The Superbike start numbers for 2022 Isle of Man TT races have been announced

THE Isle of Man TT races are due to return after a two-year absence in 2022, and today (25 March 2022) the top 20 Superbike start numbers have been announced. 

It will be a year of many reunions for TT legend John McGuinness in 2022. He will return to the Isle of Man, he will return to Honda, and to him will return the #1 plate. 

Setting off straight behind McGuiness will be Dean Harrison who will carry number 2. Harrison won the 2019 Senior TT, and had begun to develop something of a rivalry - on-track, at least - with Peter Hickman in the last two years of the races before the pandemic forced the two-year hiatus.

Hickman himself we will come to later, as he will be racing for a new team in 2022. But, setting off in third this year will be Michael Rutter on the Bathams BMW.

Ian Hutchinson will also be back on the Isle this year, and back with TAS Racing as well. The 16-time TT winner also wore the red of Milwaukee back in 2014 when they sponsored Shaun Muir’s Yamaha squad, and now the power tools company will be backing Hutchinson with TAS. Hutchinson has become synonymous with the #4 on the Isle of Man during his career, and it will once again be on the front of his bike this year. 

OMG Racing will make their first Isle of Man appearance this year as they switch from BMW machinery to Yamaha. James Hillier will sport the #5 plate on his Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 for this year’s Superbike races.

Next up is Michael Dunlop, who will be looking to bring Ducati its first TT win aboard the MCE-backed Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati Panigale V4 R from the sixth road position.

Seventh away will be Gary Johnson on the Specsavers NL Motorcycles BMW, while eighth into the race will be Davey Todd on the Padgett’s Honda.

David Johnson will be ninth in, aboard the second OMG Yamaha, before FHO Racing will debut at the TT with Peter Hickman, the fastest man ever round the Snaefell course. FHO have new backing this year in the shape of Gas Monkey Garage, which somewhat annoyingly means their BMW will be painted bright green. Just something to bear in mind before you see a Kawasaki coming towards you, only for it to turn out to be Hickman on his BMW.

Isle of Man local Conor Cummins’ Padgett’s Honda will wear the number 11, while behind him with the #12 will be KTS Racing Yamaha’s Jamie Coward. 

Lee Johston will go 13th for Ashcourt Racing, before #14 Philip Crowe, #15 Sam West, #16 Dominic Herbertson, the second FHO bike of #17 Brian McCormack, #18 Derek Shiels, #19 Shaun Anderson, and finally #20 will be Craig Neve.

Lead image courtesy of IOMTT Races.