fourth with a solid 131.937mph, followed by Hutchinson (131.606mph) and Cummins (131.486mph). Nathan Harrison’s 130.840mph was enough for seventh, just ahead of Herbertson, who lapped at 131.182mph. Brookes took ninth with 130.760mph, while James Hind, riding the North Lincs Components Honda, impressed with a superb 132.152mph lap, completing the top ten.
Michael Evans finished 11th but had reason to celebrate, breaking into the 130mph club for the first time with a 130.094mph lap — an important personal achievement at this level.
Photos: Isle of Man TT Races
