Dunlop Makes it 30 With Historic TT Supersport Win

Milwaukee Ducati rider secures record-breaking Isle of Man victory with stunning final-lap charge, Josh Brookes takes 5th

Michael Dunlop continues to redefine greatness at the Isle of Man TT, notching up an unprecedented 30th win and further cementing his legacy as the most successful rider in the event’s long, illustrious history. The 34-year-old from Northern Ireland delivered a stunning charge in the first Monster Energy Supersport TT Race on Monday afternoon, clawing back a late-game deficit to overhaul Dean Harrison and secure his 14th Supersport TT victory – this time astride the Milwaukee MD Racing Ducati.

With this impressive ride, Dunlop has now claimed TT victories with seven different manufacturers, and in doing so, handed Ducati its first Isle of Man win in nearly three decades – the last being Robert Holden’s victory in the 1995 Singles TT. The historic win wasn’t just a personal triumph for Dunlop, but also a landmark result for the Bologna-based brand, reestablishing its race-winning credentials on the treacherous 37.73-mile Mountain Course.

In a shortened two-lap sprint, Harrison, piloting the Honda Racing machine, charged hard from the outset. He set the early pace, building a 3.4-second lead over Dunlop by Glen Helen and extending it to 4.6 seconds by Ballaugh. James Hillier slotted in for third aboard the Bournemouth Kawasaki, narrowly holding off Davey Todd (myCOOLMAN by Padgetts Honda), with Michael Evans (Smith Racing Triumph) and Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing Honda) rounding out the top six.

As lap one progressed, Harrison widened his buffer to 7.4 seconds by the time the field reached the pits for mandatory stops, having lapped at an impressive 127.888mph. Dunlop (126.993mph) held second, with Hillier (125.773mph) just 1.1 seconds ahead of the fast-closing Todd. Evans and Mike Browne (Boyce Precision/Russell Racing Yamaha) were locked in a tight scrap, separated by a mere 0.3 seconds.

The mood began shifting on lap two. Dunlop launched a furious counterattack, setting a new Supersport sector record between Glen Helen and Ballaugh to begin chipping away at Harrison’s lead. He then repeated that feat between Ballaugh and Ramsey, slicing the gap to just 4 seconds. Meanwhile, Hillier gained breathing room in third, distancing Todd, who now had Aussie sensation Josh Brookes breathing down his neck in fifth.

The attritional nature of the TT reared its head once more, as Evans retired at Stella Maris and Browne dropped his Yamaha at Sulby Bridge – thankfully escaping injury. Those departures suddenly elevated Brookes to fifth and Rob Hodson into sixth.

With the final lap underway, Dunlop’s pace went from relentless to record-breaking. At Glen Helen, Harrison’s lead had dwindled to less than a second. By Ballaugh Bridge, Dunlop had taken the lead for the first time, albeit by just 0.1s. But the Ballymoney native was just getting started.

Unleashing blistering sector times, Dunlop doubled his advantage at Ramsey and pushed further clear by the time they reached the Bungalow. An astonishing final lap of 130.313mph – on a Supersport machine – sealed the deal, with the Ducati ace crossing the line 10.2 seconds clear of Harrison, whose fierce challenge faded as Dunlop turned up the heat late in the race.

Hillier managed to hold off the pack to clinch third, marking his 15th TT podium and his first trip to the rostrum since 2019. Behind him, Todd and Brookes duked it out, ultimately claiming fourth and fifth respectively after circulating closely through the second lap.

Hodson wrapped up a strong ride with sixth position, followed by James Hind, Dominic Herbertson (riding a Gilbert Brown-backed Ducati), Ian Hutchinson, and local hero Conor Cummins on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Ducati rounding out the top ten.

With this victory Dunlop has not only reached the exclusive 30-win milestone, he’s also given Ducati fans a long-awaited reason to celebrate on the Isle of Man. With more races still to come this week, the road racing icon shows no signs of slowing.

Crowe Brothers Dominate Sidecar TT

Ryan and Callum Crowe delivered a commanding performance in Monday’s 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT Race, winning by over a minute and smashing the lap record with a 121.021mph average. Riding their Opul/Kelproperties LCR Honda, the Manx brothers led from start to finish in the shortened two-lap race.

Ben Birchall and new passenger Patrick Rosney took second, setting their fastest lap of the week (116.713mph), while Lee Crawford and Scott Hardie claimed a hard-fought third — it was a maiden TT podium for all three passengers.

The Crowes dominated every sector and became the first sidecar team to break the 121mph barrier. The podium was rounded out by Ellis/Clement in fourth and newcomers Clarke/Johnson in fifth, with Clarke becoming the fastest debutant sidecar driver in TT history.

Michael Dunlop – It was tough for a start, a bit of a struggle. It’s been a few laps of me struggling with myself and a new manufacturer.
But it’s great, you know—Ducati wanted somebody to get back on one of their bikes. I think they were saying it’s the 30th year—well, not today obviously, but this year marks 30 years since they last won. And now that’s my 30th victory, so it’s quite cool. Obviously, that puts another manufacturer under my tally, and hats off to the boys—everyone at Milwaukee. They were really keen to be successful, and they put their faith in me. I just got stuck in and carried on with it. You saw we were making a few suspension changes in the pit lane. It really shows how far behind we are—not just with setup, but with a lack of track time and a completely new machine. All those things add up. When you’re making changes in the pits during a race, it’s never ideal. It’s not what we’re trying to do at this stage. Everyone else is riding bikes they’ve used for years, so they don’t have to deal with this. I’m having to do it in the pit. So fair play to the boys—it was a brainwave from all the technicians. They said, “Look, we know where we’re struggling. We’ve got a few bits with us, so we’ll make changes if needed.” And that’s exactly what we did.

2025 Isle of Man TT Supersport Race 1

2025 Isle of Man TT Sidecars Race 1