Isle of Man TT 2024 | 4 best moments

Dunlop sets new win record

Going into the TT fortnight, almost everyone was talking about whether Michael Dunlop would be able to equal his legendary uncle Joey and become a 26-time TT winner. The form book seemed to suggest it might be tricky for the Ballymoney man, with an injury at the Cookstown 100 meaning his North West 200 performance was one to forget.

With Peter Hickman and Davey Todd taking most of the headlines in practice, it was clear no-one was going to be making it easy for Dunlop, but once the racing started, the bull came out. A hard-fought duel with Todd in the opening Supersport race would end with Dunlop on the top step, equalling the record at the first time of asking.

With the monkey off his back, Dunlop went into the Superbike TT champing at the bit to go one better and become the all-time greatest at the TT - although don’t ask him to compare the two, he’ll be the first to play any comparisons down. It wouldn’t come in the Superbike race thanks to an error in the pits, but that would soon be forgotten with his dominant performance in the two Supertwin and second Supersport races.

A clutch issue robbed Michael of reaching 30, but he was able to equal Ian Hutchinson’s five wins in one week, and become the first person to win three in one day. Dunlop’s week will go down as one of the best of all time. Four wins in a week is nothing to be sniffed at, and now, with 29 wins under his belt, he truly is the new King of the Mountain.

Crowes deliver first Manx win in 10 years

You’d think that being a Manx local would be advantageous in a race that’s literally around the roads of your daily commute, but the 2024 TT marked ten years since sidecar legend Dave Molyneux scored the last home win. It was fitting, then, that it would be in the three wheelers again where the Manx flag would fly above the podium for the first time in a decade.

With Tom Birchall announcing his immediate retirement from sidecar competition over the winter, there was a golden opportunity for a new pairing to make that step to the top of the podium. The favourites were the pairing of Pete Founds and Jevan Walmsley, who were the only outfit other than the Birchalls to join the 120mph club in 2023, but right from the first practice session it was evident that the Crowe brothers had the trophy firmly in their sights.

By the time qualifying had ended the Crowes were the favourites and an utterly dominant first race backed up their qualifying pace perfectly. The 26-second margin over Founds and Walmsley fails to tell the entire story, as the young Manxmen showcased their maturity by nursing the outfit home for the third and final lap.

With Founds not making the start for the second race, but Ben Birchall back (having missed the first race after a qualifying incident), the Crowe brothers once again asserted their dominance on the field, beating the 14-time winner by 20 seconds after just two laps, and joining the 120mph club at the same time. To make things even more special, Molyneux joined the brothers on the podium in third place in what was his final TT before announcing his retirement - the perfect handing of the torch moment for Manx hopes.

Davey Todd becomes a two-time winner

If the Crowe brothers are the stars of the future in the sidecar category, then Davey Todd is their equivalent in the solo category. At the front of road racing across Ireland, it seemed like only a matter of time before he would be gracing the top of a TT podium. A move to Milwaukee BMW over the winter included an entry to the British Championship, but it was clear that Davey’s biggest goal was to win around the Snaefell Mountain Course once June came around.

Having been at the top of the British Superstock Championship, and with an incredibly strong North West 200 behind him, coupled with rivals having less-than-ideal preparations ahead of the TT, the stars seemed to be aligning for Todd to get that first win. All of the pre-event publicity focused on the ‘Big Three’ of Michael Dunlop, Peter Hickman, and Dean Harrison, but right from the first race Todd proved that it was now very much a ‘Big Four’.

Although unable to bring Ducati a popular victory in the opening Supersport TT, Todd did well to stay within touching distance of Dunlop to come home second. Another second in the Superbike race could have been a win had it not been for a mechanical gremlin in the pits, but it would be the Superstock TT where the 28-year-old’s week would light up.

A thrilling duel between Todd and Peter Hickman ran right down to the wire, and although the FHO Racing rider set the fastest lap, Todd came out on top in the BMW shootout by the narrow margin of 2.2 seconds. It was a memorable way to secure his first TT win, and proved that he could beat the very best at the top of their game.

As if one wasn’t enough, a clutch issue for Dunlop and a rare crash for Hickman handed Todd a comfortable lead in the blue riband Senior. Such was his margin and control that he was even able to give the fans a show, getting his elbow down at the Bungalow before destroying the rear tyre in parc fermé.

With Todd and the Crowe brothers looking to have many more years at the TT ahead of them, the 2024 TT very much had a changing of the guard feel, even if the headlines will be dominated by Dunlop’s record-breaking week.

Non-victory wins: Herbertson’s first podium and Browne’s 130

It’s not all about winners at the TT, and there were many stories further down the field that gave riders their own personal victories around the 37.73-mile course. For some, a podium is as good as a win, and in the opening Supertwin race that was plainly seen on the face of Dom Herbertson.

The Northumbrian has become popular among fans through his podcast, which he presented with the late Chrissy Rouse. He has been gradually making his way up the ranks at the TT in recent years, and it would be the wide-open Supertwin class where Herbertson had his best opportunity to visit the winners’ enclosure – something he grabbed with both hands. Taking third after a close fight with Jamie Coward in race one saw an emotional Herbertson pay tribute to Rouse in his post-race interview. “He always believed I could do it, and I never believed him. I guess I owe him a pint the next time I see him now,” said Herbertson, ensuring there wasn’t a dry eye on the Island.

While some riders chase trophies, others are more focused on their own lap times and breaking certain speed barriers. For many, even being in the conversation to join the 130mph club is enough, but for Mike Browne his goal was to finally gain that elusive membership. After spending two weeks lapping around the 129mph mark, the Irishman finally broke through in the opening lap of the Senior, setting a 130.536mph lap despite the standing start. He would better it one lap later to improve his personal best to 130.872mph.