PAUL JORDAN BECOMES 130 CLUB MEMBER NUMBER 31
On the final lap of the RST Superbike TT Paul Jordan became the 31st person to ever lap the 37.73-mile Snaefell Mountain Course at an average speed of over 130mph.
The elusive “130 Club” is a goal that many riders chase more than a podium itself, and it’s testament to its difficulty that going into the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races, only 30 competitors had ever achieved the feat.
Paul Jordan became the 31st rider to break the 130mph barrier around the Mountain Course.
For Paul Jordan, he came agonisingly close to joining the members’ only club in 2025, lapping at 129.859mph in the opening Superstock TT. With the six-lap Superbike TT now opening race week in 2026 following a weather-affected race schedule, Jordan looked like he was going to be narrowly missing out once more as he struggled to match the 129.506mph he set from a standing start on the opening lap.
A 127mph lap saw him into the pits at the end of lap two, before a lap at 128mph brought him back to the Grandstand for the second round of pitstops. Chasing a top ten finish, having been yo-yoing between tenth and eleventh for the entire race, the sixth and final circuit, and the race’s only full flying lap, is always the best opportunity to set personal best laps, and Jordan did so with gusto.
Posting a 130.656mph lap as he flew across the like on the Jackson Racing powered by Prosper2 Honda, Jordan cemented tenth place, starting his week with the speed and momentum he was hoping for.
A long awaited milestone, a 130.656mph final lap secured both a top ten finish and a place in the 130 Club.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said a happy and somewhat visibly relieved Jordan. “I’m just glad the monkey’s off my back now. To be honest I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit, even from last year. I thought I was going to get it last year so to get it this early in race week is good.
“I always want to go faster again and to get in that 130 Club is a milestone, for sure. I’m happy for myself, happy for the team; a top ten in the Superbike race is a great achievement, too.
A strong result in the opening race of the week sets Jordan up nicely going into Tuesday’s double header on the smaller capacity motorcycles. Riding for Jackson Racing in all classes, Jordan placed fifth in Supersport qualifying on the V2 Ducati and third on the team’s Aprilia in the Sportbike sessions.
“I think Supersport, Sportbike we’re feeling like we’re in a better position there, we were riding a Stocker in the Superbike class so we know we’ve got a bit of a disadvantage - not a lot - but it’s one of them things. I feel like we’re going to Tuesday in a good position.”
