The big talk of the supersport class was the return of the MV Agusta to the Isle of Man. Jack Valentine masterminded Triumph's successful return back in 2003 with the Daytona 600 - could he repeat the feat with the Italian triple and Gary Johnson riding? Or would there be another Dunlop name on a TT winner's trophy, this time William, following on from his brother's stunning Superbike ride. Or could Michael win again? Bruce Anstey always goes well on a 600, Cameron Donald has been fast all practice week, Guy Martin is desperate for a win and what about John McGuinness, who is certainly fired up after Sunday's race?
Big man McGuinness less happy on smaller 600
With just four laps to complete the Supersport racers only need to pit once and the first lap is crucial as the pace is so hot the riders can't afford to ease themselves in. First lap and Michael Dunlop led the way from Anstey then brother William Dunlop. Lap two and how good did Michael Dunlop look as he breezed passed Guy Martin, John McGuinness and second place Bruce Anstey? Would the pit stop throw up any surprises?
A nightmare pit stop for Guy Martin where his bike briefly refused to start dropped him down the field while the rest of the leaders held their places with uneventful fuel stops. And it only got worse for Guy as his Suzuki started to play up on lap three while Michael Dunlop continued to lead the way with a gaggle of riders on his tail.
Last lap and the MV dream was over as Johnson was forced to retire while at the front Michael Dunlop had a relatively comfortable 10-second lead from Anstey who was still in his slipstream on the road. A mistake by Cameron Donald saw him take to an exit road, dropping vital seconds, while James Hillier was looking good as he hung onto the leaders on the road, helping him climb to fifth place overall.
Another win for Michael Dunlop and you can't help but feel all the talk of the 2013 TT will revolve around this young man. Could we be seeing the start of another Dunlop TT dynasty?
And finally, yes, PH2 knows there was another race yesterday, but we don't want to spoil the excitement for anyone waiting for tonight's TV coverage. Let's just say it was a cracker... If you want something to do in the mean time, check out this data chart supplied by Alpinestars. It is the GPS recording from their airbag suit of Marc Marquez's huge crash at the weekend. Having lost control at 209.9mph, Marc's airbag went off in 0.030 seconds before he hit the ground in 0.080 seconds later with a maximum impact of 25G! How long does it take to stop tumbling from 209mph? According to the data about 4.250 seconds. Ouch...
Supersport race one result
1. Michael Dunlop (Honda TT Legends)
2. Bruce Anstey (HM Plant Honda by Padgetts Racing)
3. William Dunlop (Milwaukee Yahama Superbike Team)
4. John McGuinness (HM Plant Honda by Padgetts Racing)
5. James Hillier (Kawasaki)
6. Guy Martin (Tyco Suzuki)