Isle of Man TT 2018: Harrison tops opening Superbike practice
Dean Harrison topped the opening night of Superbike running for the 2018 Isle of Man TT, while Peter Hickman and Ivan Lintin were fastest on the Superstock and Supersport timesheets
The opening Superbike and Superstock session of the week was delayed by 20 minutes, after a spectator got onto the course at Crosby section, and eventually started at 1840 local time.
Michael Rutter [Bathams BMW] and Manxman Dan Kneen [Tyco BMW] were the first down the road at the start of the session, with Harrison not far behind.
Harrison - who was fastest on Saturday in the Supersport session - led the way on his Silicone Engineering Kawasaki Superbike at the first timing section at Glen Helen.
He remained unchallenged as he completed his opening lap, setting an initial pace of 17m22.970s at 130.232mph ahead of Tyco BMW's Michael Dunlop.
Dunlop pulled into the pits at the end of his opening lap to switch to his spare Superbike, but bailed out of the lap at Quarterbridge and made his way back to the paddock via the public roads.
Conor Cummins started the session on his Superstock Padgetts Honda, and led the class timings at the end of his first lap with a time of 17m39.670s at 128.180mph, which put him third overall.
Harrison lit up the timing screens again on his second lap, guiding his ZX-10RR to a 131.376mph in a time of 17m13.886s, while Cummins moved up to second on the overall timings and remained top in the Superstock class with a 17m28.181s at 129.584mph.
Cummins switched to his Superbike for the final 20 minutes of the session, but stopped at Ballacraine.
Harrison's 131.376mph lap stood as the best in the Superbike class and overall through to the end of the session, with Dunlop - who was able to re-join the action - second ahead of Smiths Racing BMW rider Hickman.
Kneen completed the top five in Superbikes ahead of Quattro Plant Kawasaki's James Hillier, David Johnson (Gulf BMW), Penz13 BMW rider Jamie Coward, Josh Brookes (Norton) - who stopped late in the session at Sulby Bridge - and Honda's Lee Johnston.
Ian Hutchinson, a 16-time TT winner, was 16th in his first Superbike session on the Isle of Man since the leg-breaking crash he suffered in the Senior TT last year.
Cummins looked to hold onto Superstock top spot, but a final lap of 130.219mph for Hickman saw the British Superbike regular snatch first place.
Kneen, David Johnson and Harrison completed the top five. Devitt Racing's Lintin was comfortably fastest in the Supersport timings on his Kawasaki with a 123.563mph lap at 18m19.264s.
Isle of Man TT 2018: Harrison and Dunlop fastest in first sessions
Isle of Man TT 2018: Dunlop withdraws from TT races due to injury
How a much-needed 'revolution' is key to a motorsport gem's future
OPINION: The Isle of Man TT is one of motorsport’s oldest events and one of its most revered. After a COVID-enforced two-year hiatus, the TT is back in 2022 and for the first time will be broadcast live, a much-needed move that will help to address some of the fundamental problems it faces
How the world's fastest road racer is helping Britain's motorcycling future
Britain has dominated motorcycle racing for three decades, but its representation at the top table is in decline. Looking to provide fresh energy and opportunity in the junior ranks, the world's fastest road racer Peter Hickman may have found a solution
The far-reaching impact of cancelling motorcycling's greatest race
The coronavirus-induced cancellation of the Isle of Man TT was unavoidable, but as thoughts turn to its return in 2021, the ramifications could be felt for a long time yet
How the IoM TT's greatest race was won
In our final feature looking back at the major motorsport moments from the 2010s, we recall a day at the 2018 Isle of Man TT that featured broken records and the making of a new star of the motorbike road racing scene
What went wrong with McGuinness's TT comeback
John McGuinness targeted scoring a podium "at least" with Norton at the Isle of Man TT, but his return to the island - in the major classes at least - could scarcely have gone worse. What next for the veteran after his most disappointing TT?
What the TT means to those who have braved it
OPINION: The Isle of Man TT is an event like few others in motorsport - and it has a reputation for being incredibly dangerous. But to those involved in the competition, it has a completely different standing
The unavoidable headache challenging TT organisers
For much of the 2019 Isle of Man TT fortnight so far, the weather has dominated the headlines as rain has forced a series of delays and cancellations. This may be frustrating to fans, but stems from the unique challenge that makes the event a motorsport gem
The importance of short-circuit racing for TT success
Isle of Man TT riders using short-circuit races to warm up for the main event is nothing new, but the success of some relative newcomers to the TT in recent years has resulted in a more seismic shift in preparations