Honda Racing UK Rider Again Leads the Pace on Day Three at the Isle of Man TT
The third day of action at the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races delivered another spectacular afternoon of high-speed qualifying around the famous Mountain Course, with Dean Harrison once again emerging as the fastest rider on the island.
Under clear skies and near-perfect conditions for a third consecutive day, riders continued to push the limits around the 37.73-mile circuit, producing more huge speeds across every class. Harrison maintained his impressive early-week form by posting a stunning lap of 133.867mph aboard his Honda Racing UK Superstock machine.
The Ballaugh rider has looked comfortable from the opening session of TT 2026 and continues to strengthen his position as one of the major favourites heading into race week.
While Harrison dominated the overall timesheets again, one of the biggest moments of the day came from TT legend John McGuinness, who rolled back the years by breaking through the 130mph barrier once more around the Mountain Course.
Harrison Sets the Benchmark Yet Again
Superstock Pace Continues to Impress
The Superbike and Superstock qualifying session once again featured many of the TT’s biggest names, with riders continuing to refine setups and build confidence ahead of the opening races.
Dean Harrison led the field away and wasted little time getting up to speed. Most of the leading competitors chose to run their Superstock machinery during the session, although Peter Hickman, John McGuinness, Josh Brookes, Ian Hutchinson and David Johnson all opted for their Superbike packages.
Harrison’s opening lap of 133.362mph immediately placed him at the top of the Superstock leaderboard and confirmed that Tuesday’s record-breaking performance was far from a one-off.
Michael Dunlop followed with a strong 131.952mph lap, while Nathan Harrison also impressed by breaking the 130mph mark with a speed of 130.318mph.
In the Superbike category, Peter Hickman initially set the pace on the 8TEN Racing BMW with a lap of 131.172mph.
However, one of the standout stories came from John McGuinness. The 23-time TT winner produced a superb opening lap of 130.163mph, once again demonstrating his remarkable speed and experience despite now being one of the elder statesmen of the TT paddock.
McGuinness Continues to Defy Expectations
TT Veteran Still Delivering Elite Speeds
Few riders in TT history command the respect that John McGuinness does around the Mountain Course.
The Morecambe rider made his TT debut back in 1996 and remains one of the most iconic figures in road racing history. Injuries over recent years have limited his appearances and competitiveness at times, but his pace during this week’s qualifying sessions has shown he still possesses the skill and determination that made him a TT legend.
McGuinness improved further on his second lap with a speed of 130.863mph, another hugely impressive figure considering the lap was shortened before the riders returned to the Grandstand.
Fans lining the course responded warmly to the performance, with many recognising the significance of seeing McGuinness still capable of producing 130mph laps nearly three decades after first arriving at the event.
Session Interrupted by Non-Racing Emergency
Riders Forced into Pits During Fast Laps
Harrison improved his pace further on lap two with a speed of 133.867mph, although the lap was ultimately classified as a “short lap” after race control brought competitors into the pits to allow an ambulance access to the course for a non-racing emergency.
Peter Hickman and John McGuinness were among several riders who eased off significantly near the end of the lap due to the interruption.
A number of competitors had been on course for personal best speeds before the stoppage, including several newcomers and privateer riders.
One of the most impressive performances came from former Grand Prix rider Gary McCoy. The Australian newcomer continued adapting to the Mountain Course with a strong lap of 122.809mph, representing another major step forward in his TT learning curve.
Supersport Session Produces Tightest Battle of the Week
Harrison, Hickman and Dunlop Trade Fastest Times
The Supersport and Sportbike session opened the day’s running at 1pm with conditions remaining almost ideal despite slightly stronger winds compared to previous sessions.
Michael Dunlop was first onto the course aboard the MD Racing Paton, followed closely by Josh Brookes on the Uggly & Co Suzuki.
The leading names were spread across both the Supersport and Sportbike categories, with Dean Harrison, Conor Cummins, Paul Jordan, Ian Hutchinson and Jamie Coward all immediately showing competitive pace.
Ian Hutchinson returned hoping for a cleaner session after Tuesday’s technical problems with the fairing on his Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Ducati caused difficulties during qualifying.
Dean Harrison, despite limited track time on his Honda Racing UK Supersport machine earlier in the week, looked instantly comfortable and set the early benchmark with a superb opening lap of 126.551mph.
That speed placed him nearly six seconds clear of Peter Hickman and Paul Jordan during the opening stages.
However, the battle intensified dramatically during the second laps.
Hickman responded with a lap of 127.245mph aboard the Triumph 765, narrowly edging ahead of Harrison by just 0.025 seconds in one of the closest contests of the week so far.
Harrison remained almost identical on speed at 127.242mph, highlighting how competitive the Supersport class could become during race week.
Michael Dunlop Sends Major Warning in Supersport and Sportbike
33-Time Winner Continues to Raise the Bar
As expected, Michael Dunlop once again became the centre of attention as the session developed.
After initially setting a blistering Sportbike pace aboard the Paton with a lap of 123.557mph — comfortably inside the existing lap record pace — Dunlop switched machinery and climbed onto the Scars Racing Ducati Supersport bike for his second run.
The change made no difference to his speed.
Dunlop immediately fired in a standing-start lap of 127.076mph before going even faster on lap two with an outstanding 128.315mph.
That lap moved him to the top of the Supersport leaderboard and reinforced his status as the clear favourite in the category once again.
The Northern Irishman’s ability to switch between classes and instantly extract maximum pace remains one of the most remarkable aspects of modern TT competition.
Behind Dunlop, Hickman, Harrison, Brookes, Jordan and Dominic Herbertson all remained tightly grouped as the class continued producing some of the fastest middleweight speeds ever seen around the island.
Sportbike Class Continues to Grow in Competitiveness
Browne and Jordan Keep Pressure on Dunlop
The Sportbike category also continued to provide highly competitive action as teams explored the potential of the lightweight machines around the Mountain Course.
Mike Browne emerged as Dunlop’s closest challenger with a speed of 121.030mph, while Paul Jordan remained competitive with a 120.475mph lap.
Newcomer Rhys Stephenson also impressed observers with a strong lap of 112.720mph as he continued gaining experience around the TT course.
The increasing pace within the Sportbike category reflects how quickly the newer class has established itself as one of the most entertaining additions to the TT schedule in recent years.
Crowes Maintain Sidecar Supremacy
Defending Stars Continue Setting the Pace
At 2pm, the Sidecars returned to the Mountain Course and once again it was Ryan and Callum Crowe who led the way.
The Manx brothers continued their dominant form by posting a lap of 118.458mph, improving on Tuesday’s speed and edging closer to the elusive 119mph barrier despite new technical regulations aimed at reducing outright performance.
However, their rivals significantly reduced the gap compared to earlier sessions.
Ben Birchall and Mark Wilkes produced a strong 116.427mph lap to move into second, while Pete Founds and Jevan Walmsley remained firmly in contention with a speed of 114.865mph.
Lee Crawford and Scott Hardie, alongside John Holden and Phil Hyde, also continued building momentum ahead of the opening sidecar races.
The second laps were shortened as the session concluded, but Birchall and Founds still managed to improve their speeds.
Several emerging crews also impressed during the session.
James Saunders and newcomer passenger Robert Coppock recorded an excellent 110.166mph lap, while Carl Fenwick marked his return to TT competition for the first time since 2014 with a highly respectable 109.163mph.
TT 2026 Pace Continues to Climb
With three consecutive days of ideal weather and increasingly confident riders, the pace around the Mountain Course continues to rise rapidly ahead of race week.
Dean Harrison remains the rider to beat in the big bike categories, but Michael Dunlop’s versatility across multiple classes and Peter Hickman’s growing confidence suggest the battle for victories is only just beginning.
Meanwhile, John McGuinness’ latest 130mph performance provided one of the emotional highlights of the week so far, reminding fans why he remains one of the greatest names in TT history.
As qualifying progresses and teams continue refining machinery, TT 2026 is already shaping up to deliver some of the fastest and closest racing ever seen on the Isle of Man.
