CAROLE NASH SPORTBIKE TT RACE PREVIEW
Today marks the start of a new era for the smallest capacity solo class at the Isle of Man TT Races with the new Carole Nash-backed Sportbike race replacing the outgoing Supertwins.
However, it’s very much a race in transition as although it’s now under the Sportbike banner, with one overall race winner, both Sportbike and Supertwin specification bikes are eligible for 2026.
What isn’t in transition is the rider at the top of the qualifying leaderboard or the pre-race favourite – Michael Dunlop. The 37-year old has won seven of the last nine Supertwin races to take place and was inside his own class record during qualifying having posted a speed of 123.557mph on his MD Racing Paton.
Michael Dunlop set the pace in qualifying.
That put him 20 seconds quicker than similarly mounted Mike Browne, the Irishman lapping at 121.348mph on the Melbray/Laycock Racing machine and makes him clear favourite for Tuesday’s three-lap race.
Of course, qualifying doesn’t tell the whole story, but it would take a brave man to bet against Dunlop although two-time Supertwin race winner Peter Hickman will, like Browne, hoping to be a lot closer to Dunlop come race day.
Hickman lapped at 120.803mph on the Swan Racing by PHR Performance Yamaha R7 to place third quickest in qualifying and having won Supertwin races in both 2022 and 2023, he’ll be aiming for a third victory in the smallest TT capacity race on the schedule.
The Patons will still, arguably, be the bike to beat and as well as Dunlop and Browne, another potential front runner is Jamie Coward. After years on Kawasaki machinery, he switches to the Milenco by Padgetts Paton and lapped just shy of 120mph in qualifying, so he must be considered as a serious threat.
Last year’s Supertwin race one runner-up Rob Hodson (SMT Racing) is also Paton-mounted, as are David Johnson (Team ILR) and leading overseas contender Andrea Majola (Majo Road Racing Team by EA). The 2024 Junior Manx Grand Prix winner posted his best Mountain Course lap in qualifying, 118.018mph, so is well on course to finish inside the top ten this year.
It’s not all about the Patons though and there’s plenty of contenders on board Aprilia, Yamaha and Triumph machinery, particularly Paul Jordan. Third and fourth in last year’s Supertwin races, he lapped at 121.899mph twelve months ago and will be gunning for a third TT podium on the Jackson Racing powered by Prosper2 Aprilia.
Perennial top ten Supertwin finisher Michael Sweeney (MSR Racing), Joey Thompson (TH Racing), Michal Dokoupil (Indiracing) and long-time TT servant Stefano Bonetti add further weight to the Aprilia challenge.
Paul Jordan: Jordan spearheads a strong Aprilia challenge in a competitive Sportbike field.
The Yamaha YZF-R7 remains a popular choice and as well as Hickman, strong challenges cane be expected from the Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV pairing of Michael Evans and Joe Yeardsley. Both have shown good form previously in the Supertwin class and there’ll have the podium in their sights, Evans having posted the fifth fastest lap in qualifying at 120.299mph.
Barry Further will be another firm challenger for Yamaha, the Shropshire rider having taken five top ten finishes in the last six Supertwin races, also lapping at more than 120mph.
The Triumph Daytona 660 should feature prominently in the hands of Dominic Herbertson (KTS Macadam Triumph Factory Racing), who lapped at 118.589mph in qualifying, with other Triumph runners including the PHR Performance pairing of Pierre Yves Bian, runner up in the second Supertwin race of 2023, Barry Burrell, Manx Grand Prix graduate Ryan Garside (It’s Legit Racing and newcomer Rhys Stephenson (Rocket Racing).
Only a handful of the once dominant Kawasaki are now in the field, but AJ Venter will be pushing for the top ten on the TH Racing machine whilst it will be interesting to see how the Chinese CF Moto 675 SR performs in the hands of the experienced Shaun Anderson and Jamie Cringle.
