Final Race Day – Isle of Man TT 2026

Race Day 5 – 5 June 2026

Our final day on the island with the PistonClick team promised to be a memorable one. Excellent weather greeted us on the morning of Friday 5 June and, for once, looked set to hold throughout the day. Three races and a practice lap were scheduled, while RPW would be shooting as an accredited Isle of Man TT photographer and I would be working from the spectator areas for the IoM TT 2026 Final Race Day report.

Because we were departing from the Douglas ferry terminal that evening, we limited ourselves to locations within the capital. We parked the van in Douglas and walked to our chosen vantage points. After checking the excellent Isle of Man TT Races Info WhatsApp channel, we discovered a one-hour delay caused by a road traffic accident on the Mountain Road. That gave us time to enjoy some elusive Isle of Man sunshine and watch the steady stream of motorcycles heading towards favourite spectator spots around the course.

Accessibility and photography opportunities would shape our day. Douglas offers several excellent motorsport photography locations, but they require long walks between them. With racing scheduled from 11:45 until 17:00, we selected locations close together to avoid missing any action on our final day.

Supersport TT Race 2 – Governor’s Dip

Our first location was Governor’s Dip, around 1.5 km from the paddock. It is not the most spectacular place for motorsport photography, but it offered favourable lighting and several shooting angles to diversify the day’s portfolio.

From here we could capture both the practice lap and the second Supersport TT race over a scheduled distance of 113.9 miles.

Supersport TT Race 2

Michael Dunlop MBE claimed his 35th TT victory and a remarkable tenth consecutive Supersport win with another dominant performance. He finished 26.1 seconds ahead of Dean Harrison, who secured his second successive runner-up finish. Peter Hickman completed the podium, matching the results from Tuesday’s first Supersport race.

The opening laps featured a fierce battle between Dunlop and Harrison, but Dunlop moved ahead after a quicker pit stop on lap two. Hickman held third place throughout, while Conor Cummins retired during the second lap.

One shot I had yet to capture this year was the top three riders in the winners’ enclosure. Unsurprisingly, it was packed with spectators. Armed with my trusty step stool, I managed to shoot over the crowd and record a small piece of TT history. The celebrations surrounding Dunlop’s 35th victory and another back-to-back Supersport double made the effort worthwhile.

Sportbike TT Race 1 – Bray Hill / St Ninian’s

Watching the riders on the start line, you can almost feel the tension in the air. Separated from their teams and sitting alone on their machines, each rider mentally rehearses the 200-plus corners of the Mountain Course.

Starting opposite the grandstand, they edge forward until reaching the line. Then comes the moment: throttle open, clutch biting, a slap on the back, and they’re gone. As they accelerate down Glencrutchery Road and begin their 37.73-mile lap, everything narrows to rider, machine and concentration. The tarmac remains the target while the scenery flashes by in a blur of green.

For spectators, one of the first prime viewing locations is the petrol station at Bray Hill, also known as St Ninian’s after the church opposite.

The riders have not yet reached full speed here, but they often get airborne over the crest. Capture that moment correctly and it creates a spectacular image. Achieving the right angle, however, can be difficult in such a popular viewing area. Fortunately, my height and my increasingly versatile spectator step-seat-table combination gave me a reasonable vantage point.

Sportbike TT Race 1

Michael Dunlop MBE continued his incredible form by claiming his 36th TT victory aboard the Paton S1-R-650.

The standout story behind Dunlop’s win was Mike Browne’s second-place finish, which earned him his third Isle of Man TT podium. The rising star rode the Team Melbray / Laycock Racing Paton S1R in a special commemorative livery marking 40 years since the death of Northern Irish road racer Gene McDonnell at the 1986 Isle of Man TT. Inspired by the Joe Millar Racing colours, the machine looked superb.

Paul Jordan secured third place, also claiming the third TT podium finish of his career after two previous Supertwin podiums.

IoM TT 2026 Final Race – Milwaukee Senior TT

The final race of the day was the headline event: the Milwaukee Senior TT. With limited opportunities to move elsewhere, I remained at St Ninian’s. The best viewing position sits within one of the private gardens beyond the petrol station. Access requires local connections, and fortunately RPW had arranged entry earlier in the day.

Delays throughout the schedule pushed the Senior TT start later and later. Eventually, time became a serious concern as we still needed to catch the evening ferry.

We made a decision: watch two laps, then head straight for the van and make a rapid dash to the ferry terminal. After taking my final photographs of TT 2026, I packed away the camera and left the course.

When we reached the van, I switched on the radio and learned that Erno Kostamo had crashed at the high-speed 11th Milestone section. Race officials red-flagged the Senior TT during lap two, meaning we had not missed any racing action after all.

Later, organisers confirmed the completed laps would stand as the official result. Dean Harrison #3 claimed victory in the 2026 Senior TT, with #10 Peter Hickman finishing second and #7 Josh Brookes securing an excellent third place.

Poor weather returned on Saturday and Sunday, forcing organisers to cancel the remaining scheduled racing.

IoM TT 2026 Final Race Day Summary

Severe weather affected seven of the nine available race days during TT fortnight. Organisers managed to complete only a handful of the planned races, and many events ran over shortened distances.

The sidecar category endured a particularly difficult year. Following several high-profile incidents, organisers suspended sidecar racing on safety grounds.

Maria Costello suffered life-changing spinal injuries during sidecar qualifying at Brandish while passenger Shaun Parker escaped serious injury. In a separate incident, Callum and Ryan Crowe sustained multiple fractures after their outfit flipped over a crest at Crosby Leap.

Those crashes prompted the suspension of all remaining sidecar sessions. Organisers compensated teams for the cancellations. Unofficially, I heard the figure was around £4,000 per team, a sum unlikely to make much difference given the costs involved in running a competitive TT sidecar outfit.

Hopefully, we will see sidecars return for TT 2027.

Injuries and Tragedy During TT 2026

The solo classes also saw several serious incidents. Martin Morris crashed at Parliament Square, and his machine struck spectator barriers. Eight spectators required hospital treatment. Six were discharged quickly, while two remained in hospital.

Jamie Cringle crashed at Union Mills during the Supersport class, suffering open compound fractures to his leg and bruising to his heart. Erno Kostamo #28 sustained leg and hip injuries following his Milwaukee Senior TT crash at the 11th Milestone.

We wish all injured riders and spectators a full and speedy recovery.

Tragically, Daniel Ingham lost his life at Doran’s Bend during qualifying on 27 May 2026. Daniel was an experienced Mountain Course competitor who had raced in the Manx Grand Prix since 2016. His career highlight came in 2024 when he won the Senior Manx Grand Prix. Our thoughts remain with his wife Helayna, his children, family and friends.

Fly high, Daniel. You will never be forgotten.

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Thanks to RPW Photography for the images used in this report the IoM TT 2026: Weather Chaos, Paddock & Peel Day. You can find more IoM articles from the link below.