Brilliant TT podium finish for Jordan and Jackson Racing in Sportbike TT

Friday saw race action resume at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races, and it proved to be a superb day for Paul Jordan and the Jackson Racing powered by Prosper2 team with the Northern Ireland rider taking his third TT podium with a brilliant third place finish in the inaugural Sportbike TT race.
 
Jordan recorded a new personal best lap on the Aprilia RS660 of 123.185mph and only missed out on second place to Mike Browne by 0.663s. To cap a superb day, Paul also finished in a strong fifth place in the second Supersport TT race which opened proceedings at the start of the day.
 
After two days of inclement weather, everyone was relieved to see the sun shining all round the 37.73-mile Mountain Course and a stunning opening lap of 127.164mph on the Ducati Panigale V2 enabled Paul to complete the opening lap of the Supersport race in fourth place, 8.6s behind 14-time race winner Peter Hickman but 3.8s ahead of Browne.
 
After another good pit stop by the team, Paul was able to consolidate his fourth-place position on the second lap, the gap to Browne now having crept out to 6.8s. However, Browne was on a charge and the combination of his own 127mph+ lap and Paul having to ease his pace slightly over the Mountain for the final time, meant Jordan had to settle for fifth at the conclusion of the three-lap race just 0.928s adrift of Browne. Nevertheless, with the likes of Josh Brookes, Dominic Herbertson and Jamie Coward behind him, it was another fine finish.
 
A few hours later, it was the turn of the two-lap Sportbike race and with Supersport race winner Michael Dunlop disappearing at the head of the field on his Paton, going on to take his 36th TT victory, Jordan and Browne, also Paton-mounted, again found themselves locked in battle this time for the final two podium positions.
 
An opening lap of 121.695mph gave Paul a slender advantage of 0.122s over Browne with the two continually swapping positions at every timing point. At Ballaugh, halfway round the second lap, Browne had nosed ahead by 1.119s and this had doubled by the time they reached Ramsey Hairpin for the final time.
 
However, Paul put in a charge over the Mountain and although he missed out on second by 0.663s, his lap of 123.185mph was a superb effort as he recorded his third podium finish, matching the third-place finishes achieved in both 2022 and 2025.
 
The Senior race followed at 6.25pm but was stopped half way round the second lap due to an incident at the 11th Milestone with the rider described as conscious and talking.
 
Paul Jordan: “The Sportbike race was a fantastic one to be involved in and although Mike and I were apart on the course, there was nothing to choose between us throughout. I left nothing out there and it was a hard fight against the Patons but I was pleased to be on the podium again even if it was so close being in second place! The two of us had another close battle in the Supersport race and I was more than happy with my first 127mph lap in the class, especially as it was from a standing start. I had a small, technical issue on the final lap when the bike went up to 120 degrees, but it was another strong ride in some good company so I was pleased to take another top five finish.”
 
Alan Jackson, Team Manager: “Overall, it’s been another good day, and we’re delighted to have another TT podium to our name. Paul rode well in both races, and the story of this year’s TT seems to be Paul and Mike (Browne) continually battling with each other! It’s tough to miss out on second and fourth in the two races by such small margins but third and a 123mph+ lap in the Sportbike race is a superb effort whilst fifth in the Supersport race was a great result given the riders that finished behind Paul. The team did a great job again at the pit stop so a big thanks to them and, of course, all our sponsors.”
 
The Senior is now set to take place on Saturday alongside the second Sportbike race.
 
Pictures by Tim Keeton (Impact Images Photography)