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TT 2013: Dunlop unstoppable in Superbike TT win

ByBSN

Updated 03/06/2013 at 07:46 GMT

Honda Legends Michael Dunlop stormed to the Dainese Superbike TT win on the Isle of Man, crossing the line 40 seconds ahead of Cameron Donald to bag his first ever Superbike TT win 30 years after his uncle Joey Dunlop's first win.

TT 2013: Dunlop unstoppable in Superbike TT win

Image credit: BSN

And team-mate John McGuinness set a new outright lap record of 131.670mph on the final lap to take third place after getting a 60 second penalty in the second set of pitstops, overhauling Guy Martin at Ballaugh Bridge and then riding away from the Lincolnshire man.
But even without the minute penalty, McGuinness wouldn't have caught the younger of the Dunlop brothers, who was the first man to beat McGuinness (retirements aside) in a Superbike race since 2003. The Morecambe Missile was riding in colours of Joey Dunlop, complete with yellow paint scheme and Honda black and yellow livery on the bike, to mark the 30 year anniversary.
Tyco Suzuki's Josh Brookes also has cause for celebration as he not only finished in tenth place, going past Dean Harrison on his last lap, but also shattered the newcomers' lap record with a 127.726mph lap on his last, some two miles per hour faster than Steve Plater did in 2007 at 125.808mph.
Gary Johnson set the pace early on, getting to Glen Helen with a 1.5s advantage over Dunlop while McGuinness was 2.5s behind and first on the road James Hillier a fraction further back. At Ballaugh, it was still Johnson, but Dunlop had cut the gap to 0.327 while Guy Martin had gone in front of McGuinness.
Dunlop passed Martin at Ramsey Hairpin and went into the lead by 1.1s over Johnson and he was 1.4s ahead at the Bungalow. As they got to the grandstand, Dunlop had set a 130.841 from a standing start and was 3.3s ahead of Martin with Johnson in third, both also doing 130mph laps.
At Glen Helen on lap two, Dunlop's lead was 4.4s but now over Johnson as he was back past Martin. The Irishman never looked back and it was eight seconds at Ramsey and then 15s at the Grandstand but over McGuinness as Johnson ran out of petrol at The Nook.
Dunlop's first flying lap was 131.194mph while McGuinness was on a 130.374mph while Martin was and Cameron Donald edging closer in fourth place on the Wilson Craig Honda.
The top five held station, with Dunlop pulling away at the front, until the end of lap three when Martin had his usual mid-race lull, dropping behind Donald. By the time they reached Ballaugh on lap four, Dunlop was leading on the road and then disaster struck for McGuinness.
The Honda man made a 'schoolboy error' in the pits after concentrating on his filler cap and received his penalty. Lap board halfway round lap five, he got boards that he was in fourth place and the hammer was put down on the final lap.
As Dunlop put the hammer down further, McGuinness was quicker and set that incredible laptime to take third place from under Martin's nose. Milwaukee Yamaha's Conor Cummins took fifth place, two minutes in arrears.
Michael Rutter claimed his fastest ever lap of the TT of 129.351mph to bag sixth place with James Hillier seventh, Brice Anstey eighth and William Dunlop ninth after also getting a 60-second penalty.
Harrison finished 11th after being passed by Brookes, with Steve Merver, injured Lee Johnston, Dan Kneen and Ben Wylie rounding out the top 15. Simon Andrews had been sitting in 13th place on his RAF Reserves Superstock bike but ran out of petrol on the run to the line.
Read the original article on bikesportnews.com
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