With less than 50 days to go until the start of the 2024 Isle of Man TT Races, the top 20 seeded riders for the first Metzeler Supertwin and second Entire Cover insurance Supertwin Races have been revealed.
As with the two Monster Energy Supersport Races it’s Paul Jordan who is first away, lining up on the Stop & Seal/Rev2Race Yamaha R7. Third in 2022, he’ll be hoping to stand on the podium once again in a highly-competitive class that often produces surprise results.
He leaves the line ten seconds ahead of another former podium finisher in Jamie Coward, with the KTS Racing powered by Steadplan rider one of the pre-race favourites once again on his Kawasaki.
Next to go is the first of the Patons in the top 20 in the shape of VAS Engine’s Pierre-Yves Bian, who claimed second place in the second race last year to become the first ever Frenchman to take a solo race podium at the Isle of Man TT Races.
The number 4 plate will be taken by 2017 race winner Michael Rutter. The Bathams Ales runner returns on the Yamaha R7, and is followed off the line by SMT Racing’s Rob Hodson who switches from Kawasaki to Paton for 2024.
As expected, Paton-mounted Michael Dunlop will start from number 6 and with three victories already in the class – 2018, 2019 and the opening race twelve months ago – he’s clearly one of the pre-event favourites. He’s also the current lap record holder, posting a lap at an average speed of 122.750mph six years ago.
Like the Supersport class, Josh Brookes will have the number 7 plate, with the Australian team-mates to Jordan on a second Stop & Seal/Rev2Race Yamaha R7. Another potential race winner starts behind him with Davey Todd at number 8 for three-time race winners Dafabet Racing.
Just behind him will be Dominic Herbertson on the Burrows Engineering by RK Racing Paton, and then it’s the turn of another hot favourite – Peter Hickman. Taking his regular number 10, Hickman has won two of the last three Supertwin Races and will be aiming for a hat-trick on his PHR Performance Yamaha.
Just outside the top ten, at numbers 11 and 12, are Gary Johnson on the second Dafabet Racing Kawaski and Stefano Bonetti on the second VAS Engine Paton, with Lee Johnston looking to take his usual place at number 13 on the Ashcourt Racing Aprilia.
Mike Browne starts at number 14, eager to better his second-place finish last year and make up for retiring from the lead in the second, but his machinery is yet to be confirmed.
Victor Lopez Santos (15) and Joe Yeardsley (16) make their first TT appearances – the latter riding the Team ILR/Frog Vehicle Developments Paton – with both hoping to make an impression.
The complete top 20 for the 3-lap Metzeler Supertwin TT Race 1 and Entire Cover insurance Supertwin TT Race 2 at the 2024 Isle of Man TT Races is:
Paul Jordan – Stop & Seal/Rev2Race, Yamaha Jamie Coward – KTS Racing powered by Steadplan, Kawasaki Pierre-Yves Bian – VAS Engine, Paton Michael Rutter – Bathams Ales, Yamaha Rob Hodson – SMT Racing, Paton Michael Dunlop – MD Racing, Paton Josh Brookes – Stop & Seal/Rev2Race, Yamaha Davey Todd – Dafabet Racing, Kawasaki Dominic Herbertson – Burrows Engineering by RK Racing, Paton Peter Hickman – PHR Performance, Yamaha Gary Johnson – Dafabet Racing, Kawasaki Stefano Bonetti – VAS Engine Racing, Paton Lee Johnston – Ashcourt Racing, Aprilia Mike Browne – TBA Victor Lopez – TBA Joe Yeardsley – Team ILR by Frog Vehicle Developments, Paton Joey Thompson – TBA Barry Furber – DC Autos Newton, Yamaha James Hind – TBA Michael Evans – Golden Site Solutions Ltd, Kawasaki