SUPERBIKE PREVIEW: THE BIG THREE TO DO BATTLE AGAIN
As winners of the last nine Superbike and Senior TT races, the ‘big three’ of Peter Hickman, Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison will lead the charge for top honours once again in the headline 6-lap encounters at the 2024 Isle of Man TT Races.
Twice a Superbike race winner and a 3-time Senior TT winner, Hickman arguably comes in to TT 2024 as a slight favourite for the two races. Lap record holder for both the Superbike and Senior races, and outright lap record holder courtesy of a phenomenal final lap of the second Superstock Race of 2023, he does however come in to the event carrying a slight injury. The FHO Racing by Monster Energy rider sat out the recent British Superbike Championship round at Donington Park in order to rest an injured hand ahead of his arrival to the Island
Setting his first 135mph+ laps of the TT Course last year, Dunlop will need to find that form and more to take the fight to Hickman once again. But, like Hickman, he arrives to the Island carrying a wrist injury sustained in a crash at the Cookstown 100 earlier in the season.
That leaves Harrison, who comes to the TT in fine form. Strong showings in the first rounds of the British Superbike Championship, plus podiums at the North West 200 despite only having a Superstock-spec machine available to him means the 2019 Senior TT winner should be in the best possible position for further glory.
Outside of the ‘big three’, Davey Todd and Hickman’s team-mate Josh Brookes look best placed to bridge the gap to the Superbike podium. Todd having been in superb form both at the North West 200, where he took six podiums, and in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship where he’s won the two opening rounds. He’s been out of luck in the last two Superbike races so will be hoping the change in team brings him a change in luck and enables him to add to his single TT podium.
Davey will be hoping for a change of Superbike luck this year
Brookes, meanwhile, may not be in the best of form in the British Superbike Championship but took three top five finishes at last year’s TT and set a new personal best lap of 132.529mph. Most paddock insiders are expecting him to build on that in 2024 and a first Superbike podium cannot be ruled out for the double British Superbike Champion.
Of course, it won’t be just about these five with several other riders queuing up to knock them off their perch, many of them Honda-mounted including Harrison’s team-mate John McGuinness. Jamie Coward, James Hillier and the Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles duo of Conor Cummins and Ian Hutchinson also line up on the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.
Coward is on exemplary form around the Mountain Course
Coward has been in exemplary form of late around the Mountain Course and continues to hassle – and beat – the factory-backed riders. Hillier is almost guaranteed to feature in the top six and McGuinness is riding as well as ever, as proven by his podium at the North West 200. Cummins continues to carry the hopes of the Manx population, and Hutchinson makes a popular return although only time will tell if he can get back to his previous heights.
Michael Rutter will celebrate his 30th anniversary of TT competition this year and lines up on the Bathams Racing BMW where he’ll be joined by team-mate and Honda-mounted Craig Neve. Other 130mph+ riders in the field looking to impress include David Johnson, Rob Hodson, Shaun Anderson and Dominic Herbertson.
Michael is celebrating his 30th TT anniversary
There are plenty more privateers more than capable of getting inside the top ten, including Phil Crowe, James Hind, the Jackson Racing Honda duo of Julian Trummer and Paul Jordan, Brian McCormack and Sam West. Local man and winner of the RST Star of Tomorrow award, Ryan Cringle, will certainly be one to watch, lapping at over 126mph in his debut year. Only Brookes, Todd, Hickman and Glenn Irwin have ever lapped faster in their first TT appearances.
