IOMTT 2018: With a 135.452mph lap, Peter Hickman makes it the fastest road race on Earth
The Isle of Man TT 2018 was one where records were broken in each class - Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, Lightweight, Zero (electric), and Sidecar. In its 100th year of racing since it was first run in 1907, the race has also become the fastest road race on earth, thanks to Senior TT winner and Smiths Racing BMW S 1000 RR rider Peter Hickman who clocked 135.452mph, the fastest outright lap record. The 2018 edition of the week-long event missed the presence of injured John McGuinness.
Michael Dunlop won the Superbike TT, Â Supersport TT 1, and the Lightweight TT, and placed second in the second Supersport TT to gather a total of 94 points, ahead of Hickman's 86 points and Dean Harrison's 81.
Harrison had in fact set a new outright record with his 134.432mph lap during the Superbike TT race, before Hickman came and smashed it. Harrison's record still stands for the Superbike class.
Meanwhile, the Birchall brothers Ben and Tom set a new sub-19 minute lap record for the Sidecar TT astride their modified Honda CBR, on their way to dominant wins in both the the Sidecar TT races.
A blast from the past was the Gulf BMW Road Racing team's S 1000 RR in the traditional Gulf racing livery of blue and orange. Astride the World Superbike motorcycle, David Johnson paced to a commendable fourth in the Superstock TT and the Superbike TT races.
Here are all the records broken during the IOMTT 2018:
Senior TT (six laps), won by Peter Hickman (BMW S 1000 RR): 1:43:08.065, 131.700mph
Supersport TT (four laps), Dean Harrison (Kawasaki ZX-6R): 1:11:28.059, 126.703mph
Superstock TT (four laps), Peter Hickman (BMW S 1000 RR): 1:08:49.976, 131.553mph
Lightweight TT (four laps), Michael Dunlop (Paton): 1:15:05.032, 120.601mph
TT Zero (one lap), Michael Rutter (Mugen): 18:34.956, 121.824mph
Sidecar TT (three laps), Ben and Tom Birchall (Honda CBR): 57:25.040, 118.281mph
However, the 2018 TT was not without its fatalities. Manxman Dan Kneen met with a crash during Superbike TT qualifying. Adam Lyon of Scotland died during the Supersport 1 race.
Dan's brother Ryan had gone out on the back of the final qualifying session the next day wearing his brother's helmet as a tribute. Ryan Kneen was later awarded the Pokerstars Spirit of the TT award for best representing the sporting nature of the Isle of the Man.
POINTS
Championship:
1 Michael Dunlop - 94
2 Peter Hickman - 86
3 Dean Harrison - 81
Privateers:
Davey Todd - 101
Sam West - 78
Philip Crowe - 50
Sidecar:
Birchall/Birchall - 50
Holden/Cain - 40
Reeves/Wilkes - 32
Manufacturers:
Kawasaki - 97
BMW - 75
Honda - 74
Team:
Smiths Racing/Trooper Beer - 86
Silicone Engineering Kawasaki - 81
Padgetts Honda - 60
RACE RESULTS
RST Superbike TT
1 6 Michael Dunlop - BMW / Tyco BMW, 01:44:13.398, 130.324mph
2 1 Conor Cummins Honda / padgettsmotorcycles.com 01:45:04.259 129.273
3 2 James Hillier Kawasaki / Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawa 01:45:25.919 128.830
Best Lap - 5 Dean Harrison - 16:50.384, 134.432mph
Locate.im Sidecar TT 1
1 1 Ben Birchall / Tom Birchall - Honda / IEG Racing, 57:33.635, 117.987mph
2 3 John Holden / Lee Cain - Honda / Silicone Engineering/Barnes Racing, 58:20.767, 116.398 mph
3 5 Tim Reeves / Mark Wilkes - Honda / Carl Cox Motorsport powered by H&S Contract, 58:42.668, 115.675mph
Monster Energy Supersport TT 1
1 6 Michael Dunlop - Honda / MD Racing, 01:11:51.072, 126.027mph
2 5 Dean Harrison - Kawasaki / Silicone Engineering, 01:12:01.350, 125.727mph
3 10 Peter Hickman - Triumph / Trooper Triumph by Smiths Racin, 01:12:01.608, 125.720mph
Best Lap - 6 Michael Dunlop - 17:31.328, 129.197mph
RL360 Superstock TT
1 10 Peter Hickman - BMW / Smiths Racing BMW, 01:08:49.976, 131.553mph
2 6 Michael Dunlop - BMW / MD Racing, 01:08:54.428, 131.412mph
3 5 Dean Harrison - Kawasaki / Silicone Engineering, 01:09:03.579, 131.121mph
Best Lap - 10 Peter Hickman - 16:50.601, 134.403mph
Monster Energy Supersport TT 2
1 5 Dean Harrison - Kawasaki / Silicone Engineering, 01:11:28.059, 126.703mph
2 10 Peter Hickman - Triumph / Trooper Triumph by Smiths Racin, 01:11:46.730, 126.154mph
3 2 James Hillier - Kawasaki / Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawa, 01:11:58.508, 125.810mph
Best Lap - 5 Dean Harrison - 17:32.124, 129.099mph
Bennetts Lightweight TT
1 6 Michael Dunlop - Paton / MD Racing, 01:15:05.032, 120.601mph
2 15 Derek McGee - Kawasaki / IEG / KMR Kawasaki, 01:15:19.633, 120.212mph
3 3 Michael Rutter - Paton / Paton SC-Project Reparto Corse Ba, 01:16:30.242, 118.362mph
Best Lap - 6 Michael Dunlop - 18:26.543, 122.750mph
SES TT Zero
1 1 Michael Rutter - Mugen / Mugen, 18:34.956, 121.824mph
2 3 Daley Mathison - University of Nottingham / University of Nott, 18:58.600, 119.294mph
3 2 Lee Johnston - Mugen, 21:26.668, 105.566mph
Best Lap - 1 Michael Rutter - 18:34.956, 121.824mph
Locate.im Sidecar TT 2
1 1 Ben Birchall / Tom Birchall - Honda / IEG Racing, 57:25.040, 118.281mph
2 3 John Holden / Lee Cain - Honda / Silicone Engineering/Barnes Racin, 57:47.960, 117.500 mph
3 5 Tim Reeves / Mark Wilkes - Honda / Carl Cox Motorsport powered by H, 58:03.738, 116.967mph
PokerStars Senior TT
1 10 Peter Hickman - BMW / Smiths Racing BMW, 01:43:08.065, 131.700mph
2 5 Dean Harrison - Kawasaki / Silicone Engineering, 01:43:10.126, 131.656mph
3 1 Conor Cummins - Honda / padgettsmotorcycles.com, 01:44:50.559, 129.554mph
Best Lap - 10 Peter Hickman - 16:42.778, 135.452mph