Lee Johnston produced a sensational final lap to snatch his first ever podium at the Isle of Man TT. Lying fourth in the Superstock race as he approached the end of the fourth and final circuit around the legendary 37 mile circuit, Lee nipped ahead of James Hillier in the closing section to claim third overall by just 0.270 seconds.

At the front of the field Ian Hutchinson was winning his second race in 24 hours ahead of Michael Dunlop, but the closest battle on the mountain was for the third spot.

Guy Martin held the position before a poor pit stop knocked him out of contention, but just as Johnston looked set to inherit his third place Hillier came past him at the end of lap three. The Maguiresbridge rider was not to be beaten however, and he posted a flying final lap with an average speed of 130.851 miles per hour earning him the final podium position.

It was Lee’s second race of the TT week, after the Superbike race opened the meeting. Lee made an unspectacular start on the big bike to lie fourteenth after the opening lap on his BMW and slipped a further place down after lap two. He picked up the pace on the following lap to move up to 13th and gained another place on the following lap as he posted his fastest lap of the race with an average speed of over 126 miles per hour. He continued his march towards the top ten as the race entered its final lap, and with the late crash of Michael Dunlop forcing an early end of the race, Lee was elevated to ninth overall in the final classification.

Lee went into the TT week targeting a race win after a successful North West 200.

His podium finish in the Superstock race was the first step towards that target and he will have further chances in the second half of the week. In Monday’s practice session on the Lightweight bike he posted the fastest lap of the week so far, just a fraction off the lap record, and he will be hoping for further success on the final day of the TT, when the Lightweight TT is followed by the Senior TT on Friday.