HICKMAN CLAIMS 14TH TT WIN IN DRAMATIC RST SUPERBIKE RACE
Peter Hickman clinched his 14th TT victory in a thrilling RST Superbike TT Race at the Isle of Man TT Races, matching the legendary Mike Hailwood’s record. The Monster Energy BMW rider seized the lead on the final lap, securing a remarkable win by 5.84 seconds ahead of Davey Todd from Milwaukee BMW, with Dean Harrison of Honda Racing claiming the third spot on the podium.
The race unfolded amidst intense drama, particularly for Michael Dunlop of MasterMac by Hawk/MD Racing Honda, who initially led by a commanding 25 seconds at the two-thirds race distance. However, Dunlop encountered a setback with the sidepod on his visor after his second pit stop, forcing him to stop on Bray Hill and ultimately relegating him to fourth place.
Commencing on time at 2:40 pm, the race witnessed near-perfect conditions around the Mountain Course. Todd led the charge through Glen Helen on the opening lap, closely followed by Hickman, with only a slim margin of 0.037 seconds separating them. Harrison, Dunlop, Josh Brookes from Hickman’s team, and James Hillier of WTF Racing Honda rounded out the top six, with just 3.5 seconds covering the leaders. However, Brookes retired early, encountering chain issues after Handley’s.
Maintaining his lead through Ballaugh, Todd held a slender advantage over Harrison, with Dunlop moving into third as Hickman slipped to fourth. By Ramsey, Todd extended his lead over Harrison to 1.18 seconds, while Hickman showcased his speed from Ballaugh to Ramsey. The race witnessed several retirements, including James Hind and Shaun Anderson.
Todd’s opening lap pace of 134.417mph gave him a 2.2 second lead over Dunlop (134.118mph), with Harrison closely behind. Hickman maintained fourth position, while Hillier and Jamie Coward of KTS Racing rounded out the top six. Notably, Mike Browne became the fastest ever Aprilia rider around the Mountain Course.
Dunlop reduced Todd’s lead to 1.5 seconds at Glen Helen, while Hickman closed in on Harrison, narrowing the gap to just three tenths of a second. Despite losing ground to the leaders, Hickman was steadily making progress. Dunlop surged ahead over Ballaugh Bridge, extending his lead to half a second by Ramsey Hairpin.
Dunlop’s impressive pace continued into the second lap, as he moved nine seconds clear with a lap of 135.543mph. Hickman charged into second place, followed closely by Todd, as Harrison slipped to fourth. Hillier and Coward maintained their positions in fifth and sixth, respectively.
However, Hickman encountered a setback in the pits, dropping to third behind Todd at Glen Helen on lap three. Meanwhile, Dunlop continued to extend his lead, pulling 17.3 seconds clear of Todd. Although Hickman rallied, he struggled to match the pace of the leaders.
By the fourth lap, Dunlop’s lead grew to 25.1 seconds over Todd. Hickman surged into third, benefiting from a tow from Dunlop, with Coward setting a new personal best. However, Dunlop faced a setback during his second pit stop when his visor malfunctioned, dropping him to fourth behind Harrison.
As Hickman seized the lead on the final lap, setting a blistering pace of 135.534mph, he secured a 5.8 second victory over Todd, with Harrison rounding out the podium in third. Despite Dunlop’s record-breaking performance, he finished fourth, with Hillier and McGuinness completing the top six. The race witnessed fierce battles throughout, showcasing the exhilarating nature of the Isle of Man TT.
Official Isle Of Man TT Press Release
