The Isle of Man, you've heard it before. It's where, in a nutshell, all the crazy bikers on the planet get together and (re)compete in a motorcycle race that goes through streets, out of houses, at speeds that give you goosebumps. Just one look at what these racers do is enough to make you agree that their participation in this race alone puts them "automatically" in the category of racing "gods".
Some of the top riders competing in the 2019 Isle of Man TT (IOMTT), then, have chosen to race on Dunlop tyres, the company tells us. These include current and former champions who have competed on the 37.73-mile road course over the past two decades, as well as all the competitors who have won the Senior TT over the past 15 years.
Dunlop has had tremendous success at this iconic event, winning 13 consecutive Senior TT races and currently holds 18 individual lap and race records. At the recent North West 200, the winners of two major races at the Northern Ireland Road Racing Festival used Dunlop tyres.
John McGuinness
John McGuinness, a 23-time Isle of Man winner, will continue to race on Dunlop tyres for Norton in the Superbike and Superlight classes as he seeks to regain his title in the world famous road race. McGuinness, praised the performance and durability of the Dunlop tyres, "You can use the tyres for four laps, some riders use them for six laps, which is amazing. But to get 226 miles (363km) on the tyres is impressive."
Peter Hickman
Peter Hickman, the fastest rider, who has led a full lap in an IOMTT race, will race alongside McGuinness for Norton in the lightweight class. However, in the Senior TT, he will again race for Smiths Racing BMW on Dunlop tyres. Hickman described the effect the tyres have on the performance of the bike: "I've always used Dunlop tyres on the road. Dunlop made a big difference for us and was one of the reasons why the Senior TT record grew." Hickman heads into the 2019 IOMTT having previously won the North West 200 (NW200), where he won the Superstock race.
Ian Hutchinson
16-time Isle of Man winner Ian Hutchinson will compete for Honda Racing and intends to challenge Senior TT title holder Peter Hickman. Competing for Honda, Hutchinson is looking to get back to winning races. Although he has won the famous race 16 times, his last Isle of Man TT win was in 2017 in the Superstock class. He says he is impressed by Dunlop's commitment to road racing: "The greatest thing about working with Dunlop is their commitment to the TT and to designing tyres that meet the riders' needs. Dunlop has put a lot of effort into this event and has really emphasised this. We also benefit from the testing that all their riders do. When they do the testing at Dunlop's Mireval track, they can draw conclusions from the test results and develop new compounds and constructions for us to apply at the next test. It's really impressive to see the new tyres that Dunlop presents every year on the Isle of Man."
David Johnson
David Johnson, who was born in Adelaide, Australia, will seek victory in the Isle of Man TT with the "factory" Honda Racing Team, along with Ian Hutchinson. With his best finish being 4th, David Johnson believes that Dunlop's wealth of experience can give him the tools to secure the podium position that has eluded him. Team Manager Jonny Twelvetrees explains the importance of the Honda and Dunlop partnership, "Dunlop has been a road racing partner of Honda for many years. It's a perfect and strong relationship and both companies work well together. The lead-up to this year's TT was very good. This year, Dunlop has a new product and the first reaction from the riders has been positive. So we adapted the Honda to these new tyres and as a result the bike is going faster."
Lee Johnston
After a win in the NW200 Supersport race, Lee Johnston heads to the Isle of Man TT where he aims to secure his first win. Combining the power of the Ashcourt Racing BMW and the performance of the Dunlop tyres, Lee Johnston will be looking to improve on his best TT performance, which is third place.
Michael Dunlop
Michael Dunlop is aiming to add another win to his already impressive tally of 18 Isle of Man TT victories in 2019, driving the Tyco BMW. The Northern Ireland rider first competed in the Isle of Man TT in 2007 and has continued to claim victories every year since. Leveraging the experience and technological advances that Dunlop tyres bring to the Isle of Man TT, Michael Dunlop and the Tyco BMW race team see Dunlop tyres as the perfect tyres to compete on. Dunlop also has strong representation in other categories. The Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles team is expanding its line-up into the Supersport class, with Davey Todd lining up on a Honda CBR600RR alongside existing team member Conor Cummins. In the TT Zero race, which is exclusively for electric bikes, Dunlop will once again support Mugen - aiming for a 6th consecutive win.
Isle of Man TT
The TT qualifiers take place every night until 31 May (except Sunday 26 May). The first race starts on 1 June with the Superbike TT and ends on 7 June with the Senior TT.
