2022 Isle of Man TT Qualifying Results
Thursday Session
By Ben McCook
Things really kicked up a gear during the fifth night of TT 2022 as Peter Hickman set the first sub-17-minute lap of the week. Hickman banked a lap at 133.220 mph lap from a standing start. While that’s not quite lap record pace, it’s close enough to quash the theory that the top men would struggle to match speeds recorded pre-Covid.
In bright and dry, if a little breezy conditions, Hickman then went straight through for a flying lap on his Gas Monkey FHO BMW, and would surely have been on course to better his lap time before fuel issues put a stop to his progress. The outright lap record holder was posting personal best sectors on his approach to the mountain section. However, his pace dropped off towards the end of the lap and eventually he parked up at Dukes Avenue close to the start finish area. It soon became clear that he had ran out of juice.
It may well be that he was carrying a light fuel load, testing the water to see how little he could get away with over 2 laps. But if that’s not the case, then the fact that he hasn’t managed to get two laps out of the big Beemer at race pace will be a major worry for the Lincolnshire man and his team.
His old sparring partner Dean Harrison also raised his game, lapping at 132.333 on his DAO Kawasaki (7 seconds slower than Hickman) with Davey Todd in 3rd with a lap of 132.187. This is a continuation of Todd’s good form who has signalled in every session that he deserves to be regarded as one of the main challengers for victory at this year’s event.
Michael Dunlop made a leap forward on the superbike tonight, breaking into the 131 bracket for the first time so far after telling the commentary team that he had ‘needed a big night’ before the session began. The Ballymoney man will be happy with the lap time however, unfortunately it’s the only one he got as he pulled in at Ballacraine on the 2nd circuit. Conor Cummins also joined the 130 club on the night to finish 5th.
Hickman also recorded fastest laps in the Superstock and Supertwin sessions, but Michael Dunlop ran him close on the Twins slotting in just 0.2 seconds behind the number 10. Both men are campaigning Paton bikes in this year’s lightweight race and ended the session more than 20 seconds ahead of Lee Johnston on his Aprilia. James Hind was fourth; a demonstration that the young rider could be about to fulfil his enormous potential; an exciting prospect indeed.
Dunlop left it late to set the fastest time in Supersport on his r6 with a time of 126.662. He knocked Lee Johnston of the top in the closing stages after ‘General Lee’ had led for a majority of the session. Johnston would end up in 4th as Harrison and Jamie Coward also pipped the Ashcourt racing man in the end. You can’t help but get the feeling that Michael Dunlop has earmarked the middle weight class as his best chance of increasing his victory total next week, for he has seemed to give it his most attention each night.
The evening sun had dulled down for Thursday’s session, something that the riders will be extremely grateful for. The past few evenings have saw the Manx roads glowing in bright sunshine which has been perfect for spectators but not so much for the riders. In the tree lined sections, particularly the run into Ramsey this has been causing a strobe effect as the light breaks through the gaps as the riders race along the leafy corridors at speed. This was causing particular problems for the newcomers such as Glenn Irwin and Australian Rennie Scaysbrook as they attempt to learn the circuit. Irwin tonight banked a highly impressive lap of 126MPH, leaving him well on course to usurp Peter Hickman by the end of next week as the fastest ever newcomer; a title Hickman has enjoyed since 2014 when he went round at 129 mph.
Scaysbrook has been making steady progress on his supersport machine. Yesterday he had complained that the strobe effect was ‘full on’ between Union Mills and Cronk-y-voddy, yet he had still managed to up his speed to 114.563 mph. Tonight that increased to over 116.7.
Immediately after completing his session he told Manx Radio that his team had, “basically changed everything” (on the bike) and that it was “amazing how much safer it is when you can see.” Rennie’s final practice will be tomorrow ahead of Monday’s supersport 1 race.
As always for final practice, proceedings kick off at the earlier time of 1pm on Friday You can be sure that the likes of Hickman, Harrison and Todd (who seem to have their bikes sorted) will want to stick in ‘show of strength’ big fast lap ahead of Saturday’s Superbike TT. Weather permitting, it’s hard not to imagine that one of them will bang in at least a 134. Dunlop will be frantically trying to put things right just in the nick of time. By tomorrow evening we should know if he’s a contender or not.
Due to a change in schedule, the Sidecars had got the evening underway at 6.30pm. The Birchalls topped proceedings with a 117.516 mph lap ahead of Ryan and Callum Crowe.
Isle of Man TT Qualifying Results
Superbike Thursday
- Peter Hickman 133.22
- Dean Harrison 132.333
- Davey Todd 132.187
- Michael Dunlop 131.44
- Conor Cummins 130.867
- John McGuinness 129.278
- James Hillier 128.431
- Jamie Coward 127.977
- Phillip Crowe 127.686
- Shaun Anderson 126.989
- Dominic Herbertson 126.596
- Nathan Harrison 126.541
- Derek Sheils 126.495
- Gary Johnson 125.9
- Michael Rutter 125.841
- Paul Jordan 125.581
- Craig Neve 125.36
- Mike Browne 125.076
- Rob Hodson 124.502
- Michael Sweeney 124.38
Isle of Man TT Qualifying Results
Superstock Thursday
- Peter Hickman 129.91
- Davey Todd 128.933
- Conor Cummins 128.733
- Michael Dunlop 127.642
- Ian Hutchinson 127.475
- James Hillier 127.446
- John MgGuinness 127.399
- Glenn Irwin 126.689
- Phillip Crowe 126.042
- Brian McCormack 125.549
- Michael Rutter 125.157
- Mike Browne 123.729
- Josh Daley 120.351
- Rhys Hardisty 118.584
- Forest Dunn 118.011
Isle of Man TT Qualifying Results
Supersport Thursday
- Michael Dunlop 126.662
- Dean Harrison 125.653
- Jamie Coward 125.213
- Lee Johnston 125.202
- Davey Todd 124.014
- James Hillier 123.784
- Conor Cummins 123.617
- Ian Hutchinson 123.336
- Michal Dokoupil 121.578
- Mike Browne 121.352
- Joseph Loughlin 120.419
- Dominic Herbertson 120.19
- Pierre Yves Bain 119.968
- Shaun Anderson 119.152
- Brian McCormack 118.794
22. Rennie Scaysbrook 117.079
Isle of Man TT Qualifying Results
SuperTwin Thursday
- Peter Hickman 120.994
- Michael Dunlop 120.965
- Lee Johnston 118.454
- James Hind 118.38
- Paul Jordan 117.873
- Gary Johnson 117.843
- Rob Hodson 117.594
- Pierre Yver Blain 117.314
- Joseph Loughlin 116.317
- Dominic Herbertson 116.314
Isle of Man TT Qualifying Results
Sidecar Thursday
- Birchall/Birchall 117.516
- Crowe/Crowe 115.564
- Founds/Walmsley 115.252
- Reeves/Rousseau 113.708
- Blackstock/Rosney 113.137
