Carole Nash Sportbike TT - 2026 Seeded Riders

Having been on the race schedule since 2012, the Supertwin class has been revised for 2026 to allow Sportbike specification machines to compete for the first time.

Despite that shift, the entry retains a familiar look, with many of the usual protagonists featuring among the 20 seeded riders.

In a similar vein to the Supersport class, Michael Dunlop has been the dominant force in recent Supertwin races, winning five of the last six. That firmly establishes him as the rider to beat and there is no shortage of challengers looking to do exactly that.

As per the Supersport class, Mike Browne and Paul Jordan will be first two riders to leave the line. Both arrive with recent podium form. Jordan, third and fourth last year, continues with the Jackson Racing powered by Prosper2 Aprilia, on which he set the third fastest lap ever recorded in the class. Browne, meanwhile, switches from KMR Kawasaki machinery back to a Paton for 2026, lining up at number one for Melbray/Laycock Racing.

With no Dean Harrison in the field, the number three plate goes to Manxman Michael Evans who endured a turbulent 2025 campaign, who ‘finished’ second in Race 1 before later being disqualified from the classification. Securing that result outright will be his clear objective this time, as he takes over the Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Yamaha which was due to have been ridden by Adam McLean.

Northern Irishman McLean, who had been due to start at number five, but recent surgery has forced his withdrawal, leaving a gap between Jamie Coward at number four and Dunlop at his customary number six.

Jamie Coward set at number four

Both of Coward’s TT podiums have come in the Supertwin class, second in 2019 and third in 2023, whilst he also has the second fastest lap in the class to his name, 122.520mph, but this will his first time on a Paton. Riding the Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles machine ridden last year by Davey Todd. On paper, he sits firmly among the favourites.

He’ll have to get the better of, amongst others, Michael Dunlop, the 33-time TT winner, who again lines up on Paton machinery. He has ridden for the Italian manufacturer since 2018, taking seven Supertwin victories and holding the lap record throughout that period. He extended that benchmark to 123.056mph last year and will be confident of building on that in June.

At number seven, his best TT start position to date is Barry Furber on the DC Motorcycles Newtown Yamaha. The Shropshire rider has finished inside the top ten in five of the last six races, including a career-best sixth in 2023, and broke the 120mph barrier for the first time last year so expectations will again be high this time around.

Shropshire rider Barry Furber

Second and fourth last year, Davey Todd again starts at number eight and rides his third different machine in as many years. For 2026, he switches to a Swan Racing by PHR Performance Yamaha R7 as he targets a maiden win in the class.

Rob Hodson slots in at number nine on the SMT Racing Paton, having secured his first TT podium last year with second place in Race 1. He will be aiming to build on that breakthrough.

Peter Hickman starts at number ten on an identical Yamaha R7 to his team-mate Todd. A race winner in 2022 and 2023, and twice runner-up in 2024, Hickman will also be hoping continued development of the R7 package closes the gap to Dunlop.

At number 11 is TT stalwart Stefano Bonetti, the Italian who has made 83 starts since his debut in 2004. His best Supertwin result remains fourth, achieved in both 2018 and 2023. Notably, those results came on a Paton, whereas in 2026 he switches to the Ducoli Corse Aprilia.

Stefano Bonetti switching machines to the Ducoli Corse Aprilia

Joe Yeardsley, eighth in each of the last two years, lines up at number 12 on the second Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Yamaha and will be targeting a step forward into the top six.

Podium finisher in both 2024 and 2025, Herbertson switches to the KTS Macadam Triumph Factory Racing machine this year, the Triumph Daytona having excelled in the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship so could this help propel Herbertson to the top step?

Shaun Anderson starts at number 14 and will ride another bike making its debut, the Chinese CFMoto, for the Moto12-CF Moto Team. That puts him ten seconds ahead of another Triumph rider, Frenchman Pierre Yves Bian riding for PHR Performance. He took a brilliant second in 2023 so this will now doubt be the class he’s targeting the most.

Behind Bian will be five more Supertwin regulars, riders who have all of whom have delivered some of their strongest TT performances in this class. Former Junior Manx Grand Prix winner Andrea Majola (Majo Road Racing Team by EA Paton), Michael Sweeney (MSR Racing Aprilia), Michal Dokoupil (Indi Racing Aprilia) and the TH Racing Aprilia pairing of Joey Thompson and Allan-Jon Venter.