TT 2019: Michael Dunlop seals 19th win in Lightweight race to give legendary Dunlop dynasty 50 Mountain Course victories
Michael Dunlop clinched his 19th Isle of Man TT victory in a hard-fought Lightweight race on Thursday evening to bring up a half-century of 50 wins for his legendary racing family at the iconic festival.
Dunlop was pushed all the way in the two-lap event by Jamie Coward (KTS Kawasaki), who was only 1.299s behind at the finish.
The Ulster rider came within a whisker of his lap record for the class, clocking a speed of 122.75mph on the SC-Project Reparto-Corse Paton, repeating his 2018 success in the race.
In third position was fellow Northern Ireland man Lee Johnston, who was riding a Kawasaki prepared by Ryan Farquhar under the Ashcourt Racing banner. The Supersport TT winner was 22.6s behind Coward.
A delighted Dunlop said: “I didn’t think I was ever going to get in here again. It’s been a very hard week for me and I think I’ve been struggling with a lack of track time and the injury’s not good either.
“This bike was probably going to be a bit easier on me and I could’ve done with the four laps to sink into a bit more. Once again the Paton guys have done everything they could and it was a hard race.
Another Ulsterman, Paul Jordan, sealed his best ever TT result with a brilliant ride to fourth on the Dafabet Devitt Kawasaki, while the top six was completed by Michael Rutter (Bathams KMR Kawasaki) and Italy’s Stefano Bonetti (SC-Project Reparto Corse Paton).