For the second year running Dunlop has taken an incredible clean sweep with five out of five wins at the Isle of Man TT races. Adding to the unique victory, it was Honda Dunlop rider Ian Hutchinson who took all five victories, the only time in the 101 year history of the TT races that a single rider has swept the board.Hutchinson started the week as he meant to go on, taking the first of the two Superbike races with fellow Honda Dunlop rider Michael Dunlop taking the second spot on the podium. Both riders delivered their convincing result on Dunlop Ntec slicks. The one-two victory was to be repeated in the first of the Supersport races, with Hutchinson, now on Dunlop D211GP tyres, again taking the win followed by Dunlop in the second spot.
Staying on D211GP’s for the Superstock 1000 race it was Hutchinson again, now a familiar sight on the podium, taking his third win of the week. Following behind to take a close second was D211GP shod Kawasaki rider Ryan Farquhar. In taking victory, Hutchinson smashed the lap record for the Superstock class, delivering the first ever 130+mph lap on a production machine using road legal tyres.
With the three wins already under his belt, Hutchinson was unstoppable, using the D211GPs again in the second of the Supersport races to take his fourth and penultimate victory of the week and equalling Phillip McCallen’s 1996 record of four race wins in a week in the process. In a mirror of the first Supersport race it was again Michael Dunlop in the second spot behind Hutchinson, this time accompanied on the podium by third place rider Keith Amor, making it a Dunlop D211GP one-two-three finish. In securing second, Dunlop also took the new Supersport lap record, scoring a 127.836mph lap. Hutchinson wrapped up an incredible weekend for himself and Dunlop tyres by taking victory in the Senior TT. Riding on Dunlop Ntec slicks, Hutchinson was again followed onto the podium by Ryan Farquhar who took the second spot using the same Dunlop rubber.
The TT week delivered an impressive tally for Dunlop, with a clean sweep of five race wins, ten podium finishes and two lap records.
“The Isle of Man TT racing on normal roads represents a tough challenge for any tyre company,” said Stephen Male, Dunlop Motorcycle Motorsport Manager. “Taking five wins from five races for the second year in succession and setting new lap records is a truly fantastic performance. Beyond that, the Isle of Man TT is particularly important for Dunlop in advancing our “Race to Road” development programme. Setting the new lap record in the Superstock class, the first lap above 130 mph average speed on a road legal tyre, shows just what our road legal motorcycle tyre technology is capable of.”
