Michael Dunlop and MD Racing partner with Scars Ducati for North West 200 and Isle of Man TT challenge
Michael Dunlop is set to continue riding a Ducati Panigale V2 on the roads in 2026 at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT with MD Racing partnering with Scars Racing Ducati.
The Ulsterman won a Supersport race last year at the North West on the V2 and claimed Ducati’s first victories at the TT in 30 years with a double.
Joint team owner Leigh Finlay said the results “speak for themselves” as he prepares to work alongside the record 33-time TT winner on the project for a second successive season.
“The results we secured last year with MD Racing and the Ducati speak for themselves,” Finlay said. “It was a huge success that we are looking to repeat in 2026.
“The Ducati is an exceptional bike and Michael a fantastic rider, it’s a great pairing.
“We are delighted to be supporting Ducati again in this project this season.”
Scars Racing Ducati is a new team for 2026, with Luke Stapleford competing in the British Supersport Championship on the V2.
Dunlop is the Supersport lap record holder at the TT with a speed of 130.403mph set in 2023, when he also became the first rider to break the 130mph bracket in the middleweight class.
He lapped at over 130mph last year on the Ducati V2 on his way to victory over Honda’s Dean Harrison in the first race, and is unbeaten in the Supersport class at the TT since 2022, winning eight times in a row.
Dunlop, who will turn 37 today, has also been linked with a switch to Ducati machinery for the Superbike class this year after riding a BMW last season supplied by Shaun Muir’s World Superbike squad.
He was due to ride a Ducati V4R for Paul Bird in 2020 and tested the machine in Spain before the Covid pandemic wiped out the road racing calendar.