Three more TT wins for rider Hickman

The Smiths Racing team also won the team award for the third year in succession.

Having already won the Superbike race at the beginning of the week the 32-year-old joined a select band of riders to win two races in a day around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course as he took victory in both the Monster Energy Supersport race two and the Royal London 360 Superstock race on Thursday.

Racing was again disrupted by the weather and there was no track action until Thursday when Hickman was out in the second Supersport race of the week on the K2 Trooper Triumph by Smiths Racing.

He was third in the first Supersport race earlier in the week and was hoping for another podium in Thursday.

But he did better than that as he led the race on each of the two laps and crossed the finish line for his first ever TT victory in the class.

He said: “I was trying so hard to win the race on the little Triumph.

“We had a lot of input from Triumph this year and it has made all the difference.

“The bike was absolutely mega and I am so happy for the Smiths Racing team; they have done a cracking job on the K2 Trooper Triumph.

“That was only my sixth lap on the bike this week, two laps in practice, two in the first race and two today.”

Next up was the Superstock race run over three laps.

Hickman won the race last year and was odds on favourite for this year and he didn’t disappoint.

He led the race from start to finish taking the victory with a 26 second advantage over Dean Harrison.

“This brings his total of wins at the TT to five, third of this week and second of the day.

He said: “I don‘t know what it is about this class, the last couple of years I have been so strong.

“The Smiths Racing team has given me such a good bike and BMW make such a fantastic S1000RR machine and the rest is history.

“I just get on and ride it and for whatever reason it all just clicks.”

Later that evening Hickman went out on the new Norton Superlight in the Lightweight class and brought the beautiful looking Norton home in eighth place.

Hickman said: “I was excited to be riding a British Lightweight bike at the TT. The ride also means a lot to me because of my Dad’s history with the Norton.”

Willoughby rider Hickman’s father Dave, formally a GP racer, played an important role in the development of the Rotary Norton in the 1980s and 1990s so it seemed fitting that Peter should race the new Norton Superlight at the TT this year.

Friday was the big race of TT week, The Senior TT.

It was last year that Hickman won the title and set the fastest ever lap of 135.452mph which gave him the title of the fastest Road Racer of all time.

Hickman was the favourite to win and he led the first four of the six 37.7 mile laps by 17.4 seconds before encountering a problem with the bike. He managed to nurse it over the final two laps but was down on power and ended up second to Dean Harrison.

Hickman returns to domestic racing with the next race at the weekend of June 14-16 at Brands Hatch.

Timetable for the British Superbike championship is: Friday - free practice 10.15am, 3.15pm; Saturday - free practice 10.15am, qualifying 4pm; Sunday - warm-up 9.25am, race one 20 laps 1.30pm, race two 20 laps 4.30pm.