Johnson and Brookes carry Aussie hopes into 2026 Supersport TT shake-up

Brookes to debut Next Generation GSX-R750 Suzuki in Supersport TT

The 2026 Isle of Man TT Supersport field has been reshuffled under the evolving Next Generation rules landscape, with Australians David Johnson and Josh Brookes both seeded inside the top seven for this year’s two Monster Energy Supersport TT races.

The middleweight class will again feature two four-lap races, but the Supersport contests move away from their traditional position at the head of race week and are instead scheduled for Tuesday and Friday.

Michael Dunlop remains the benchmark. The Ulsterman has won all eight Supersport TT races held since 2022, and 15 of his 33 TT victories have come in the class. He will again line up on Ducati Panigale V2 machinery, this time under the Scars/MD Racing banner, and will start sixth.

2025 IOMTT – Supersport Race Two – Podium – Dunlop the winner ahead of Harrison and Todd

That places him directly behind Australia’s David Johnson, who has been handed the number five starting position on the CD Racing Kawasaki.

Johnson’s seeding keeps him right at the sharp end of the Supersport order, with Mike Browne leading the field away at number one on the Boyce Precision/Russell Racing Yamaha YZF-R9. Paul Jordan starts second on Ducati, Dean Harrison third on the Honda Racing CBR600RR, and Jamie Coward fourth on the Rapid Honda.

David Johnson in action during the 2025 Supersport TT

The other strong Australian angle comes immediately behind Dunlop, with Josh Brookes seeded seventh on the Uggly & Co. Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.

Brookes, a former World Supersport Championship race winner and multiple British Superbike Champion, brings genuine class pedigree to the project. He will not ride for DAO Racing in the Supersport class, instead taking on the Mountain Course aboard one of the most interesting machines in the 2026 field.

The Next Generation regulations have opened the door for machines such as the Suzuki GSX-R750 to re-enter the Supersport conversation, and the potential of that package is significant. In a class that has increasingly moved beyond the traditional 600 cc four-cylinder template, the GSX-R750 offers a different performance profile that could prove useful across the Mountain Course’s long climbs and high-speed sections.

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To meet the ride-by-wire requirements needed for homologation with the Mectronik ECU, the Suzuki is fitted with throttle bodies from a Yamaha YZF-R6. That adaptation gives the GSX-R750 the electronic control architecture required by the current rules, effectively allowing the older Suzuki platform to enter the Next Generation Supersport era.

It makes Brookes’ entry one of the more technically intriguing combinations in the field. The GSX-R750 has long held a cult following as a bridge between supersport agility and superbike muscle, and under the current Supersport regulations, it could yet prove more than a curiosity.

Conor Cummins will also campaign a GSX-R750 Suzuki, starting from number 11 on the North Lincs Components machine previously raced by James Hind, who claimed fifth and seventh-place finishes on the bike last year. Shaun Anderson adds further Suzuki representation from number 14 on the Stanford Racing by ARD entry.

Triumph will have a strong hand in the top ten, with Davey Todd, Michael Evans and Peter Hickman starting eighth, ninth and tenth respectively. Todd will contest the Supersport class on Triumph machinery for the first time at the TT with Swan Racing by PHR Performance, while Hickman lines up on an identical machine under Trooper Triumph by PHR Performance colours.

Ian Hutchinson, the second most successful Supersport rider in TT history with eight class wins, starts 12th on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Ducati. Dominic Herbertson follows at number 13 on the KTS Macadam Triumph Factory Racing entry, while Rob Hodson starts 15th on the SMT Racing Ducati.

Nathan Harrison will go at number 16 on the H&H Motorcycles Honda, with Michael Sweeney, Joe Yeardsley and Joey Thompson completing the confirmed seeded order from positions 17 to 19. Adam McLean had been due to start at number 20 on the CD Racing Kawasaki, but recent surgery has forced his withdrawal from this year’s TT.

With Johnson seeded fifth and Brookes seventh, Australia has two strong points of interest near the front of the Supersport field. Johnson brings plenty of proven TT experience, while Brookes adds intrigue aboard a GSX-R750 Suzuki that could be one of the more closely watched Next Generation machines of TT 2026.

2026 Supersport TT Entry List

Adam McLean was originally due to start at number 20 on the CD Racing Kawasaki, but has withdrawn following recent surgery.