The 2016 Isle of Man TT got off to a blistering start today, with two riders in the Superbike TT breaking the outright lap record on the very first lap, from a standing start no less.
Ian Hutchinson was the first rider to break the outright lap record, which was set by John McGuinness during last year’s Senior TT race, with a 132.892 mph lap.
The record would be short-lived though, as Michael Dunlop was hot on Hutchy’s heels, with a 133.369 mph lap performance on his Hawk Racing BMW S1000RR.
The first ever TT lap under 17 minutes, and the first ever lap that averaged over 133 mph, Dunlop’s performance during the Superbike TT was nothing short of dominant…and he wouldn’t stop there.
Upping the ante on the second lap, Dunlop benefited from less fuel and put down another scorcher – a 133.393 mph lap.
If weather at the Isle of Man continues to be as favorable during the race week, as it was during the practice week, we could easily see another outright record on the course during either the Superstock TT (Ian Hutchinson set an unofficial record earlier in the week on his Superstock machine) or during the final TT race of the fortnight, the Senior TT.
Fans can expect to see hot laps from Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson, or John McGuinness, as all three riders seem to have the speed for a 133 mph or more in them.
Dunlop himself said that a 134 mph lap was possible, since standing starts typically cost the Superbike riders about 7 seconds in time around the course. The Northern Irishman also made mention of some mistakes on the course during those record laps, which could further buoy a 134 mph lap in the future.
“There’s definitely more pace there. I made a few mistakes in the first and second lap. We thought we had an issue with the rear,” said Dunlop during the post-race press conference. “The pace, yeah, seemed good…today was a big starting point for us as well.”
A surprise showing from someone like Bruce Anstey could happen as well, if the stars align, though the Honda RC213V-S that Anstey has been riding still hasn’t quite found its TT legs yet.
Source: IOMTT; Photo: © 2016 Tony Goldsmith / www.tonygoldsmith.net – All Rights Reserved
You can follow all the action from the 2016 Isle of Man TT, right here on Asphalt & Rubber
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