TT 2023: Michael Dunlop clinches 22nd victory with emphatic performance in opening Supersport race

The Northern Ireland man has been in red-hot form in qualifying and Dunlop lived up to expectations as the pre-race favourite, following up his 2022 double in the class with a 10th Supersport triumph around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course.

He is now only one win away from equalling John McGuinness’s tally of 23 victories ahead of Sunday’s RST Superbike race (14:40), with Dunlop putting down a marker in final qualifying on Friday after setting the fastest ever TT lap ever at 135.531mph on the Hawk Racing Honda.

The 34-year-old’s latest success on his MD Racing Yamaha on Saturday was the 53rd TT win for the legendary Dunlop dynasty at the event, with his uncle Joey still holding the all-time record of 26 victories, while Michael’s father Robert was a five-time winner prior to a serious accident in 1994.

Dunlop finished 12.329s ahead of Peter Hickman (Trooper Triumph by PHR), who overhauled Dean Harrison (BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha) on the fourth and final lap to snatch the runner-up spot by 0.4s.

Bradford man Harrison was the early leader by half-a-second at Glen Helen on the first lap from Dunlop, but the Ulsterman had taken over at the top of the times by 1.5s when they reached Ballaugh Bridge, with Hickman 1.8s further adrift.

Dunlop’s opening lap of 128.305mph gave him a 5.4s advantage over Harrison, with Hickman 4.6s back in third ahead of Yorkshire’s Jamie Coward on the KTS Racing/Stanley Stewart Yamaha.

On lap two, Dunlop turned up the heat and set the fastest speed of the race at 129.136mph as he slowed for his pit-stop, extending his lead over Harrison to 13.4s, with Hickman 8.5 behind in third.

Dunlop was now able to manage the race to maintain a comfortable cushion over Harrison, who lapped at 128.166mph on lap two.

However, Hickman was finding his rhythm after the pit-stop and began to close the deficit to Harrison, reducing the gap to 3.9s as he clocked the fastest speed on the third lap at 122.443mph.

Dunlop was 17s clear at the start of the final lap and read his boards to maintain a healthy gap, guiding his trusty Yamaha R6 home for another coveted triumph.

Harrison, though, was under increasing pressure from Hickman, who was only 1.22s behind at Ramsey.

The Louth man then moved into second place on the run over the Mountain, edging out Harrison for the runner-up spot.

Coward claimed an impressive fourth, 41s behind Harrison, with Milenco by Padgett’s Honda rider Davey Todd 2.8s further behind in fifth.

James Hillier, riding a BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha, was sixth, with Magherafelt rider Paul Jordan (PreZ Racing Yamaha) and Aussie David Johnson (Jackson Racing Honda) completing the top eight.

Young prospect Jim Hind was holding eighth at the end of lap two but incurred a 60-second penalty for speeding in pit lane.

Cork’s Mike Browne, who shone in qualifying, was ruled out of the race after blowing an engine on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Yamaha on the solo warm-up lap prior to the race.