TT 2026 – Tuesday Practice
Dean Harrison sets early pace after disrupted start to practice
Dean Harrison wasted no time laying down the early marker at TT 2026, setting the fastest ever lap recorded in an opening qualifying session after Monday’s curtailed start to practice.
Tuesday evening effectively became the first timed hit-out of TT 2026 after Monday’s free practice session had started and then been stopped. Perfect weather again bathed the 37.73-mile Mountain Course, although proceedings were delayed by around 20 minutes due to a road traffic accident before the roads were cleared and the Superbike/Superstock session finally got underway at 1850.
Dean Harrison prepares for Tuesday evening qualifying, where he would go on to set the fastest ever opening-session lap at the Isle of Man TT.
Dean Harrison was first away on the Honda Racing UK Fireblade, followed by Nathan Harrison on the H&H Motorcycles Honda and Australia’s David Johnson on the Platinum Club Racing Kawasaki. Michael Dunlop, Jamie Coward and Josh Brookes were next to take the plunge down Bray Hill.
The conditions were good, but not without their usual TT complications. The evening sun was particularly awkward on the first run out towards Ballacraine, while the still air brought plenty of flies and dust in places. Even so, Harrison looked immediately settled and was soon threatening a 133 mph lap from a standing start.
Dean Harrison starts TT 2026 with record pace
The first official timed lap of TT 2026 was completed at 133.222 mph, a new practice week standing-start benchmark. Dunlop was second quickest at that point on 130.341 mph, while Brookes, running his Superstock machine, and Nathan Harrison also broke the 130 mph barrier, Brookes with 130.197 mph and Nathan with 130.010 mph.
Michael Dunlop was second quickest in Superbike qualifying after returning to the pits for front-end tweaks following his opening lap.
Brookes’ opening lap was enough to put him to the top of the Superstock order, ahead of Peter Hickman on the 8TEN Racing BMW. Hickman then called into the pits to switch to his Superbike.
Josh Brookes gave the Australian contingent an early highlight by topping Superstock on the DAO Racing Honda.
Dunlop also returned to the pits after his opening lap, his body language and hand gestures making it clear there was work to do on the Honda Fireblade. Tweaks were made at the front end before he was sent back out, the record 33-time TT winner making it clear that Superbike mileage remained a priority at this stage of the week.
Harrison, meanwhile, pressed on. His second lap stopped the clocks at 133.925 mph, the fastest lap ever recorded in an opening qualifying session at the Isle of Man TT.
Nathan Harrison was among the early 130 mph runners, finishing third quickest in the Superbike order.
He then dived into the pits, ran back up pit lane and jumped onto his Superstock machine, getting out just before pit exit closed. That gave Harrison a third big-bike lap on an evening where the delayed start meant most of the key Superbike/Superstock contenders only had time for two.
“It felt good to get out and get into a rhythm tonight,” Harrison said. “I felt good straight away and the bike did too. To be honest, I was more interested in seeing how differently the bike felt with a lightened fuel load, so as pleased as I was with the 133.2, I was equally happy to follow it up with a 133.9 mph lap. The tyre, the bike and the conditions were good. I enjoyed my riding this evening and look forward to following it up tomorrow.”
Dean Harrison was immediately on record pace during Tuesday qualifying, setting the fastest ever opening-session TT lap at 133.925 mph on the Honda Racing UK Superbike.
The final Superbike order had Honda machinery locking out the top four. Dean Harrison led on 133.925 mph, ahead of Dunlop on 130.341 mph, Nathan Harrison on 130.010 mph and John McGuinness MBE on 128.979 mph. Ian Hutchinson was fifth at 128.903 mph, with Johnson sixth at 128.275 mph.
McGuinness settles in after tyre change
McGuinness had started the session on a zero-compound tyre but was not comfortable with the choice, later describing it as a backwards step before the team moved in a more productive direction. The 23-time TT winner has also switched from a MoTeC ECU to the HRC kit ECU, bringing him into line with Dean Harrison so the Honda Racing UK riders can share data more effectively.
“I finished the session happy,” McGuinness said. “It takes a while to get used to the amount of flies that we have to deal with, there isn’t a round of BSB or even the NW200 that can prepare you for the flies you get here sometimes. I took a bit of a backwards step with a tyre choice for the first lap but we sorted that and moved forwards. I’ve a few small tweaks I’d like to make but at this stage of the week it’s about getting up to speed with the track and letting my brain get used to what my eyes are feeding it. I enjoyed the session, we’re not a million miles from the sharp end either which is always a good place to be.”
John McGuinness worked through tyre choice and set-up direction on Tuesday evening, ending the Superbike session fourth fastest.
Brookes tops Superstock for DAO Racing Honda
Josh Brookes gave the Australian contingent an early headline by topping Superstock on the DAO Racing Honda. His 130.197 mph lap came from a standing start and stood as the benchmark in the class.
Josh Brookes’ 130.197 mph lap put him quickest in Superstock on the first timed evening of TT 2026.
Hickman was second on 129.420 mph, ahead of Jamie Coward on 128.702 mph and Dominic Herbertson on 128.569 mph. Dean Harrison’s late dash on the Stocker netted fifth at 128.237 mph, ahead of Mike Browne, Conor Cummins and Paul Jordan.
Dunlop leads Supersport on Ducati
The Supersport/Sportbike session began at 1930, with several of the expected front-runners delayed in getting out after their Superbike/Superstock commitments. Dunlop, Hickman and Harrison were among those late away, while Michael Sweeney was also delayed after being unhappy with the front of his R6 Yamaha.
Michael Dunlop quickly moved to the top of the Supersport order, eventually posting a 126.922 mph lap on the Scars Racing Ducati.
There was also notable paddock news around Mike Browne, with the team electing to park the next-generation Yamaha R9 that had been entered for the Monster Energy Supersport class and instead run its regular R6 Yamaha.
Dean Harrison’s Supersport outing was short-lived. He had only just left the pits on the Honda CBR600RR-R when he returned far sooner than expected, the pit limiter having stuck on.
“The two laps on the Superbike felt good,” Harrison said while his team worked on the Supersport issue. “133s aren’t too bad at this stage of the week but we’ve some changes to make ahead of tomorrow.”
As Harrison waited, Hutchinson initially led the Supersport order on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Ducati with a 123.538 mph lap, ahead of Paul Jordan and Nathan Harrison.
Dunlop then moved the goalposts. He first posted 125.955 mph on the Scars Racing Ducati, with Hickman slotting into second on the Swan Triumph by PHR Performance. Dunlop went quicker again on his second lap, a 126.922 mph effort making an early statement in a class where he again looks likely to be a central figure.
Brookes was second quickest in Supersport at 124.271 mph, making it a strong opening timed evening across two categories for the Australian. Hickman finished third at 123.584 mph, just ahead of Hutchinson on 123.538 mph, Jordan on 123.455 mph and Browne on 123.182 mph. David Johnson was 11th at 120.522 mph.
Jordan quickest in Sportbike
Browne set the early Sportbike pace with a 119.097 mph lap on the Melbray/Laycock Racing Paton, initially putting him ahead of Coward on the Milenco by Padgetts Paton and Italian Andrea Majola on the Majo Road Racing Team by EA Paton.
Mike Browne set the early Sportbike pace before Paul Jordan and Jamie Coward shuffled him back to third in the final order.
Coward improved on his second lap to 119.199 mph, but Jordan ended the session fastest overall in the class with a 120.208 mph lap on the Aprilia. Coward remained second, Browne third, Michael Evans fourth at 119.001 mph and Majola fifth after improving to 118.018 mph.
Johnson was ninth in the Sportbike order at 116.144 mph, one place ahead of Hickman.
Crowes quickest before Sidecar red flag
The Sidecars rounded out the evening and offered the first proper look at the effect of the revised class regulations, particularly the use of restrictor plates to reduce performance.
For Ryan and Callum Crowe, the impact appeared minimal. The lap record holders opened with 118.224 mph from a standing start, putting them more than 47 seconds clear of Peter Founds/Jevan Walmsley at 113.553 mph. Ben Birchall/Mark Wilkes were third at 112.969 mph.
Ryan and Callum Crowe were immediately the Sidecar benchmark, opening their TT 2026 qualifying account with a 118.224 mph standing-start lap.
Both the Founds and Birchall outfits were reportedly on course to improve on their second laps, but the session was red flagged before they could return to the Grandstand.
The red flag followed an incident involving Maria Costello MBE and passenger Shaun Parker, sidecar outfit number 28, at Brandish during their second lap.
The official update reported that Costello was conscious and talking, with reported head injuries, and had been taken to Noble’s Hospital by Airmed for further assessment. Parker was also reported as conscious and talking, with leg and arm injuries, and was taken to Noble’s Hospital by ambulance for further assessment.
Superbike TT Qualifying Times
Pos
Rider
Lap/Speed
1
Dean Harrison
133.925 mph
2
Michael Dunlop
130.341 mph
3
Nathan Harrison
130.010 mph
4
John McGuinness
128.979 mph
5
Ian Hutchinson
128.903 mph
6
David Johnson
128.275 mph
7
Peter Hickman
125.535 mph
8
Rob Hodson
125.375 mph
Superstock TT Qualifying Times
Pos
Rider
Lap/Speed
1
Joshua Brookes
130.197 mph
2
Peter Hickman
129.420 mph
3
Jamie Coward
128.702 mph
4
Dominic Herbertson
128.569 mph
5
Dean Harrison
128.237 mph
6
Mike Browne
127.805 mph
7
Conor Cummins
127.759 mph
8
Paul Jordan
127.634 mph
9
Julian Trummer
126.532 mph
10
Michael Evans
125.764 mph
11
Michael Sweeney
125.725 mph
12
Phillip Crowe
125.710 mph
13
Brian McCormack
125.666 mph
14
Marcus Simpson
125.480 mph
15
Shaun Anderson
125.362 mph
16
Maurizio Bottalico
124.261 mph
17
Jonathan Perry
123.947 mph
18
Jamie Cringle
123.734 mph
19
Stefano Bonetti
123.588 mph
20
Eddy Ferre
123.063 mph
21
Allann Venter
123.018 mph
22
Baz Furber
122.965 mph
23
Matt Stevenson
122.908 mph
24
Mitchell Rees
122.882 mph
25
Erno Kostamo
122.656 mph
26
Rhys Hardisty
122.197 mph
27
Michael Russell
121.915 mph
28
Tom Robinson
121.656 mph
29
James Chawke
121.633 mph
30
Stephen Parsons
121.467 mph
31
Kevin Keyes
121.218 mph
32
Joe Yeardsley
121.120 mph
33
Joey Thompson
120.661 mph
34
Barry Burrell
120.426 mph
35
Gary McCoy
119.885 mph
36
Paul Williams
119.737 mph
37
Timothee Monot
119.529 mph
38
Mark Parrett
119.082 mph
39
Sam Johnson
118.427 mph
40
Mark Goodings
118.263 mph
41
Tom Weeden
118.014 mph
42
Daniel Forbes
117.409 mph
43
Ryan Whitehall
117.329 mph
44
David Brook
116.608 mph
45
Caomhan Canny
115.775 mph
46
Amalric Blanc
115.677 mph
47
Craig Szczypek
114.492 mph
Supersport TT Qualifying Times
Pos
Rider
Lap/Speed
1
Michael Dunlop
126.922 mph
2
Joshua Brookes
124.271 mph
3
Peter Hickman
123.584 mph
4
Ian Hutchinson
123.538 mph
5
Paul Jordan
123.455 mph
6
Mike Browne
123.182 mph
7
Nathan Harrison
123.081 mph
8
Dominic Herbertson
122.633 mph
9
Conor Cummins
121.609 mph
10
Michael Evans
121.267 mph
11
David Johnson
120.522 mph
12
Shaun Anderson
120.077 mph
13
Michael Russell
119.918 mph
14
Rhys Hardisty
119.687 mph
15
Jamie Cringle
119.225 mph
16
Mitchell Rees
119.203 mph
17
Joe Yeardsley
118.565 mph
18
Timothee Monot
118.520 mph
19
Pierre Yves Bian
118.321 mph
20
Erno Kostamo
118.313 mph
21
Baz Furber
118.092 mph
22
Julian Trummer
117.915 mph
23
Allann Venter
117.860 mph
24
Rob Hodson
117.817 mph
25
Toby Shann
117.788 mph
26
Kevin Keyes
117.601 mph
27
Maurizio Bottalico
117.549 mph
28
Loris Majcan
117.259 mph
29
Daniel Ingham
117.051 mph
30
Joey Thompson
116.798 mph
31
Michael Mace
116.747 mph
32
Marcus Simpson
116.413 mph
33
Gary McCoy
116.408 mph
34
Ryan Whitehall
116.348 mph
35
Caomhan Canny
115.981 mph
36
David Datzer
115.486 mph
37
Amalric Blanc
115.215 mph
38
Paul Cassidy
115.128 mph
39
Jack Fowler
114.991 mph
40
Ryan Garside
114.746 mph
41
Barry Burrell
114.444 mph
42
Craig Szczypek
113.681 mph
43
Tom Weeden
113.223 mph
44
Jorge Halliday
110.545 mph
45
Michael Gahan
108.527 mph
Sportbike TT Qualifying Times
Pos
Rider
Lap/Speed
1
Paul Jordan
120.208 mph
2
Jamie Coward
119.199 mph
3
Mike Browne
119.097 mph
4
Michael Evans
119.001 mph
5
Andrea Majola
118.018 mph
6
Michal Dokoupil
117.643 mph
7
Stefano Bonetti
116.776 mph
8
Dominic Herbertson
116.402 mph
9
David Johnson
116.144 mph
10
Peter Hickman
115.580 mph
11
Jonathan Perry
114.371 mph
12
Chris Moore
113.861 mph
13
Francesco Curinga
113.207 mph
14
Caomhan Canny
113.185 mph
15
Lewis Arrowsmith
113.000 mph
16
Shaun Anderson
112.556 mph
17
Toby Shann
112.334 mph
18
Wayne Bourgeais
111.925 mph
19
Paul Williams
111.483 mph
20
James Chawke
111.469 mph
21
Ryan Garside
111.442 mph
22
Pierre Yves Bian
110.897 mph
23
Masayuki Yamanaka
110.603 mph
24
Sam Johnson
109.929 mph
25
Rhys Stephenson
109.798 mph
26
Jamie Cringle
109.652 mph
27
Paul Cassidy
109.256 mph
28
Kevin Keyes
109.000 mph
29
Andy Hornby
108.820 mph
30
Barry Burrell
108.333 mph
31
Mark Parrett
108.330 mph
32
Jorge Halliday
106.385 mph
33
Anthony Stephens
105.973 mph
34
Michael Gahan
104.270 mph
Sidecar TT Qualifying Times
Pos
Riders
Lap/Speed
1
Ryan Crowe / Callum Crowe
118.224 mph
2
Peter Founds / Jevan Walmsley
113.553 mph
3
Ben Birchall / Mark Wilkes
112.969 mph
4
Lee Crawford / Scott Hardie
111.932 mph
5
Kieran Clarke / Andrew Johnson
110.884 mph
6
George Holden / Jake Lowther
110.047 mph
7
John Holden / Philip Hyde
109.966 mph
8
Todd Ellis / Emmanuelle Clement
108.054 mph
9
Stephen Kershaw / Rhys Gibbons
107.569 mph
10
James Saunders / Robert Coppock
107.370 mph
11
Carl Fenwick / Jake Roberts
106.134 mph
12
Daryl Gibson / Sarah Stokoe
105.818 mph
13
Renzo Van Der Donckt / Vale Van Der Donckt
105.399 mph
14
Robert Dawson / Matthew Sims
104.853 mph
15
Wayne Lockey / Matthew Rostron
104.784 mph
16
Lewis Blackstock / Oscar Lawrence
104.405 mph
17
Wiggert Kranenburg / Kevin Koelsch
102.788 mph
18
Rob Handcock / Basil Bevan
102.158 mph
19
Alun Thomas / Andrew Sigsworth
101.903 mph