2025 IOMTT
Opul Superstock TT Race Two
Dean Harrison claimed a popular victory in Friday’s Opul Superstock TT at the 2025 Isle of Man TT.
It was the Honda racing star’s second victory of the week and fifth of his career. Harrison has been ‘on it’ all week on the Fireblade in Stock trim, and today, once again, he left the rest trailing in his wake; just as he had in Tuesday evening’s encounter.
His nearest challenger was Davey Todd on the 8Ten BMW. But despite Todd taking the lead briefly at Ramsey on the opening lap, nobody could hold a candle to Harrison on Friday. The number 3 Honda and Harrison were simply on rails.
Michael Dunlop came home a disappointed third after a horrendous first sector. His BMW was suffering serious technical issues that caused him to overshoot Bradden Bridge. By the time Dunlop reached Glen Helen, Davey Todd (who started 20s after him) had almost caught him on the road and Michael was languishing in 20th.
Of course, the schedule hadn’t started on time. The now to be expected overnight rain had left fairly damp roads. Clerk of the course, Gary Thompson made the call to push the schedule back for two hours initially in the hope that they would dry out. But wet patches at places underneath the trees such as Glen Helen were stubborn.
With the forecast favourable, an inspection lap was pencilled in at 1330 before a three-lap race an hour after that. These inspection laps are essentially practice laps and the likes of Todd, Dunlop and Harrison used it as a dummy-run for tomorrow’s Senior. It was interesting to see Michael Dunlop out on his World Superbike spec BMW sporting brand new Rokit leathers, looking very ‘full factory’ indeed.
On returning to the paddock the feedback from the riders was favourable. Brian McCormack was particularly happy that the persistent winds that have been plaguing this year’s festival had died down. Brian is a big lad and has described feeling like a ‘parachute’ hanging onto the bike over the mountain, so was relieved to finally get a more comfortable run.
Josh Brookes was out on the ‘stocker’ to evaluate a softer setting at the rear of his Fireblade to make it ‘more compliant over the bumps’. But unfortunately, the changes sent it the wrong way and the big Honda was ‘blowing through the stroke’, so the Jackson boys had to work fast to put it back to where it was, which Josh says is the best it’s been so far.
Jim Hind had a huge moment on the run through Crosby on this lap. He clipped the kerb while flat-out on his Fireblade and bucked and weaved in spectacular fashion before regaining control. You would dread to think what the outcome would have been if he hadn’t.
Eventually, when 1430 chimed we were good to go racing. With sun shining down on the Glencrutchery road, John McGuinness pushed himself into ‘no mans land’ before getting ‘the tap’ and leading the race away.
Harrison was immediately flying. He led at Glen Helen and Ballaugh before Todd nosed ahead at the hairpin. Ian Hutchinson was amazingly (after the torrid time he’s had with injuries and a ‘stroke’), lying third. But regrettably, he was then reported touring just after Ramsey hairpin.
Harrison had possibly been slowed by catching team-mate, McGuinness on the road, for Deano fought back to lead by just over a second at the Bungalow. But Todd was strong over the mountain for when they stopped at the Grandstand for a splash and dash at the end of the lap, there was just half a second in it. But there was drama!
Todd’s bike was having issues in the pit once again and wouldn’t fire. By the time he got going, he had lost 12 seconds. By Glen Helen the difference between the front two was 13s in Harrison’s favour and it was immediately obvious that the race as a contest was probably over.
From then, Harrison powered away at the front, untroubled and in control. The Yorkshireman was never headed from that point, crossing the line at the end of the third and final with a comfortable 16s advantage.
Todd was fairly comfortable in second himself. With Dunlop out of contention he had no serious challenge from behind. So, with Harrison out of sight, the 27-year-old brought the M1000RR home to bank yet another podium. It should be said that ‘bringing it home’ requires lapping at 133 mph these days, and so there’s no doubt he kept the throttle pinned. But barring Harrison suffering a misfortune of some kind, DT never stood a chance after the pit stop.
An angry Michael Dunlop somehow fought his way through the field despite those early issues. His BMW was down 10 mph on the straight from what it had been clocked at earlier in the week. Michael went from 20th at Glen Helen on lap one to third at the same checkpoint 37 ¾ miles later. His performance was admiral but a lost cause in terms of catching Harrison and Todd. Some kind of gremlin in the programming was the cause of the issue, something Dunlop says ‘they’ will need to sort out. (Meaning BMW)
As ever, the fight for the rest of the top six was frantic. The usual suspects were all involved with James Hillier and Conor Cummins in fourth and fifth from the early stages.
Fireblade mounted Nathan Harrison and Josh Brookes were embroiled in a serious battle over sixth with McGuinness, Mike Browne and David Johnson completing the top ten.
In the end, James Hillier banked yet another fourth ahead of Cummins. Brookes just edged Nathan for 6th. McPint had a steady run to 7th, while Dominic Herbertson edged into 9th ahead of Davo Johnson on the Kawaski. Mike Browne dropped to 13th by the end.
Josh Brookes – P6
“We made some changes to the Superbike for the morning inspection lap but the bike was too soft, and it felt lazy and heavy through the corners but that proved to be invaluable as it showed that we’d gone too far in that particular direction with the settings. With what I’d learnt from that lap, I was able to make further tweaks to the Superstock bike for the afternoon’s race and it paid dividends as it’s the best I’ve felt out on the course all fortnight. I saw Michael run on at the beginning of the first lap, but he soon came whistling by again, but I was happy with my race and the pace we ran as it’s the closest I’ve been to the leaders all race week. I felt better on the bike and was more at one with it particularly over the bumpy stuff where it was a lot more compliant so it’s pleasing that we’re still progressing. It puts us in a good position for the Senior so hopefully we can make further steps again there.”
John McGuinness – P7
“I think these have been the best weather conditions of the whole fortnight, right at the end of the meeting and definitely worth waiting for. There were tons of crowd out there, it was quite cool to ride around out there with all those people around the track. I just felt a bit more focused today, I was riding a bit tight in the first Superstock race, I was miles away, but out there I was a lot more competitive today. Obviously, the top three are out of my reach but after that we’re right in there with those other guys. I just enjoyed the race. Dean came past and again I was like: ‘Go-go-Deano! Go on, son!’ So yeah, I just kept my head down, hit my apexes, the conditions were nice out there, I rode a bit looser and let the bike do the work instead of trying to fight it all the time. The pit boards were much better and it was a tight, competitive battle with the guys around me and 130.6 mph isn’t a bad lap time. I have got to commend the boys in the pits, they were faster than me – I wasn’t ready! They were pushing me out and I had to grab hold of the handlebars. It’s settled me down a bit, I was a bit nervous but, you know, I’ve got to try and keep my job at Honda! I’m looking forward to the Senior TT now, it’s tough to do six laps but you’ve just got to get into a rhythm and not make any mistakes. You’ve got two pit stops, I love the Superbike, it’s the same again: 260 corners to do six times with two pit stops and no mistakes. It’s a race of attrition, a tough race, but it’s the one everybody wants to win so we’ll just have to get stuck in and see where we end up. There’s a lot of good younger riders and fantastic bikes out there and I’m mixing it up with them guys still at my age, that’ll do for me.”
Poor old Mark Parrett had started his 98th TT this morning and was on course to leave the island after the Senior with 100 starts to his name before retiring from the sport. Today, he was struck on the arm by a seagull on the approach to Keppel gate. The bird broke his arm, putting him out of the rest of the TT. The 1999 Senior Manx GP winner now says he’ll have to come back next year to clock up that 100th start.
No matter the excuses, it has to be said that BMW Motorrad didn’t come out of the ‘race on Sunday, sell on Monday’ TT smelling of roses. Honda, on the other hand will be smiling.
Unbelievably, Harrison’s victory in the previous Superstock race was Honda’s first TT win of any kind since John McGuinness took the 2015 Senior. This double victory was long over due for the big H. Of course, they aren’t finished yet. If Deano could claim the Senior, which will supposedly take place tomorrow (Saturday’s forecast is again not great), then it’s hard to imagine a more popular hat trick on the island this year.
Harrison and his family have recently relocated to the Isle of Man, and the adopted Manxman earlier this week enjoyed raucous chants of ‘Deano, Deano, Deano’ at the prize giving. If he were to bank ‘the big one’ tomorrow then there’s no doubt the locals would blow the roof off that stage in the fan zone.
Dean Harrison – P1
“Words can’t describe it, I’m absolutely over the moon to get my two wins in the Superstock class. I went for it really hard at the start, so when I looked at my pit boards I saw P1, P2 then P1 over the mountain again. Then I just saw P1 was +13 seconds coming out of Glen Helen after the pit stop on Lap 2, so I carried on as hard as I could and thought ‘right, I’ll carry on this lap to try and manage that’. If I could keep that lead the same there was no way somebody could make 13-14 seconds on me in the lap, so I just kept my head down and when I saw that P1 was +20 seconds I just read my boards from there, really. I just managed it, knocked it down by a few rpm on the last lap, and brought it home. Honestly, we’re constantly trying to adapt the bike, everyone’s in the same boat, being such a difficult place, trying to set your bike up round here is a little bit of a compromise and we’ve had a little bit of stability issues that we’ve near enough caught now, which means that I can ride the bike the way that I want to ride the bike. Massive thanks to the whole team, all at Honda and everyone have put a brilliant bike together and it’s great to see the Honda Fireblade in P1. We have been in talks about changing a few things to the bike for the Senior TT tomorrow, we’ll have six laps and that’s very physical around this place so we’ll have a sit down tonight and come up with a plan!”
First however, he will have to close the gap to Dunlop and Todd on the Superbike. In Monday’s Superbike race they raced away and left him way behind.
Heading into the race there’s no doubt that the two men riding Bavarian machines are much more fancied runners than Harrison. But at the TT, you just never know…
