Balleymoney's William Dunlop continued his climb up the TT ladder on Tuesday night when the CD Racing Yamaha rider clocked his personal best lap time around the 37 mile mountain circuit at just over 119mph on his R1 Yamaha Superstock machine.
Dunlop, who missed last year's TT Races after the death of his father Robert, bedded himself in nicely in the perfect conditions that again embraced the jewel in the Irish Sea.
He took out the CD 600 Supersport Yamaha for one lap, and exiting Sulby, the transponder dropped of the Chris Dowds machine, leaving Dunlop with no lap time. A further two laps on the Superstock R1 Yamaha, saw William take things relatively easy on lap one when he lapped in a time of 20m.01.17s, a speed of 113.080mph.
Dunlop upped the ante on lap two, his only flying lap, with William getting round a full minute quicker with lap two reading 19m.00.53s, a speed of 119.092mph.
"I am really pleased with those laps tonight. That's a best for me at the TT, and that alone will do very nicely. It's a pity the transponder dropped of as I think I may have got a 119mph lap in on the 600, as the bike was handling really well, and I think I clocked the third fastest time through the speed trap on a 600 tonight, in or around 169mph," he said.
"The Superstock bike is going good also, but it just takes you a lap to get bedded into her, so I suppose that's how this race will be won, with someone setting a quick opening lap. The conditions were perfect all around the 37 miles, probably the best of the week yet, so yes, I am very pleased with how last light night went."
