The last day of the 2024 Tourist Trophy had a very rich programme, with three races on the schedule: the second race of the Supersport, the second of the Supertwin and obviously the main course, the Senior TT. The first two were reduced to two laps each: the Supersport as scheduled, while the Supertwin due to an accident on the course which imposed the red flag.
Absolute dominator
The reduction on the first two races did not affect the final result, with Michael Dunlop taking home the entire spoils in both cases, thus reaching 29 victories on the Mountain Course.
The Supersport starts with a slight delay due to rain showers on the course, Dunlop immediately takes command of operations, followed first by Todd and then by Harrison, who closes the first lap 0.9 seconds behind the leader. However, on the second lap the Northern Irishman managed to increase his advantage over Harrison and close the race 3.9 seconds over his rival, for his sixth consecutive victory in the category. Davey Todd, on the Ducati Panigale V2, is an excellent third, 6.2 seconds behind Dunlop. Good sixteenth position for Stefano Bonetti.
Encore of the day
In the Supertwin race, Dunlop made an immediate start with his Paton and in Glen Helen he passed 3.5 seconds over Peter Hickman, while Bonetti occupied an encouraging seventh place. During the first lap the Northern Irishman extends his lead to over 6 seconds over his rival and in the second lap he also drops below the lap record – also his, dating back to 2018 – in the first three partials, before the race is interrupted for a accident. Dunlop thus wins ahead of Hickman and Browne who brings Aprilia to the podium, with Stefano Bonetti eleventh and Francesco Curinga eighteenth.
The most prestigious race
In the Senior TT, however, a bit of everything happens: the conditions at six in the evening are the best ever, at least for this edition. Hickman takes the lead and at first detection has only a tenth of a lead over Todd, while Dunlop occupies third position. During the lap John McGuinness also moved up to sixth position. On the second lap Hickman forces the pace and brings the margin to 8.3 seconds, but then goes out at Ginger Hall, fortunately without consequences. Todd thus takes the lead of the race with a margin of about twenty seconds over Josh Brookes, because in the meantime Dunlop also had to withdraw due to a technical problem. Third is Dean Harrison, with his Honda chasing his rivals' BMWs.
Todd doesn't relax and averages a lap of 134.7 miles, although Brookes tries to hold on and also records a stunning lap, making him only the fifth driver to break the 134 mile barrier. Davey increases his lead, taking it first to 33 seconds and then to 39, when he crosses the final finish line. Brookes is an excellent second, his best result ever. Harrison takes the third step of the podium, followed by Hillier, a monumental McGuinness in fifth place at 52 years of age, Browne, Harrison, Anderson, Rutter and Jordan. 27th Stefano Bonetti.
For Todd it is the second victory at the Tourist Trophy in his career and in this edition, a well-deserved success, even if favored partly by luck and partly by the mistakes of others. But fortune favors the brave, and Davey has certainly put a lot of pressure on Hickman, helping his own lucky stars.
