Michael Dunlop has won a historic victory for BMW Motorrad in the Isle of Man TT Superbike race, finishing 20.5 seconds in front of Guy Martin and third-placed rider Conor Cummins.
The Ballymoney rider’s stunning win comes exactly 75 years since BMW Motorrad’s last Superbike victory at the Isle of Man in 1939, when Georg Meier won on a Type 255 Kompressor. The silverware increases Dunlop’s tally to eight TT victories, with two now being in the top Superbike class.
The BMW S 1000 RR rider took the lead early on the first lap, incredibly going on to smash the outright lap record from a standing start, with an average speed of 131.730 mph. Dunlop was on perfect form, with his BMW S 1000 RR clocked at 190mph on the legendary 1.5-mile long Sulby Straight, shortly after going on to extend his lead over Guy Martin to 16 seconds.
When he crossed the start/finish line a second time, Dunlop broke the outright lap record again with a fantastic 131.890 mph lap before slowing down to pull in for his first pit stop. The BMW Motorrad / Hawk Racing team had Dunlop back out with a full tank in seconds, preserving his lead over Guy Martin.
Lap three saw that lead extended to 17 seconds at Ballaugh bridge and 19 seconds by the Bungalow. During the race Dunlop caught up with Guy Martin on the road, who had started 20 seconds ahead of him, on lap four.
Martin tailed Dunlop for the following two laps, followed by a pit stop for both, before the BMW rider led a final charge towards the flag and his first ever TT win on a BMW motorcycle. Michael brought the BMW Motorrad / Hawk Racing S 1000 RR Superbike across the line in first place with a 20.5 second lead over Guy Martin, with Conor Cummins following in third place.
Michael and the BMW Motorrad / Hawk Racing team will be in the Superstock race on Monday and the blue riband Senior TT race on Friday.
For more information and live timing, or to download the full race results from today, visit www.iomtt.com.
The highlights from today’s racing will be broadcast on ITV4 at 9pm and will be available online via www.itv.com/itvplayer.
Michael Dunlop
“It’s been 75 years for BMW Motorrad since they won the TT in 1939 – so today’s win is a nice present to send back to their museum.
“The BMW Hawk Racing team worked really well, and we showed everyone that you can complete two laps at full race pace on that BMW S 1000 RR. For a bike to last around the TT, especially the way I bust ‘em, is just fantastic. The BMW is only just showing its potential, there’s a lot more to come from that bike.
“My team were up all night working like dogs sorting my bikes. Steve Hicken and the lads have done a fantastic job and Kurt Bock from BMW Motorrad Motorsport has been a superstar. I can’t say enough about the whole team. Looking ahead, we’ve got five more races to do this week and three gallons of beer to drink tonight!”
Steve Hicken, Hawk Racing Team Manager
“For Hawk Racing it’s amazing to be able to say we’ve won at the Isle of Man TT. I think it’s a dream that any team have, it’s the biggest event in the entire motorcycle racing calendar. It’s fantastic to have a TT win to our name – and to have won it by such a margin, and to have broken the lap record twice on the first two laps, is the icing on the cake.
“Full credit to Michael for that amazing ride. It was an unbelievable job from the whole team. We’ve had fantastic support from BMW Motorrad, from Lee Nicholls in the UK and Kurt from BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Now let’s see what Friday brings.”
Lee Nicholls, Marketing Manager for BMW Motorrad UK
“This is a huge, historic moment for BMW Motorrad. Michael Dunlop’s victory in the Superbike race comes exactly 75 years on from BMW Motorrad’s last win in the top class, and is the most fitting way to commemorate Georg Meier’s legendary victory in 1939.
“Michael delivered a stunning ride from start to finish, proving once again his skill and dedication. But he couldn’t have done it without the support from Steve Hicken and the Hawk Racing team, from the Michael Dunlop Racing team and from our colleagues Kurt Bock and Berti Hauser from BMW Motorrad Motorsport. We entered road racing in 2014 to prove that the BMW S 1000 RR is a formidable road superbike – and with victories at the North West 200 and now the Isle of Man TT, that’s now been proven beyond all doubt.”
Brilliant victory by Michael and the BMW S 1000 RR is some motorcycle.
Perhaps it is a little ‘inconvenient’ to mention that Dave Morris on a works-supported Chrysalis BMW F650 won three ‘unglamorous’ Single Cylinder TTs in 1997, 98 and 99. A fact that BMW seem to have forgotten although they gained much publicity from it at the time.