2025 IOMTT
Supersport TT Race Two
Michael Dunlop has done it again! The ‘Bull’ completed a fantastic hat-trick today at TT 2025 in the second Monster Energy Supersport race of the week. It was win number 32 for Dunlop, and he achieved it in dominant style.
Dunlop trounced the opposition on his Milwaukee Ducati, bringing his V2 Panigale home over 26s ahead of Dean Harrison on the Honda Racing CBR600RR. Davey Todd finished third on the My Coolman Honda CBR600RR.
Despite a two-hour delay on Wednesday morning, this was the first time since the event began almost two weeks ago that we had caught up on the schedule. In the programme listings, Monster Energy Supersport Race Two was due to take place today and that’s exactly what happened; it almost felt surreal. Of course, there was a two-hour delay due to the weather, but that’s to be expected at this stage.
Just as the roads closed at midday, it was almost pinch yourself time as a race (without reduced laps) was about to start.
But of course, that was too good to be true. An ambulance was allowed onto the course to attend a medical emergency at Kirk Michael seconds after the roads closed, and police were said to also be attending a Road traffic accident at Ginger Hall. Of course they were…
However, things weren’t as bad as first feared and just a further 15 minutes was added to the start time.
Michael Dunlop was immediately fast out of the blocks, powering the Ducati through the early miles, there was no hanging back like he had in Monday’s race – this time he was on it from the outset.
MD had also sprung a surprise on everyone as the Milwaukee machine was painted yellow for today, a nod to the Ducati bosses who were in attendance.
As they reached Glen Helen for the first time, Michael was already ahead but the pace was hot, with Dunlop, Harrison, Todd and Hillier almost posting the same time. Three-seconds behind them, the rest of the top 10 were equally as close as a gaggle of riders that included Jim Hind, Mikey Evans, Paul Jordan, Dom Herbertson, Mike Browne and Josh Brookes, all negotiating the opening nine miles within 2s of each other.
While they sorted themselves out, Dunlop pressed ahead, pulling a few tenths here and a few tenths there until he was almost 3s up on Harrison going over the mountain.
As James Hillier swooped through the Bungalow for the first time on the Bournemouth Kawasaki, he took over third from Todd, much to the excitement of the crowd.
Hillier continued his good progress over the mountain and had maintained his advantage over the Superbike TT winner by the time they crossed the line to start lap two.
Davey Todd had caught Josh Brookes on the road earlier in the lap but managed to drop him more or less immediately. Brookes would later reveal that Todd has asked him not to follow the My Coolman Honda today as it had seriously hampered his progress on Monday. Todd had likened Brookes sitting in his slip stream to ‘towing a caravan’. This revelation sparked heated debate on social media, with many suggesting Todd was out of order to ask such a thing. But there appeared to be no animosity between the star riders this evening at the prize giving, where they were seen to be in good humoured conversation.
Harrison also had a great run over Snaefell on the opening lap for he had cut Dunlop’s lead to 1.9s as they raced onto lap two and at that point the race was on!
But Michael had caught Adelaide’s David Johnson on the CD Kawasaki and that’s what had caused his hold up. From that point on (despite an out of the seat moment at parliament square on lap two) Dunlop would increase his lead at every checkpoint until the difference reached the 22s mark by the Bungalow on lap three. After that it seesawed a little for a few miles, before a final push from Dunlop took it out to 26s at the flag. On the day he was simply too good for the rest.
Unfortunately, James Hillier’s Kawasaki was reported as stopped at Sarah’s cottage on lap two and any chance he had of repeating Monday’s popular podium was over. A con-rod punching its way out of the Kawasaki’s crankcase. That took some of the sport out of the top three as a contest, with fairly large gaps remaining constant between the leaders. Harrison and Todd were already fairly sure of finishing second and third behind Dunlop, as long as they maintained their pace.
The attention was really on the battle for fourth that was unfolding between Jim Hind and Paul Jordan. Jordan slipped ahead of Hind on lap two and kept his nose ahead until the mid-race pit stop. That went well for both riders and by the time they hit Glen Helen on lap three, Jordan had stretched a 2.5s advantage. Over the next lap and a half, young Jim (riding a Suzuki GSX-R750) would at times eat into that lead, but PJ was always able to respond; bringing his Jackson racing Honda home with a 3s advantage, despite Hind setting his fastest lap of the race on the final lap.
Jordan’s team-mate, Josh Brookes completed the top six, nine-seconds behind Hind.
Another battle of note that thrilled the fans was one on the road rather than the time-sheets. Conor Cummins, Dominic Herbertson and Ian Hutchinson circulated together as three for much of the race. Hutchy had a super fast pit stop (he would later say his bike was so slow it barely used any fuel!). But nevertheless he would find himself embroiled in the onroad battle once again after the stop. It was a scene more reminiscent of Irish road racing rather than the TT, but the fans lapped it up.
Herbertson was the most advanced of the trio, for he had started number 13, with Cummins, 11 and Hutchy at 12. Dom would eventually finish in eighth behind the lonely Mike Browne and ahead of Hutchinson.
Cummins and Herbertson were both on Ducatis, whereas the Bingley Bullet was Yamaha mounted. He said the larger capacity bikes were unsettling his and he didnt enjoy riding with them. His Yamaha was later seen For Sale in the paddock with his mechanic overheard saying there was no other option than to run a Ducati next year as the 600cc machines are now giving away up to 10 mph at the speed trap.
Supersport bikes at the TT run under the same rules as British Supersport, with a controlled ECU and firmware aiming to keep the bikes fairly evenly matched. There is also an ‘allowed parts’ list whereby some bikes are allowed more modifications than others. We believe Michael Dunlop’s Ducati was subject to extensive technical checks after the race and was also run up on a dyno.
It was Michael Dunlop’s eighth Supersport win in a row and 15th in total. Almost half of his TT wins tally have come in the middle weight class now; there is no doubt he is Mr. Supersport. It doesn’t look as though anyone is going to seriously challenge him any time soon.
As long as the little Paton holds together on Friday then the smart money would be on Dunlop bagging win number 33 in that one. He also has another Superstock TT to go before the big one; the Senior TT.
You can bet MD will have his eye on Ian Hutchinson’s five wins in a week record from 2010. Although Dunlop’s showing in Tuesday evening’s Superstock TT would suggest he’s probably not got a realistic chance in that one as things stand. But it’s a brave man that would bet against him breaking that Hutchy record before the weeks out. (He’s breaking every other record just now).
The Senior in particular Michael will want dearly. For he hasn’t had his hands on that special trophy since 2018. The manner in which the 36-year-old lost Monday’s Superbike TT (severe tyre degradation) will only add fuel to the fire and make him more determined to get the job done.
But Thursday is a rest day for the first time all week. So we will have to wait at least 48 hours to see if Micky-D can add to his treble before we even start looking at Hutchy’s famous five.
Today’s sidecar race was pushed back due to heavy rain and hailstones in the Ballacrye area, so once again we will be trying to squeeze a tight schedule into a small window on Friday’s Bank holiday. But at least at last, the TT is now well and truly up and running.
Monster Energy Supersport TT Race Two Results
- Michael Dunlop – Ducati 955
- Dean Harrison – Honda CBR600RR +26.181s
- Davey Todd – Honda CBR600RR
- Paul Jordan – Honda CBR600RR
- James Hind – Suzuki GSX-R750
- Josh Brookes – Honda CBR600RR
- Mike Browne – Yamaha YZF-R6
- Dominic Herbertson – Ducati 955
- Ian Hutchinson – Yamaha YZF-R6
- Michael Evans – Triumph 765 RS
- Rob Hodson – Yamaha YZF-R6
- Conor Cummins – Ducati 955
- Shaun Anderson – Suzuki GSX-R750
- Nathan Harrison – Honda CBR600RR
- David Johnnson – Kawasaki 636
- Lukas Maurer – Yamaha YZF-R6
- Baz Furber – Kawasaki ZX-6R
- Michael Sweeney – Yamaha YZF-R6
- Joey Thompson – Yamaha YZF-R6
- Michael Russell – Kawasaki 636
