Manx Grand Prix: Michael Dunlop holds firm at top of Classic Superbike times | James Hind puts down marker with 117mph lap ahead of Friday's Lightweight race

Dunlop did a lap on the Team Classic Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD before switching to the older 1100cc XR69, clocking the fastest speed of the evening at 124.676mph by 1.5s from Australia’s David Johnson (Alasdair Cowan Kawasaki), who lapped at 124.504mph.

Dunlop’s speed of 125.537mph on Wednesday remains the fastest lap of the week.

Rob Hodson was third quickest on the Greenall Kawasaki at 124.279mph ahead of Craig Neve (Alasdair Cowan Kawasaki), who did 124.275mph.

Ryan Kneen (123.611mph) on the Herheim Racing Kawasaki and Nathan Harrison – riding the Greenall Kawasaki ZXR750 – completed the top six, with Manxman Harrison lapping at 122.911mph.

Northern Ireland’s Lee Johnston improved his time on the Ashcourt Racing Honda RC45, lapping at 118.921mph from a standing start, while Paul Jordan did 121.563mph on the Mistral Kawasaki.

In the Lightweight class, 22-year-old James Hind upped his pace to 117.488mph on Dennis Trollope’s TZ250 Yamaha for the quickest time of the week.

The four-lap Dunlop Lightweight race is scheduled over four laps on Friday (14:40 BST), when Hind’s opposition includes Cork man Mike Browne on the LayLaw Racing Yamaha, who lapped at 116.917mph in Thursday’s session to go second fastest.

His team-mate, Ian Lougher, is another podium challenger along with Michael Dunlop (Crossan Motorcycles Honda) and Dominic Herbertson on John Chapman’s Honda.

In the Senior Classic session, Fermanagh man Johnston lapped at 108.41mph on the Davies Motorsport Yamaha.

Johnston will be aiming to take the fight to John McGuinness (Winfield Paton) on Saturday, who is bidding to win the race for the third time in a row. Morecambe man McGuinness’s speed of 109.68mph on Wednesday is the fastest of the week.

Herbertson also caught the eye on the Davies Motorsport Yamaha as he lapped at 108.114mph, which was 3.4s down on Johnston’s time.

Stephen Smith was again quickest in the MGP Senior session at 119.442mph while Victor Lopez led the way in the MGP Junior class at 114.894mph.

On Friday, roads are scheduled to close at 12:30 BST with a qualifying session for the Classic Superbike and MGP Senior riders taking place ahead of the Dunlop Lightweight race. Roads will reopen no later than 16:30 BST.