Dunlop focused on Isle of Man TT prospects

Bruce Anstey aboard the Padgetts Honda RC213V-S

Bruce Anstey aboard the Padgetts Honda RC213V-S
Conor Cummins looking for that elusive first TT win

Conor Cummins looking for that elusive first TT win
Dave Johnson (Norton) seeded number one and fastest British motorcycle

Dave Johnson (Norton) seeded number one and fastest British motorcycle
Fan's favourite Guy Martin leads Honda and Dunlop partnership

Fan's favourite Guy Martin leads Honda and Dunlop partnership
Ian Hutchinson returns to Dunlop after winning five races in one year in 2010

Ian Hutchinson returns to Dunlop after winning five races in one year in 2010
Michael Dunlop holds the absolute IOMTT lap record on Dunlop tyres

Michael Dunlop holds the absolute IOMTT lap record on Dunlop tyres

This weekend marks the start of Isle of Man TT race week, with the RST Superbike race now scheduled to take place on Sunday 4 June. The Island is renowned for its unpredictable weather, as the fog rolls off the sea and up the mountain, which this year has resulted in severe delays to the practice sessions.

Dunlop has an unbeaten record at the TT, an impressive 12 successive Senior TT wins to its credit. Eight of the top ten seeded riders are shod with Dunlop’s KR106 and KR108 tyres, although the entry is sadly depleted by the absence of Honda star, 23 time TT winner John McGuinness due to injury.

Seeded number one, Australian David Johnson (Norton) will be on the first bike that sets off from Glencrutchery Road at 14.00 on Sunday, and heads down Bray Hill for the first of six laps of the 37.73 mile TT Mountain Course. Johnson lapped the course at an average speed of 130.8mph last year, and set the record for the fastest rider on a British motorcycle.

Kiwi Bruce Anstey will start second on the Padgetts Racing Honda RC213V-S MotoGP replica he steered to eighth place last year. A former lap record holder Anstey was the first to top 132mph when he posted a 17 minutes 6.682 seconds lap in the 2014 Superbike TT. He scored his 11th TT win with victory in TT Zero last year.

Starting #4 is Ian Hutchinson (Tyco BMW), who set the record for wining the most races in a single year with five wins in 2010 on Dunlop tyres. Returning to Dunlop this year the Bingley Bullet is looking to add to his winning tally of 14 TT wins.

Manxman Conor Cummins heads the home heroes at number 7, the Padgetts Racing Honda rider recovering from a broken wrist to contest his tenth TT, looking for his first win to add to his five podium finishes.

Looking for a first TT win is Honda Racing’s Guy Martin seeded #8 aboard the team’s new single entry Honda Fireblade. Already a podium finisher, Martin was absent from the TT last year, but returns to the entry list looking to add to his 15 podiums.

Completing the top ten seeds is Peter Hickman at #10, who holds the record as the fastest ever newcomer at the Isle of Man TT. His fastest average lap speed of 129.104 mph and race-average speed of 125.38 mph was set in 2014. For 2017 he rides a Smiths Racing BMW as he bids for his first TT victory.

Among other notable Dunlop-shod riders are Padgetts Racing’s Lee Johnston at #13, William Dunlop #15 (Halsall Racing Kawasaki), Josh Brookes (Norton) #16, and Devitt RC Express Racing duo Steve Mercer #17 and Ivan Lintin #20 (Kawasaki).