Isle of Man TT - Friday 31 May 2024

So that’s the IoM TT 2024 qualifying and practice week 90% complete, with Peter Hickman and Davey Todd leading the way in the Superbike, Supersport and Superstock. Peter Hickman on the FHO BMW Motorrad UK M1000RR Superstock bike posted the fastest speed last week round the 37.7mile mountain course of 134.638mph, at a lap time of 16 minutes 48.8 seconds. 

Hickman is looking good to repeat his double win at last year’s Superstock race where he set the lap record for the Mountain Course at 136.358. Hickman has 13 wins at the TT to his name, one behind the legend Mike “the bike” Hailwood who has 14 wins.

The beautiful Senior Tourist Trophy is the oldest motorsport trophy still being awarded, but Hicky will be happy with a first in any of the eight races he has entered this year to move him up the all time leader board.

Another racer coveting a winged Hermes trophy is Davey Todd, who can’t keep off the podiums this year. He had a hat-trick at the North West 200 road races and won the last British Superstock race at Oulton Park so can’t be counted out. In Supersport qualifying 5 he posted a lap of 127.062 to head the leader board and second fastest of the Superstocks overall this week with 132.976. In the Superbike he posted a time of 133.942mph, a personal best.

However, all of the fans at this year’s TT are hoping that #6 Michael Dunlop will grace the top step, to equal his late uncle and the greatest road racer of all time Joey Dunlops record of 26 wins.

Michaels best bet to achieve this monumental moment in road racing history is in the two Supersport races which he is the fastest rider this week at 127.649. The Supertwins could also help Michael become the all time record holder of TT wins as he has constantly been fast in this class.

But as we all know the TT can be punishing to the bikes with mechanical problems manifesting themselves over the course of a race, there are no certainties at the TT. 

In the sidecars, brothers Ryan and Callum Crowe racing the Kelproperties Honda LCR toped the qualifying leader board. Just shy of the magic 120mph their best lap of 119.191mph kept them ahead of the new pairing of Ben Birchall and Kevin Rousseau. Peter Founds and Jevan Walmsley on the FHO Honda DDM were third fastest of the 31 entries this year.

Unsung Heroes.

All of this reporting on the stars of the TT is all well and good but PistonClick is all about the spectators view point (from behind a camera) and reporting on the grassroots of motorsport. These are not the only points why we are following Michael "Jack" Russell and Matt Stevenson on their TT journey, they have both stood out for many reasons while we have reported from the island of dreams hedge rows and ditches over the years.

Jack Russell is a full time serviceman in the RAF and has just completed a tour in the Falklands Islands which put a hold on his 2024 road racing preparations for a significant time. Like the majority of the racers at this years TT he is putting a significant amount of his own money and time into the project with no realistic hope of gracing the podiums in all of the 10 races he has entered. For the unsung heroes of the TT the achievement of finishing a race around the mountain course is the goal. 

This is what separates the TT from any other type of racing around the world, it’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination just to finish a race.

Let’s park the fact that the TT is the most dangerous race of all time and just look at the 37.7 miles course, which has 219 corners rising from sea level to 1,385 ft at the highest point. Racing flat out on public roads with manhole covers, white lines, curbs, dark woodland and wind swept open sections with no run off takes a level of skill and concentration that most motorcyclists can only dream of.

The best way to describe the TT is imagine riding flat out from London to Manchester without using motorways, which is about the distance of the final Senior race, so receiving a finishers medal is a hell of an achievement.

Matt Stevenson didn’t finish last year, he didn’t even start after crashing in qualifying, all the preparations and work of the preceding year can disappear in an instant at the TT. This year is going so much better for Matt, with a personal best on the Dafabet Racing Superstock Kawasaki of 126.076mph at 17 minutes 57.352 seconds bodes well for a good result this year.

Isle of Man TT Superbike qualifying 5

Isle of Man TT Superstock qualifying 5

Isle of Man TT Supersport qualifying 5

Isle of Man TT Supertwin qualifying 5

Isle of Man TT Sidecar qualifying 4