Bradford’s Dean Harrison gave the RC Express Racing by MSS Performance team their debut podium at the Isle of Man TT Races with a stunning second place in Tuesday’s four-lap Superstock race.

Held over from Monday due to poor weather on the island, the race eventually got underway at 1.45pm on Tuesday afternoon in perfect weather conditions and a superb opening lap of 128.768mph placed Dean in a brilliant second place, just over six seconds adrift of Saturday’s Superbike race winner Michael Dunlop.

Despite suffering with a technical issue, Dean’s second lap was quicker still at 128.956mph but Dunlop was able to increase his advantage to almost 14 seconds after setting the fastest lap of the race. However, a good pit stop and strong opening sector on the third lap by Dean brought the margin down to nine seconds with one and a three quarter laps remaining.

The Northern Ireland rider wasn’t to be denied though but Dean had a comfortable margin over third placed rider Bruce Anstey and he completed the four laps and over 150 miles of racing in a brilliant second place, his second podium position around the Mountain Course and the team’s first in just their second year of TT competition.

“I’m over the moon with second place and just want to say a big thank you to everyone involved with the team. Conditions were great but the quickshifter stopped working on the opening lap and I had to completely change my way of riding, rolling the throttle to change gear when normally you can just change without even thinking,” said Harrison.

“It compromised my race a bit but once I got used to it and settled into a rhythm I was still able to lap at almost 129mph and I can’t ask for much more than second place. I had good pit boards all the way round the course and was surprised by how many people I caught on the roads but I passed them all in clean, safe places and couldn’t have finished second to a better man.”