Isle of Man TT: Hickman wins red-flagged Superbike race
- Published
Hickman was leading Dean Harrison by 1.7 seconds when the race was halted
Peter Hickman won Monday's shortened Superbike TT after the race was halted due to an accident in which English rider Daley Mathison was killed.
The rescheduled race was red-flagged after just two of the planned four laps had been completed.
The incident happened at Snugborough, between Braddan Bridge and Union Mills on the early part of the circuit.
The result was taken from the end of the second lap, with Hickman winning by 1.7 seconds from Dean Harrison.
Manxman Conor Cummins finished a further 7.5 seconds behind in third place.
James Hillier was fourth, Michael Rutter fifth and Michael Dunlop sixth.
Fatal crash on third lap
Mathison, from Stockton-on-Tees, was 27 years old and had achieved three TT podium finishes since making his debut in 2014.
The riders were into the third lap of the four-lap race when the stewards stopped the race following the accident involving Mathison.
Daley Mathison competed at the NW200 road races in Northern Ireland in May
The County Durham rider came off his bike at a tight left-hand bend on the approach to Union Mills, just over two miles into the course.
The riders returned to the paddock as the air ambulance was called to the scene of the incident and the race was declared over shortly afterwards.
An experienced TT rider, Mathison was making his 20th TT start with his three podium finishes all coming in the TT Zero class.
He set the second-fastest TT Zero lap ever when he clocked 119.294mph in the 2018 race.
Hickman-Harrison rivalry resumes
Smith's Racing rider Hickman set the fastest lap of the race on his second circuit at 132.95mph.
The race saw a renewal of the rivalry between English riders Hickman and Harrison and evoked memories of their battle in last year's Senior TT, which Hickman edged thanks to a record-breaking last lap of 135.452mph.
Peter Hickman on his way to his third career TT victory
For the Lincolnshire rider it was his third TT triumph, having also taken victory in the Superstock event 12 months ago.
"It just felt OK, the bike was working good. We had a bit of a problem on the Superbike yesterday so this is actually a super Stockbike with a few Superbike bits thrown into it," Hickman told Manx Radio after the race.
"It took me a good half a lap to get going and just to feel it and understand it a little bit and from that point onwards the bike felt really good, the tyres were working good, the bike was good, the pit stop was alright. But it was the same as last year, I was fast over the Mountain last year and it appears we're the same again this year.
Weather conditions still having an impact
The race had been scheduled to take place on Saturday but had to be delayed because of strong winds and patches of thick mist that played havoc with the practice schedule throughout the opening week.
"The wind isn't too bad up on the top, it's in other places where I struggled," Hickman added.
"On the lower section where some of the houses are, they block the wind but then when you're going through a gap you suddenly get a massive gust of wind. On the Mountain I was quite happy but then I'm a bit bigger some of these other guys so I can hang on a bit better."
Dean Harrison gains on Conor Cummins during the third lap
Silicone Engineering Kawasaki-mounted Harrison led by one second after lap one thanks to a lap of 132.48 but the early leader could not maintain his pace.
"I was having a problem with the bike to be honest," Harrison explained.
"I kept touching the shifter with my foot or there was something surging, I'm not quite sure what was going on, I had the same problem at the end of lap two so Conor [Cummins] got back through on the Mountain because I didn't want it to cut out with him behind me."
Hickman assumed the lead after the end of lap two and by the time the race was halted on the third lap the Burton-on-Trent rider enjoyed a 0.5-second advantage at Glen Helen.
John McGuinness on the Norton and Lee Johnston on his BMW were among the retirements.