TT 2014: Dunlop takes his second of the week in Superstock

Michael Dunlop has taken his second TT victory of the week, in the postponed Royal London 360 Superstock race, delayed first from yesterday and then further today due to a RTC on the circuit, and eventually got underway this afternoon just before 2pm. 

The delays didn’t deter Dunlop, though, and he led from the opening sector at Glen Helen right through until he brought his MD Racing BMW home to take the chequered flag.  He was originally chased down by both Gary Johnson and Dean Harrison but Johnson crashed out at Waterworks on theopening lap and was taken by air ambulance to hospital with broken bones, where he was reported to have a broken collar bone.

This left Harrison to continue the chase but a quickshifter problem throughout the race left him unable to mount a serious challenge for the win. Third place finisher Bruce Anstey, who started ten seconds ahead of Dunlop on the road, was held up by both Guy Martin and John McGuinness and was then caught by Dunlop but eventually left behind too as the pairing came upon back markers and Anstey was unable to get past.  

The Tyco Suzuki pairing of Martin and William Dunlop were both forced to retire from top ten positions with mechanical issues while David Johnson on his Lloyd and Jones PR Kawasaki put in a great last lap to take a best ever TT finish of 5th place.

Today’s win takes Dunlop’s tally of victories to nine, putting him level on the winners table with Ian Hutchinson, Jim Moodie, Chas Mortimer, Phil Read, Dan Sayle and Charlie Williams.  Dunlop said afterwards “I’m delighted with the win! I’ve won on Honda, Kawasaki and now BMW Superstock machines and this is a great result for BMW. It’s great for a manufacturer when a road bike wins a TT”