In an inspiring display of racing prowess, the legendary rider Michael Dunlop has once again imprinted his name into the Isle Of Man TT road racing history books.
As the start of the Supersport race of the highly anticipated Isle of Man TT 2023 unfolded, Dunlop unleashed an unstoppable performance. Racing alongside David Johnson, The Ulsterman, and Harrison, Michael Dunlop clinched a 22nd win in the famous series.
Join us as we delve into the electrifying details of this remarkable race. We will celebrate Dunlop’s triumph in the Isle of Man TT 2023, and his enduring legacy.
The Isle Of Man TT 2023 Is Unforgettable
The legendary Ulsterman emerged as the undisputed champion of the practice week. He blazed through the track and came with an unofficial lap record of 135.531mph. But that wasn’t all. Renowned Champion, Michael Dunlop, dominated the Supersport times in qualifying and left his competitors in awe.
As the tension built up, the four-lap contest saw Dunlop facing a brief moment of defeat. Somewhere along the lap, he was overtaken. As you can tell, this caused hearts to race and adrenaline to surge through the crowd. But, Dunlop rose above the rest, clinching victory with an astonishing lead of 12.3 seconds over Peter Hickman.
The race itself was an intense battle. There was, however, a delay 3-hour delay owing to a serious road traffic accident on the treacherous mountain course. This cast a shadow of uncertainty over the event as the audience anxiously awaited the start. Finally, at 2:45 pm local time, the engines roared to life, the smell of burning rubber, and the race went on.
David Johnson led the pack on his Jackson Racing Honda. So, he pretty much stole all the attention from the get-go. He didn’t keep this spot for long, though, as the number two starter, Dean Harrison, unleashed his fury on the Russell Racing Yamaha and took the lead.
Then came the battle between The Ulsterman and Harrison. These drivers pushed their machines to the limit, roaring past each other again and again. The thrill of competition hung heavy in the air. And the intensity of this race grew with every passing moment. It was a race like no other.
Harrison catapulted himself into the lead, leaving Dunlop trailing by a mere 0.550 seconds as they blazed through the first sector split at Glen Helen. The crowd held their breath, witnessing Hickman skillfully maneuvering into third place.
Dunlop seized the lead at Ballaugh Bridge, leaving Harrison behind by 1.5 seconds. As the race progressed, Dunlop’s dominance grew. His advantage grew to an incredible 5.4 seconds as he raced down the start/finish straight. His 600cc MD Racing Yamaha screamed with power throughout the race.
In the end, it was Michael Dunlop who took the first Isle of Man TT victory. Dunlop pushed himself to the limits, posting a breathtaking lap speed of 128.3mph from a standing start. By the end of the second lap, this lead grew to 13.4 seconds.
The Top 5 Competitors On The Isle Of Man TT 2023 Race
As the race continued, Dunlop’s lead seemed undefeatable. But he did come across a few snags. And at the end of lap two, Dunlop had a marginally slower pit stop for fuel compared to Harrison and Hickman. Still, it didn’t cost him much.
Dunlop’s lead went down to 11.1 seconds on lap three when going through Glen Helen. But it didn’t stay there. His performance pushed the boundaries of what we believed was even possible. His lead came back to 12.1s through Ballaugh and stood at 17.5s through the end of the tour.
By the time the race reached Glen Helen on the final lap, Dunlop led by 16.7 seconds. He then eased off and attained his 10th win in the Supersport class.
The final two laps became really intense as Hickman and Harrison battled for second on the leaderboards. On the fourth tour through Glen Helen, Harrison was 4.8 seconds ahead and started lap three 10.5 seconds clear of Hickman.
Hickman, riding his 765cc Trooper Triumph, admitted that it took him a long time to get up to speed and cut the gap down to 0.189s through the Bungalow section.
After Dunlop took first place, Hickman came in second place by just 0.394s. In third place was Harrison in his first race on the Yamaha R6. KTS Racing’s Jamie Coward took the fourth spot and was 41.2 seconds behind Harrison. Davey Todd, who raced on his Padgetts Racing Honda, secured the fifth spot, and was 2.8 seconds behind Coward,
Having now achieved up to 22 TT victories, Michael Dunlop forges ahead of a lot of competitors in the case. Now, he is one away from joining John McGuinness, who currently holds 23 TT wins. However, McGuinness isn’t competing in the Supersport class this year.
Picture credit @ttracesofficial/Pacemaker Press
