Photo: IOMTT
BMW rider Michael Dunlop is doing the Bavarian firm proud at this year’s Isle of Man TT races. He won his second race for the marque with a strong victory in the Superstock race to back up his Superbike win last weekend.
Those are the first victories for BMW in 75 years – not since Georg Meier took top spot on a Type 255 Kompressor in 1939 has a BMW rider topped a TT podium.
“Every time you win around here is something special,” said the 25-year-old Irishman, “especially when you do it on a BMW; it’s a massive feather in my cap and I’ve won around here on Honda, Kawasaki and BMW ‘Stockers and I’m really happy about that.”
“I like riding all bikes and I enjoy riding the Superstock bike, which is the closest bike you’ll get to the Superbike,” he added.
Behind Dunlop, Dean Harrison claimed his best ever result in second place on the RC Express Kawasaki. The Bradford rider finished 20.1 seconds down on Dunlop with veteran Bruce Anstey on the Valvoline Padgett’s Honda taking third, a further 23 seconds in arrears.
The top six was completed by Australian rider David Johnson, who edged out Conor Cummins for fourth by only 0.8 sec to secure his best finish on the Mountain Course, with Ulsterman Lee Johnston in sixth.
Michael Rutter on the Bathams BMW and Manxman Dan Kneen (Cookstown BE Suzuki) were seventh and eighth respectively, while British Superbike rider Peter Hickman rode brilliantly to finish ninth on the Ice Valley BMW, 1.8 seconds in front of the injured John McGuinness, completing the top 10 with a brave show, as he’s still recovering from a broken wrist.
Sadly, former British Supersport Champion Karl Harris died in the race as a result of a crash on the mountain section. He’s the second racer to die in this year’s TT races, as 65-year-old Bob Price was killed in the first Supersport race of the week. He was an experienced racer with more than 20 years experience at the TT and the Manx Grand Prix (for vintage bikes).
