Michael Dunlop has continued his dominant form at the 2026 Classic TT, storming to victory in the Senior Classic TT on Tuesday morning to claim his third win of the festival. Riding the Team Classic Suzuki, the Northern Irelandman controlled the four-lap race from the front, crossing the finish line 11.68 seconds clear of Jamie Coward. Completing the podium was Nathan Harrison, making it a double rostrum finish for the Greenall Racing Kawasaki team.
With conditions absolutely perfect across the full length of the Mountain Course, it promised to be a blistering encounter — and so it proved, with lap speeds regularly exceeding 127mph as the leading trio pushed hard from start to finish.
Early Skirmishes: Harrison Leads Away, Coward Edges Ahead
Although Nathan Harrison was the first rider through the Glen Helen checkpoint at the head of the field, it was Jamie Coward who held the advantage on corrected times, leading Michael Dunlop by a mere 0.2 seconds. Harrison himself lay just 0.7 seconds further back in third, setting up what looked certain to be a tight three-way scrap for supremacy all the way to the finish line.
Behind the leading trio, Shaun Anderson (Stanford Racing by ARD Suzuki), Dominic Herbertson and Michael Sweeney completed the early top six. The opening laps had already brought disappointment for two of the pre-race favourites: Rob Hodson, fresh from his historic Junior 600 win, was an early retirement at Quarter Bridge aboard the CK Racing Ducati. Mike Browne, third-placed in Sunday’s Formula One race, also failed to go the distance, pulling in at Crosby on the Electric Van Company Kawasaki.
The Lead Changes — Dunlop Hits the Front at Ramsey
As the field roared across Ballaugh Bridge for the first time, Jamie Coward had edged slightly further clear, doubling his advantage over Dunlop to 0.4 seconds. Harrison, meanwhile, had lost ground and slipped 2.4 seconds behind Dunlop in third place. Shaun Anderson remained a solid fourth, but further back there was movement in the mid-order: Michael Sweeney and his Mistral Racing Kawasaki teammate Joe Yeardsley had moved into fifth and sixth respectively, while Dominic Herbertson’s race came to an early end at Orrisdale.
By the time the riders swept through Ramsey Hairpin, the complexion of the race had shifted decisively. Michael Dunlop had nosed ahead, leading Coward by half a second. That slim advantage had doubled by the Bungalow, where Yeardsley had also found a way past Sweeney to claim fifth place in an absorbing intra-team contest.
When the opening lap times were calculated, Harrison was the first to complete a circuit at 126.096mph, but it was Dunlop who held the upper hand overall. A stunning opening lap average of 127.070mph gave him a lead of 1.8 seconds over Coward, who recorded 126.849mph. Harrison slotted in third at 126.096mph, followed by Anderson (124.888mph), Yeardsley (123.065mph) and Sweeney (122.996mph). There was further retirement heartache for Julian Trummer, who had been running strongly inside the top ten before pulling into the pits.
Lap Two: Dunlop Stretches Clear as Coward Chases Hard
Passing Glen Helen for the second time, Dunlop had extended his lead to 2.6 seconds. The bigger story, however, was Harrison losing further ground in third place — now 10.8 seconds behind Coward — although he remained comfortably ahead of fourth-placed Anderson. The fight for fifth remained tight too, with Yeardsley and Sweeney separated by barely two and a half seconds.
Through Ballaugh, Dunlop’s lead had grown to 3.4 seconds, and by Ramsey Hairpin the gap stood at 4.8 seconds as the field began the climb over the mountain towards their single scheduled pit stop. Dunlop then produced the race’s fastest lap — a blistering 128.596mph — to open up a seven-second advantage over Coward, who responded gamely with a lap of 127.970mph. Harrison remained third at 127.155mph, with Anderson fourth (125.662mph). Conor Cummins had also moved into sixth place aboard the Steadplan Racing Kawasaki after overhauling Yeardsley across the mountain.
Pitstop Drama — Cummins and Hickman Hit Trouble
The pit stops proved costly for more than one contender. Conor Cummins’ machine refused to fire up immediately after refuelling, and although the Manxman eventually got back underway, he lost precious time and slipped outside the top ten as a result. There was also disappointment for Peter Hickman: the fourteen-time TT winner pulled into the pits aboard the Norton and was forced to retire from the race, ending his hopes of a Classic TT podium.
Closing Stages: Dunlop Seals the Hat-Trick
Back out on the road for the third lap, Dunlop held his seven-second advantage through Glen Helen, edged to 7.4 seconds at Ballaugh, and then pulled out to nine seconds by Ramsey Hairpin. Harrison remained third but was now 21.4 seconds adrift of the leader, seemingly settled in the final rostrum spot. Anderson held station in fourth comfortably, while behind him Yeardsley had moved back ahead of Sweeney in their ongoing duel. Barry Furber’s strong run also came to an end at this stage with retirement.
Entering the fourth and final lap, Dunlop had extended his lead to 11.2 seconds, and with the top positions now stabilised, it became a procession to the line — albeit at breathtaking speed. Dunlop crossed the finish line with a final lap average of 128.031mph to secure his third victory of the 2026 Classic TT, winning comfortably by 11.68 seconds. Jamie Coward took second — repeating his podium finish from Sunday’s Formula One race — with Nathan Harrison third to complete a fine day for Greenall Racing Kawasaki.
Behind the top three, Shaun Anderson held on for fourth place. The race-long scrap for fifth went the way of Joe Yeardsley, who got the better of his teammate Michael Sweeney by 3.5 seconds at the chequered flag. Paul Williams, Joey Thompson, Ryan Whitehall and Kevin Keyes completed the top ten, whilst Conor Cummins fought back gamely from his pitlane delays to finish eleventh.
Classic TT 2026 Draws to a Close
Michael Dunlop’s victory in the Senior Classic TT brings down the curtain on an action-packed week of racing at the 2026 Classic TT. Dunlop’s three wins across the meeting underline his status as one of the Mountain Course’s all-time great competitors, and his dominance aboard the Team Classic Suzuki will long be remembered.
The day’s celebrations are far from over though, with the afternoon set to mark some true road racing legends. Attention turns to the Back to 1996 Rewind Parade, the Classic Sidecar Parade, and a very special John McGuinness MBE 30 Years Parade — honouring three decades since the Morecambe Missile made his TT debut, a milestone sure to draw huge appreciation from the fans lining the course.
Photos: Isle of Man TT Races
