TT 2016: Hutchinson breaks 130mph to put down marker

Ian Hutchinson raised the bar as the Tyco BMW rider recorded the first 130mph lap of TT 2016 on his final lap on Tuesday evening.

Sunny and dry weather prevailed again and the Bingley Bullet put in a flying lap on the S1000RR to top the Superbike times for the second night running with a speed of 130.626mph on his third and final lap.

The 36-year-old also shot to the top of the times in the Superstock class with a lap in 128.723mph.

Hutchy led the way from 23-times winner John McGuinness on the Honda Racing Fireblade in the Superbike class, who clocked 129.618mph.

Yorkshireman Hutchinson was also quickest through the speed trap at Sulby, breaking the timing beam at 196.8mph.

Peter Hickman also broke into the 129mph bracket, lapping at 129.550mph on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki to go third quickest on Tuesday.

Ulsterman Michael Dunlop, second fastest on Monday, never completed a lap on the Hawk Racing BMW and was reported as stopped at Sarah's Cottage.

Dunlop was forced to make his way back to the Grandstand and took the chance to venture out for a lap on his Yamaha Supersport machine, setting a speed of 122.900mph.

Manx rider Conor Cummins was also in the ballpark on his Honda Racing Superbike, with the Ramsey Rocket lapping at 129.169mph to slot into fourth on Tuesday's times.

It was another fine night for Bradford's Dean Harrison, who went fifth fastest on the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki (129.022mph) after topping the Superstock and Supersport times on Monday.

Flying Kiwi Bruce Anstey continues to impress on the Valvoline Padgetts Honda RC213V-S and set his fastest lap of the week so far at 128.976mph.

Anstey seemed to be on course for a high 129mph lap but slowed in the final sector and it seems he is still yet to fully show his hand on the V4 racer as he ended the session sixth fastest.

Behind Hutchinson in the Superstock standings, Michael Rutter was second fastest on the Bathams SMT BMW at 128.429mph with Hickman third (127.305mph) on his Kawasaki ZX-10R ahead of Ausssie David Johnson (BMW), who lapped at 125.196mph.

Anstey headed the Supersport leaderboard on the Valvoline Padgetts Honda at 124.508mph from Harrison (124.207mph) and Hutchinson, who managed a lap on Keith Flint's Came BPT Yamaha (123.757mph).

Morecambe Missile McGuinness was fourth fastest on the Jackson Honda (123.505mph) ahead of Michael Dunlop, with James Hillier next on the Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki (122.047mph).

Last year's winner Ivan Lintin led the way in the Lightweight session with a speed of 118.00mph on the Devitt RC Express Kawasaki from Martin Jessopp (114.871mph) and Italian rider Stefano Bonetti, who clocked 114.611mph on the Paton S1.

Former winner James Hillier was fourth quickest at 114.482mph.

In the Sidecar class, John Holden and Andy Winkle again topped the leaderboard, improving their speed to 113.15mph.

It was close though with father and son team Ian and Carl Bell only marginally slower at 112.98mph.

Tom and Ben Birchall and Tim Reeves/Patrick Farrance were early retirements, stopping at Ballacraine and Laurel Bank respectively.

However, Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle, who experienced a water leak on Monday, set their first lap of 2016 at 112.48mph.

Reeves and Farrance and Colin Buckley/Robbie Shorter both hit the bales at Laurel Bank and Kerrowmoar respectively, but escaped uninjured.

Stephane Hubert, passenger to Dan Knight, came into contact with the wall at Quarry Bends but was reported to be OK after being checked by the doctor.

Kevin Jones, passenger to Dave Dermott, came off his Sidecar at Burnside, at the end of Cronk Y Voddy and was taken to Nobles hospital with reported leg and arm fractures.