Mike Browne set for Southern 100 return after podium success at Tandragee 100
New dad Mike Browne said Saturday’s challenging mixed conditions at the Around-A-Pound Tandragee 100 “were the same for everyone” after a successful weekend for the Cork rider.
Browne secured three runner-up finishes on his Russell Racing-prepared Honda Fireblade and Yamaha R6 machinery at the Co Armagh meeting as he gears up for next week’s Southern 100 on the Isle of Man.
He finished second in the Open and Tandragee 100 Superbike races on his MB Racing/Russell Racing Honda behind Michael Dunlop, and sealed the runner-up spot in the sole Supersport race, crossing the line only 0.173s down on the Northern Ireland rider on Alister Russell’s Yamaha.
The race was red-flagged on the fourth lap and a result was declared based on positions at the end of lap three.
Browne led the Open race until he was passed by Dunlop on the penultimate lap, but a slight mistake on the brakes on the sixth and final lap cost him any chance of fighting back on the drying track on wet tyres.
“He was gaining a lot on the dry stuff, but it was all the same in the wet to be fair,” he said. “I just ran on at the first road-end and gave him two or three seconds.”
Saturday’s conditions were a big change from the warm and sunny weather on Friday for qualifying, but Browne wasn’t making any excuses.
“The weather turned but we’re still racing and we’re all in the same boat,” he said. “Wet or dry, it makes no odds to me really and we just race to whatever conditions are there.”
Browne is heading back to the Isle of Man for the Southern 100 at Billown, where he was a Supersport winner in 2025.
The Irishman will arrive in good from after a strong performance at the recent Isle of Man TT and Tandragee.
Reflecting on his season so far, Browne said he was satisfied with his results at the TT after finishing as the runner-up in the Sportbike race on the Melbray/Laycock Racing Paton and claiming fourth in the second Supersport race, making amends after he marginally exceeded the pit lane speed limit during his pit stop in the opening race.
The Killeagh man also recorded personal best lap times in the Supersport and Sportbike races, although a hand injury hindered his performances on the more physically demanding 1000cc Honda.
“Good progress again on the smaller bikes and we were faster on everything again except the big bike,” Browne reflected.
“I had a bit of a hand injury there in January so that kind of hampered me a bit with the big bike. They all complained about the weather [at the TT] but if the weather was good, I don’t know if I’d have got all the races in as I was getting a bit fatigued as it was.
“I’m still not fully fit yet but I still had a good TT; happy with the 600, made a mess of the first race but I was happy with my times in the second race.”
Browne rode with a special tribute livery on the Melbray/Layock Racing Paton marking 40 years since the tragic death of Portglenone’s Gene McDonnell in a freak accident at the 1986 TT.
He added: “It was a nice tribute for the McDonnell family to do it too.”
Browne and his wife Alana welcomed baby Max into the world last Wednesday and the Irish rider says he is “delighted” to become a father for the first time.
“Alana supports me and I’m delighted with that going on in my life as well,” he said.