TT 2026: Dean Harrison puts down marker with fastest ever opening night qualifying lap to top times from Michael Dunlop
Dean Harrison put down an early marker after setting the fastest ever opening night qualifying lap at the Isle of Man TT.
In the warm evening sunshine, the Honda Racing rider lapped at 133.925mph on his second lap after a standing start speed of 133.222mph on his Superbike.
Harrison topped the times by almost 28 seconds from Northern Ireland’s Michael Dunlop, who clocked 130.341mph from a standing start before pulling in on the Hawk Racing Honda.
The 33-time TT winner went back out on his Superbike after making a few tweaks but was slightly slower at 130.032mph.
It was the first qualifying sessions of TT 2026 after Monday’s sessions were cancelled following a serious incident in untimed practice at Parliament Square in Ramsey, when eight spectators and a rider needed hospital treatment after a bike went into a group of people.
Manx rider Nathan Harrison was third fastest in the Superbike times on Tuesday at 130.01mph on the H&H Motorcycles Honda with Honda Racing’s John McGuinness fourth fastest after a lap of 128.979mph.
Ian Hutchinson (Team RST BMW) and David Johnson (Platinum Racing Kawasaki) completed the top six, while outright lap record holder Peter Hickman was seventh on the 8TEN Racing BMW at 128.275mph after two laps on the M1000RR.
Aussie Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) led the Superstock times at 130.197mph from Hickman (129.42mph) and Yorkshireman Jamie Coward on the Rapid Racing Honda at 128.702mph.
Dominic Herbertson (KTS Racing BMW) was next at 128.569mph ahead of Harrison – a double Superstock winner last year – who squeezed in a lap on his Superstock machine at 128.237mph.
Ireland’s Mike Browne (MB Racing/Russell Racing Honda) was sixth fastest at 127.805mph ahead of Conor Cummins (Conrod Racing BMW), who did 127.759mph.
Dunlop, who has won the last eight Supersport races, topped the times in the middleweight class on the Scars/MD Racing Ducati at 126.922mph after two laps on the V2 machine.
He was 22.828s faster than Brookes (Uggly&Co Racing Suzuki), who lapped at 124.271mph, with Hickman third on the Swan Racing by PHR Triumph (123.584mph).
Hutchinson slotted into fourth on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Ducati with a lap of 123.538mph ahead of Magherafelt man Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing by Prosper2 Ducati).
Browne completed the top six on the BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha with a lap of 123.182mph.
Jordan was quickest in the Sportbike session on the Jackson Racing Aprilia at 120.208mph with Jamie Coward in second (Milenco by Padgett’s Paton) with a lap of 119.199mph.
Browne was third fastest on the Laycock Racing/Melbray Paton (119.097mph).