Hickman claims dramatic victory while tearing up TT record books
PETER Hickman rewrote the record books for the Isle of Man TT yesterday when on the final lap of the Senior TT he went around the 37-mile Mountain Circuit in 16m 42.778ses on his way to victory in the Senior TT.
Hickman clocked an unbelievable speed of 135.452mph to snatch victory of the final race of the week by two seconds from Dean Harrison, who had led for five and a half laps of the six-lap race. Hickman also set a new race average for the six-lap race.
The expected challenge from Michael Dunlop on the Tyco BMW never materialised.
Third at Glen Helen on lap one he was on the pace of leader Harrison and second placed Hickman, but by Ballaugh Bridge he had dropped to fourth and although he got back into third by the end of the lap he again dropped to fourth behind Conor Cummins on lap two, which is where he finished.
Stability was an issue with his Tyco BMW, as he had said earlier in the week, “If we can’t get it to stop weaving by Friday we’ll be in trouble” and so it proved.
On the back of his second win of the week Hickman said: “Wow! What a tough race. Dean was on it and I kept losing time on the first two sections and then claw it back over the mountain and back to the start and finish where I was faster than him.
“My first board told me I was second and I was happy, as I knew if I could be in touch on the first lap I could go for it in the closing stages.
“Dean was awesome in the
Glory day: Peter Hickman celebrates winning the Senior TT in record-breaking style on the Isle of Man yesterday
first two sections and when I got a board at Sulby on the last lap showing -5 I knew I would have to give it a real go over the mountain on the final run.
“I got a board at Creg-ny-Baa with P1 on it, for the first time in the race, and I knew I was good from there to the finish and I’ve now got my hands on this magnificent Senior TT Trophy.
“I had to ride the wheels off the Smiths BMW on that last lap and it never missed a beat. My first TT wins and the outright lap record, not a bad week’s work.”
Harrison said, “I’m obviously disappointed, but also over the moon. I lost four seconds between Ginger Hall and Ramsey on that last lap getting held up by slower riders. You need to give them boy’s space and it’s just the luck of the draw where you catch them up. I kept thinking to myself ‘wish you would just p*** off Peter’ now I know where I need to improve on next year.
The TT now becomes the current fastest road race in the world, taking that accolade from the Ulster Grand Prix whose
Clerk of the Course Noel Johnston was quick off the mark to congratulate Peter and the Smiths BMW Team saying, “Both Peter and Dean gave the spectators what they wanted today — incredible racing and a photo-finish. Well done to all at the TT this year and on (temporarily!) taking the mantle of world’s fastest road race! I have no doubt with the form that Dean and Peter are in we could see round two at Dundrod in August.”
An incredible week for newcomer Davey Todd on John Burrows
Cookstown BE machinery culminated in a brilliant ninth place finish in the Senior TT and is the second fastest newcomer ever at the TT with an opening lap of 128.379mph.
Records were broken in every class at the 2018 TT and the second Sidecar race of the week yesterday saw The Birchall brothers Ben and Tom win their second race of the week and their fifth in a row also setting the first sub 19-minute lap of the island on a sidecar with a new lap record of 119.250mph.