Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison produced a masterclass to win the RST Superbike race for his sixth Isle of Man TT success on Sunday.

Harrison, fastest through qualifying week, led all the way in the six-lap showpiece and set the fastest lap from a standing start on his opening lap at 134.893mph.

The 37-year-old secured a popular win in perfect conditions around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course by 15.580s over 14-time winner Peter Hickman (8TEN Racing BMW), who prevailed in a battle with Michael Dunlop (MD/Hawk Racing Honda) to clinch the runner-up spot.

Dunlop, who has struggled with the set-up of his Honda, was 12.4s back on Hickman.

placeholder image — Dean Harrison (Honda Racing) won the RST Superbike race at the Isle of Man TT on Sunday for his sixth victory at the event. (Photo by Rod Neill/Pacemaker Press)

Australian Josh Brookes finished fourth on the DAO Racing Honda, 56.781s behind Northern Ireland’s Dunlop, with TT legend John McGuinness taking a fine fifth for Honda Racing.

The 54-year-old rode with special livery on his Honda Superbike, mirroring the colours he used on his TT debut 30 years ago in 1996.

McGuinness was 19.568s behind Brookes, while Ian Hutchinson rounded out the top six on the RST BMW.

In a blistering start to the race by Harrison, he was eight seconds up on Dunlop at Ramsey hairpin on the first lap, with Hickman 1.9s further adrift and Brookes holding fourth.

At the end of the lap, Harrison’s advantage was 12 seconds over Dunlop, who was just under a second ahead of Hickman.

Harrison continued to stretch his lead and the Bradford rider, who lives on the Isle of Man, was 24.327s up on Dunlop after clocking 134.765mph on his second lap.

Hickman was now only 0.3s down on Dunlop going into their first scheduled pit stops, with the Ballymoney rider losing time when he was held up behind Nathan Harrison through Ramsey.

On lap three, Hickman had moved ahead of Dunlop by one second on corrected time at the Bungalow, while Harrison was 28.9s clear.

Hickman and Dunlop swapped places with little between them over the next two laps, but the pendulum swung in the Englishman’s favour after his 8TEN Racing team carried out an excellent second pit stop at the end of lap four, which gained him a few seconds.

At Ballaugh on the penultimate lap, Harrison was 29.790s up on Hickman, who had 2.5s in hand over Dunlop. Brookes was fourth and only 1.9s ahead of the hard-charging McGuinness.

Harrison had victory in his sights and could afford to roll off slightly on the sixth and final lap to secure the win, lapping at 133.204mph.

Hickman had pulled a comfortable gap over Dunlop and clocked a final lap of 134.587mph to close out second place.

Brookes upped the ante to nail down fourth place ahead of McGuinness.

Harrison’s race time was 1h 43m 08.967s, with his fastest lap on the first lap of 134.892mph set in 16m 46.939mph.

Dunlop, who holds the Superbike TT lap record at 135.97mph, recorded his best lap in the race on the final lap at 133.933mph, with Hickman’s best lap of 134.587mph also coming on the sixth and last lap.

Outside the top six, Jamie Coward (Rapid Racing Honda) was seventh and Manx rider Nathan Harrison (H&H Motorcycles Honda) eighth.

Cork’s Mike Browne was ninth on his Caffrey International/Russell Racing Honda while Magherafelt’s Paul Jordan was 10th on the Jackson Racing Honda by Prosper2.

Waterford’s Brian McCormack (Roadhouse Macau BMW) was 13th, with Shaun Anderson (Penz13 BMW) 15th, Michael Sweeney (MJR BMW) from Skerries 17th and Offaly’s Kevin Keyes (Daracore Racing) 25th.

Matt Stevenson crashed at Waterworks but was reported to be OK, while Dominic Herbertson retired at Hillberry on the first lap.