Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison has doubled up at this year’s Isle of Man TT by taking a second victory of the week in the superstock class, adding to his first win earlier this week by once again holding off Davey Todd and Michael Dunlop in a dramatic and close race that sees the Yorkshireman move to five TT wins in total.
Harrison led to the first timing point in the shortened three-lap race, demonstrating his usual early pace. However, able to build on it across the remainder of the 37.73-mile opening lap, he maintained a slender gap over Todd of half a second as they came into the pits.
And, it was on Glencrutchery Road where the race was ultimately decided in favour of Harrison, when Todd’s 8Ten Racing team were unable to fire up his bike again.
Losing some 12 seconds, that left Harrison in complete control across the remaining two laps to stretch out his margin - and despite a late charge from Todd, the gap stayed north of 15 seconds until the chequered flag.
“It's a shame that Davey had an issue,” admitted the popular winner after, “not starting in the pits, but it obviously benefited me massively.
“But no, we had the pace on the start I feel, so we're always in with a chance and now we're gonna try and take the fight to him because I know that he is normally the man to beat on the Superstock bike, but saying that we've just got the double this week, so I'm not complaining.”
It also means that Harrison now arguably goes into Saturday’s Senior TT as the clear favourite after taking two wins on 1000cc machinery since Todd won the opening Superbike TT - and might even influence his choice of bike as the team look at taking the best of both the superbike and the superstock Honda Fireblade and merging them into one.
“I might have to cobble a hybrid together,” he admitted, “you never know. The forks and the brakes on the superbike are definitely the strong point, and even the swing arm does help.
“You do one fast lap on the stocker, but the superbike gives you consistency and in a six-lap Senior you need consistency to win the race. That’s something that we’re going to have to sit down and discuss.”
Behind Harrison and Todd, there was disappointment for the week’s other double race winner Michael Dunlop. Struggling with a technical issue on the bike in the opening race, that reemerged on Friday and, when combined with Dunlop overshooting at Bradden Bridge on the opening lap, meant he was forced to settle for third.
