Dean Harrison Fastest in First Isle of Man TT Qualifying

Honda Racing rider throws down the gauntlet with blistering 133.069mph Superbike benchmark on opening day

The 2025 Isle of Man TT Races kicked off in ideal conditions, with cool air and clear skies rewarding both riders and fans as qualifying got underway on the Mountain Course. Dean Harrison wasted no time issuing a warning shot to his rivals, topping the Superbike leaderboard with a blistering 133.069mph lap — the fastest ever recorded on the first qualifying day in TT history.

In the Superstock ranks, Davey Todd set the early benchmark aboard his Monster Energy by 8TEN Racing BMW, lapping at 131.231mph, while Michael Dunlop (127.181mph) jumped to the front of the Supersport field, and Rob Hodson (119.521mph) edged out the competition on his Supertwin. The ever-impressive Crowe brothers posted a rapid 118.797mph in the Sidecar class, shortly before thick cloud began to close in over the Mountain, cutting the session short after a single lap.

The evening kicked off promptly at 6:30pm, with a mixed group of Superbike and Superstock riders heading out in formation. Harrison led the charge, followed by James Hillier and Aussie David Johnson. Not far behind, the likes of Peter Hickman, John McGuinness MBE, Conor Cummins, and Rob Hodson rolled down Glencrutchery Road. Over in Superstock, Dunlop, Todd, Hillier, Josh Brookes, Ian Hutchinson and Mike Browne made up the early rotation.

Dunlop showed his usual aggression from the get-go, catching and slicing past Hodson before Glen Helen. Harrison, leading on the road, laid down an initial lap of 130.897mph as he continued straight through for a second flyer.

Todd, meanwhile, was straight into the groove on his Superstock-spec BMW, setting an early benchmark of 130.667mph — just pipping Dunlop’s 130.387mph before the latter swapped over to his big bike. Hickman was quick to respond in the Superbike class, clocking 129.663mph, with Nathan Harrison not far off on 127.950mph. Dominic Herbertson pushed his way into second in Superstock thanks to a tidy 128.226mph effort, just ahead of Browne on 127.778mph.

Amongst this year’s newcomers, Kiwi Mitch Rees impressed with a composed 119.775mph lap, and Barry Burrell also put in a respectable 114.359mph on his first serious run around the circuit.

It was, however, Harrison’s second lap that truly caused a stir. With conditions holding steady and little traffic in front of him, he lit up the course to produce a stunning 133.069mph — a new outright opening-day record that sent a message to everyone watching from the hedgerows and on TV.

Hickman kept him honest with a 131.076mph lap, while Dunlop’s switch to the Superbike resulted in a strong 129.975mph. Behind the leading trio were solid efforts from Nathan Harrison, Shaun Anderson, McGuinness, Hodson and Johnson — all punching into the high 127s.

Todd wasn’t letting the spotlight slip, though, hammering in a 131.231mph lap in Superstock to consolidate his place at the top. Herbertson remained second on 129.257mph, with Paul Jordan, Cummins, Browne and Hind all stacking up just over the 127mph mark. Rees put together another tidy lap later in the session, pushing on to 123.050mph.

In the later stages, Harrison returned on his Superstock machine to post a 131.098mph, enough to slot him second behind Todd. In the Superbike class, Todd’s transition onto his litre machine yielded a 130.402mph lap, landing him third fastest overall behind Harrison and Hickman.

The session transitioned to the Supersport and Supertwin classes just after 7:20pm, with veteran Michael Rutter first away aboard a Bathams Ales-prepped Yamaha. He was followed out by Hind, Jordan, Johnson, and Dunlop — the latter beginning his campaign on the Milwaukee Ducati Supersport entry.

Dunlop posted the class’s opening salvo with a 125.742mph effort, leading Jordan and Browne, though his time was briefly eclipsed by Harrison, who dropped in a 125.650mph lap that shuffled the leaderboard. Dunlop quickly responded, lighting up the Ducati dashboard with a 127.181mph return — enough to lock in his place at the top of the Supersport standings. Harrison lifted again to 126.436mph, with Todd, Hickman, Browne and Hillier also in the mix.

There was no shortage of pace in the Supertwin class either. Barry Furber was first to make a mark, but was soon leapfrogged by Italian TT regular Stefano Bonetti before Rob Hodson took control with a strong 118.832mph lap. Hodson wasn’t done there, returning for another run and improving to 119.521mph, which would ultimately hold as the fastest of the session.

Mike Evans also showed his hand with 118.646mph, sliding between Hodson and Bonetti on the timesheets. Late-session switches saw Hickman, Dunlop and Todd all jump onto their twin-cylinder machines, with Dunlop narrowly missing the top spot with a 119.068mph. Todd placed fifth on 117.634mph, just behind Mike Browne who impressed with a 118.579mph lap.

The three-wheelers rolled out at 8:10pm, with the Ramsey-based Crowe brothers heading the field. A rapid 118.797mph lap saw them decisively stamp their authority on the class. Founds/Walmsley followed at 115.370mph, with Crawford/Hardie and Blackstock/Lawrence also above the 112mph mark. Unfortunately, thickening fog over the Mountain forced race officials to call an early end to the Sidecar session after just one circulation.

All eyes now turn to tomorrow’s second qualifying session, scheduled for Thursday 29 May, where competitors will once again be hunting for clear track and crucial data ahead of race week. If day one was any indication, the pace and intensity for TT 2025 is already set at an all-time high.

2025 Isle of Man TT Superbike Qualifying 1