- Paul Jordan won on a Honda CB350 K4 with a margin of 1:37.307 minutes
- Mike Browne set a new class record at 105.322 mph and then retired
- Only 19 of the 31 entered riders reached the finish
The opening race of the 2026 Classic TT delivered exactly the kind of story the Snaefell Mountain Course keeps producing. Across two laps three different riders led in turn, two of them retired. In the end Paul Jordan took the win, having only inherited the lead after the man who had dominated the race pulled up with a puncture. The podium also featured a name many had no longer expected to see there.
How did the first lap of the race unfold?
The lead changed twice on the opening lap, and the fastest man then pulled clear by a comfortable margin. The race got under way at 5.30 pm, with John McGuinness on the Steadplan Racing Honda first away. In perfect conditions all around the course, Dean Harrison on the Craven Classic Racing Honda led initially. At Glen Helen his advantage over Mike Browne stood at 3.964 seconds, with Michael Evans a further 1.847 seconds back on the Ken Rutter Racing Honda.
By Ballaugh Bridge the picture had already changed. Browne was more than eight seconds quicker than Harrison through that section and moved into the lead. Harrison did not appear on the timing boards again, his race ending at Ballaugh. At Ramsey Hairpin, Browne was already 10.949 seconds clear of Evans, with Jamie Coward and Paul Jordan next up.
Why did Mike Browne lose a commanding lead?
Browne retired on the second lap with a puncture, even though he was almost half a minute ahead at that point. Before that, the rider from Cork in Ireland had put in a standing-start lap at 105.322 mph, equivalent to 21 minutes and 29.640 seconds. That took around a second off the previous class record set by Lee Johnston in 2014.
At the end of lap one, Browne led Jordan by 27.246 seconds, the latter having moved up to second. At Glen Helen on the second lap he stretched the gap to 29.830 seconds. He was then missing at Ballaugh, and shortly afterwards the retirement was confirmed. He had pulled the machine up at Barregarrow.
How did John McGuinness reach the podium?
McGuinness benefited from several riders ahead of him retiring, and held his position through the closing sector. After Browne’s retirement, Jordan led Coward by 4.635 seconds, who in turn was more than a minute clear of McGuinness. At that stage Herbertson was just 1.126 seconds behind the 23-time TT winner.
Timing then reported Coward’s retirement at Ballaugh as well. On corrected time McGuinness moved up to second and Herbertson to third. By Ramsey, Herbertson had reversed the order and led McGuinness there by 3.534 seconds. Third place was where the Englishman stayed. He narrowly missed his target of a 100 mph lap, with timing recording 99.232 mph.
How comfortable was Paul Jordan’s win?
Jordan won by 1:37.307 minutes from Dominic Herbertson. At Ramsey Hairpin on the final lap he was already 1:19.015 minutes ahead, and the lead was never in doubt through the last third of the course. He completed his closing lap at 104.926 mph on the Davies Motorsport Honda CB350 K4.
Herbertson, on the Nigel Haith Racing Honda, finished 22.795 seconds ahead of McGuinness. All three podium finishers were therefore on comparable Hondas. For Jordan it is a second successive win in this class, after taking his first Mountain Course victory a year earlier.
Who made it into the top ten?
Behind the podium, Dan Sayle of the John Chapman Racing Team took fourth. The Sulby rider therefore missed out on the rostrum by a narrow margin. Fifth went to Will Loder on a Greeves Oulton, the first single-cylinder machine and at the same time the first non-Honda in the results. There was disappointment for Harley Rushton, who retired on the Mountain Mile.
James Chawke on the DD Racing Honda came home sixth, followed by Andy Hornby for HEL Performance and Phil McGurk of Team Chris Hughes Racing. Newcomer Kyle Parkes took ninth, with Jeffrey Vermeulen completing the top ten. Eleventh went to Ben Birchall, the 14-time TT sidecar winner, with a closing lap of 94.665 mph. It was his first solo race on the Mountain Course.
Why was the race brought forward?
Organisers moved the race day forward because the weather forecast for the end of the week was poor. The Classic TT opener had originally been scheduled for Monday 24 August. Instead it took place on Saturday 22 August 2026. The distance was also cut to two laps.
The retirement count was high. Of the 31 riders entered, only 19 reached the finish. Alongside Harrison, Browne, Coward and Evans, those affected included Joe Yeardsley, Stefano Bonetti, Paul Cassidy and Russell Roebury. Michael Dunlop, the outright TT record holder with 36 wins, did not start at all on his Royal Enfield. Michael Sweeney and Lee Stanaway were also listed as non-starters.
What makes the Historic Junior Classic TT special?
The class recalls the era when the Isle of Man TT was still part of the FIM motorcycle world championship. It is run for 350 cc machines of the kind that shaped Grand Prix racing and the TT through the 1960s and early 1970s. For spectators, that means seeing these motorcycles competing on the Mountain Course once again.
In the context of the 2026 Classic TT as a whole, this race was the curtain-raiser. On Sunday the roads were due to close at 12.45 pm, followed by the three-lap Formula One Classic TT from 1.30 pm and the Lightweight and Ultra-Lightweight race from 3.30 pm.
Frequently asked questions
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Who won the Historic Junior Classic TT 2026?
Paul Jordan won the race on a Davies Motorsport Honda CB350 K4. His margin over Dominic Herbertson was 1:37.307 minutes. For the Northern Irishman it was a second successive win in this class.
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How fast is the new class lap record?
Mike Browne lapped at 105.322 mph on the opening lap, equivalent to a time of 21 minutes and 29.640 seconds. That took around a second off the previous record set by Lee Johnston in 2014. Browne, however, retired on the second lap with a puncture.
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How many riders reached the finish?
Of the 31 riders entered, 19 reached the finish. Those retiring included Dean Harrison, Mike Browne, Jamie Coward and Michael Evans. Michael Dunlop did not start.
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Why did the race take place on Saturday?
Organisers moved the opening race from the originally scheduled Monday 24 August to Saturday 22 August 2026. The reason was the poor weather forecast for the weekend. The race was also cut to two laps.
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Where did John McGuinness finish?
John McGuinness finished third and was back on the podium at the Mountain Course. At the finish he was 22.795 seconds behind Dominic Herbertson. His lap time equated to 99.232 mph, meaning he narrowly missed his target of a 100 mph lap.
➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: Isle of Man TT 2026: The Complete Overview – Schedule, Riders, Teams & Results. Find all key information on this topic in one place.
