Michael Dunlop set the first ever 130mph lap in the Supersport class on Wednesday afternoon as he won the second Monster Energy Supersport TT Race of the 2023 Isle of Man TT Races.
Dunlop (MD Racing Yamaha) saw off the challenge of Peter Hickman (K2 Trooper Beer Triumph), who also broke the 130mph barrier, by just over nine seconds to take his fourth win of the week and his 25th win in total, now just one behind Uncle Joey’s record of 26 victories.
Dean Harrison (BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha) was again third.
An opening lap of 128.809mph gave Dunlop a 6.6 seconds lead over Harrison who’d pulled 2.4s clear of Hickman as Todd dropped back slightly in fourth.
A second lap of 129.370mph, just outside his own lap record, put Dunlop firmly in the driving seat as he came into the pits for his solitary pit stop, but the advantage over Hickman was still only 11.6 seconds as Hickman also posted a 129mph+ lap.
The gap crept out further, to 9.4 seconds in the third lap but Dunlop was managing the race perfectly albeit as both he and Hickman roared round the Mountain Course at 130mph pace and he got the verdict by 9.617 seconds after a stunning final lap of 130.403mph.
Hickman was also over the 130mph mark, with a lap of 130.219mph, whilst Harrison also bettered the old lap record in third. Todd and Coward took comfortable fourth and fifth place finishes and Hind’s superb ride was rewarded with sixth, his first top six TT finish.
Jordan finished seventh with Neve taking a career-best eighth ahead of David Johnson and Herbertson.
