Michael Dunlop wins dramatic Classic TT F1 race

Michael Dunlop took victory in a dramatic Formula One race at today’s Classic TT on the Isle of Man.

The Ballymoney man steered his Team Classic Suzuki to the win after a race long battle with Bruce Anstey on the Valvoline Padgett’s YZR 500 Yamaha that the Kiwi won the same race on last year. Anstey had led Dunlop by 12 seconds as the pair pitted for fuel at the end of the second lap courtesy of a new lap record of 126.261mph, but repairs to a broken exhaust on the Yamaha cost him his lead in the pits.

Dunlop led by just over a second at Glen Helen on the third lap with Ryan Farquhar holding a steady third place on the Winfield Yamaha. But veteran Anstey was fighting back and by the end of the lap he was back in the lead by just a second before he was dramatically black flagged when it was noticed the errant exhaust had worked loose again.

With Anstey stuck in the pits for over a minute while his team wired the exhaust into place, Dunlop put the hammer down to record a 125.050mph lap and romp to a one minute and four seconds victory. The Kiwi rejoined the race in fourth place, 25 seconds behind Ryan Farquhar and 17 shy of James Hillier (Greenall Kawasaki) in third. Over the next 37 ¾ miles he reeled in first Hillier and then Farquhar to take the runner up spot from the Northern Irishman.