Top Superbike for Dunlop
ISLE of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop has been lined up to ride the Robinson Concrete Honda Superbike for Uel Duncan's team at the 64th Aon bikecare Skerries 100 tomorrow.
The 20-year-old, who destroyed the opposition in the second Supersport race at the TT last month to become the youngest winner in the history of the event, could also ride the ex-Gregorio Lavilla World Superbike Fireblade at the forthcoming Southern 100 on the Isle of Man.
Last night, team boss Uel Duncan confirmed to News Letter Sport that the Ballymoney rider had been given the chance to ride the machine at the popular Skerries meeting in North Co Dublin.
Duncan’s regular rider, Lincolnshire’s Gary Johnson, is in the USA this weekend to watch the American round of the MotoGP World Championship at Laguna Seca.
Dunlop is hot property on the road racing scene following his historic TT victory and former racer Duncan spoke in glowing terms about the brash Co Antrim youngster’s future prospects.
“If there was one rider in Ireland that we’d want on our bikes, then it’s Michael Dunlop,” he said.
“He’s on top of his game right now and what he did at the TT was something else. Michael’s sponsor [Gary Ryan, Street Sweep] approached us because he wanted Michael to have a run out on a Honda and we’ve agreed to let him ride our Superbike at Skerries this weekend.
“We’d hoped to get Michael a run out on the bike at Kirkistown beforehand, so we could get the bike set up for him, but the track wasn’t available and his first ride on the bike will be in practice on Friday,” Duncan added.
“It doesn’t leave us much time to get the bike set up for him and maybe if things don’t work out in practice Michael might want to ride his own R1 in the races, but we’ll have to wait and seen what happens.”
Duncan stressed that although Dunlop had been offered the opportunity to ride the Robinson Concrete Honda Superbike at Skerries and possibly at the Southern 100 as well, he was still “110 per cent committed to Gary Johnson.”
“Gary is away in America watching the MotoGP race this weekend and if he had been here, then Gary would have been riding our Superbike,” he said.
“We’re looking at doing something with Michael as well at the Southern 100, but I’ve honestly not thought about anything beyond that just yet.
“Michael is still very young and he’s got a big future ahead of him. He’s a winner and he’s the man of the moment right now.”
Dunlop is also due to ride the Street Sweep/Marlow Construction Yamaha R6 in the Supersport race at Skerries and will contest the two-stroke classes.
The organising Loughshinny club has secured an impressive line-up for the popular road race, with Farquhar, Scotland’s Keith Amor, William Dunlop, Adrian Archibald, John Burrows, Michael Pearson, Davy Morgan and Czech newcomer, Michal Dokoupil, who is making his National road race debut at Skerries following a promising display at the Isle of Man TT.
Top Irish Superbike short circuit rider, Michael Sweeney, will make a rare road race appearance on the Trackblast R1 Yamaha in the Open and Grand Final races, and joins Michael Dunlop in Gary Ryan’s Street Sweep Yamaha colours for the Supersport race.
The two-stroke line-up includes the Dunlop brothers, plus Barry Davison, Andrew Courtney, Andrew Neill, Darren Burns, Jeff Shaw, John Burrows, Ian Morrell, Adrian McFarland and Nigel Moore.
Former factory Honda rider Jim Redman - a six-time World Champion - is the guest of honour at Skerries. The South African won the 250 and 350 TT races in 1963, ‘64 and ‘65. He also won the 250 World Championship in 1962 and 63, and the 350 title from 62-65. Redman retired after a serious crash at Spa in Belgium.
World Supersport rider Eugene Laverty from Toomebridge will also be at Skerries tomorrow and the Honda rider - currently second in the championship standings - will complete a demonstration lap of the 2.9-mile Skerries course.
Roads will be closed for practice today from 3pm-9.30pm and from 9.30am-6.30pm tomorrow for racing. Admission is 10 euros and a souvenir programme also costs 10 euros.
RACE schedule: Race 1 - 201cc-1010c Open; Race 2 - 401cc-750cc; Race 3 - 250GP; Race 4 - 125GP; Race 5 - Classic B 500cc-1000cc; Race 6 - Supersport 600; Race 7 - 600cc/Open non-qualifiers; Race 8 - 201cc-400cc Support; Race 9 - 401cc-750cc non-qualifiers; Race 10 - Grand Final.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
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Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
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