Isle of Man TT
Tuesday – Metzeler SuperTwin TT Race One
Michael Dunlop chalked up a record-breaking 31st TT win in Tuesday’s Metzeler Supertwins race at the 2025 Isle of Man TT.
It was a late evening start for the little bikes after a predictably unsettled day on the island due to the (now to be expected) poor weather conditions. Eventually, at 1945, in failing light, a shortened two-lap race got underway.
With Peter Hickman out of the event after his bruising crash last Friday, it realistically left Dunlop without a serious challenger in this one. You had to think that only machinery trouble for his little Paton could put him out of it, but in a sprint race such as this, reliability problems seemed unlikely.
It was one for the history books as this win also counted as Dunlop’s 48th podium. His third-place finish in the earlier Superstock race had seen him draw level with John McGuinness to become the riders with the most rostrums.
Climbing on the top step tonight means Michael is now out on his own. Dunlop has more wins and more podiums than any other rider in TT history. At just 36 years of age (17 years younger than McPint) that’s an extraordinary achievement.
The race began, as expected with MD’s little number 6 machine streaking into the lead. Michael was 2.2s ahead of birthday boy, Mikey Evans on the Dafabet Kawasaki at Glen Helen. But Mike Browne, riding the Ryan Farquhar prepared Kawasaki, was right on Evans’ coat tails, half a second back. Davey Todd on the Padgett’s Paton was in 4th.
Sadly, for Browne, he never made the next check-point. The little Irish dairy farmer’s machine expired at Kirk Michael and his race was run. Browne had been a fancied runner as he had led a twins race two years ago. But this time it wasn’t to be.
By Ballaugh Dunlop was stretching his legs and the lead was out to 6s. Evans’ advantage over Todd was 3, but Todd was more concerned with Rob Hodson behind him, who was coming strong on the SMT Paton and just tenths off Davey’s pace.
Todd then caught Adam McLean on the road and that perhaps cost him a little time as Hodson edged even closer.
It was an evenly matched field made up the rest of the top 10. Italy’s Stefano Bonetti, Paul Jordan, Dominic Herbertson and Baz Furber were all running a very similar pace. One mistake could make or break their fortunes, with each trying as hard as they knew and barely a second between them.
Herbertson on the Mowbary Paton made the best of the run to Ramsey and slotted into 5th behind Hodson and ahead of Bonetti as they began the climb of the mountain.
But it was North West 200 winner, Paul Jordan who was making the most significant moves on the timesheets and would leapfrog from 9th at Glen Helen to 5th at the Grandstand. Jordan had started the race at number 1 and was the leader on the road.
Back at the front, Dunlop had caught Evans and there was great excitement when MD tried to pass him and Mikey showed him the front wheel and put up a bit of a fight.
Evans would later say that he wanted to stick with Michael for as long as possible so that the Ballymoney man could tow him away from the rest. He also had it in his head that if Dunlop should suffer mechanical issues, then he wanted to be the one to pick up the pieces.
Thankfully though for Michael, his little S1-R wasn’t troubled at all. Starting lap 2, his lead was over 10s. That increased at every checkpoint until it was over 22 by the time he took the flag. The commentary team excitedly relayed the news at one stage that he may be on lap-record pace for the class, but by the time he arrived back in Douglas, his speed of 122.610 mph was just short, but lightening fast all the same.
While local man, Evans rode a comfortable race to finish 2nd, all the attention turned to the contest for 3rd. Todd had held it throughout the opening lap after Browne retired. But as they began the second circuit, Rob Hodson took over from the Saltburn man and immediately pulled a gap.
It was thought that Todd may have an issue at Ballaugh as he seemed to slow and Adam McLean on the Flitwick Yamaha came back past him on the road. However, quick as a flash, Todd ducked in behind McLean and allowed the Tobermore man to tow him home. Unfortunately for him it wasn’t enough to retake Hodson for the final podium position and he also lost 4th to the late charge of Paul Jordan. But nevertheless, he got the little bike home in what was Padgetts’ first foray in the Supertwins class.
Dominic Herbertson finished 6th ahead of Adam McLean, Stefano Bonetti and Baz Furber. 53 year-old Michael Rutter completed the top 10.
Michael Dunlop
“The bike wasn’t overly strong today for some reason. Not being rude to the lads – the bike was good but we just struggled a wee bit but thanks to the Paton lads once again, that’s 31 wins now. I’d like to thanks the boys, obviously the ones who are here. But I’d like to thank Stefano who owns Paton. Thanks to them, I appreciate all the work they do to come here every year. It’s a long trip for the two lads, they drive three days to get here and three days to get home so fair play to the boys.”
There’s little more can be said about Michael’s accomplishments around the mountain course, we are simply running out of superlatives; he achieves so much, so often. Some people dream of winning one, and there was a time when we were astounded by double winners and hattrick heroes. These days that is the norm and if Dunlop doesn’t add to the two he’s already got this year you can be sure he will view 2025 as a bad year.
To put that in context, the riders who climbed the rostrum alongside him tonight achieved life time ambitions in doing so. For Evans and Hodson it’s something they could only dream about not so long ago, and you can bet both will be feeling fairly chuffed with themselves this evening. And rightly so.
It was an extra special day for Evans as he was serenaded by ‘happy birthday to you’ chants as he attempted to come to terms with what he had just happened. The Douglas native turned 32 today.
Hodson spoke of how when he started his mountain course career many years ago at the Manx GP, his only dream was to do a 100 mph lap. A TT podium is beyond anything he ever thought possible.
The Supertwins class was introduced many years ago as a cheap gateway class. Nowadays it’s become anything but a budget class, with so much scope for bespoke alterations within the rules, the engineering boffins have turned these little commuter bikes into expensive Moto2 style racers.
Superbikes are now the only bikes raced here that are more costly to build. But the best thing about the Twins race is that it has class specialists such as Evans and Hodson and allows them to shine in a manner they aren’t able to on the larger bikes, for whatever reason.
Take Dunlop away and you have a highly unusual Top Ten this evening. It would be nice if we could have more categories at the TT such as this that would break the monotony of the Superbike, Stock and Sport races, which can be very similar at times.
That being said, the second SuperTwin bout is due on Friday, and only a fool would bet against Dunlop in that. Like in any race for that matter.
We go again on Wednesday with the second races for the Supersport and Sidecar categories. If the weather plays ball, that is.
