Michael Dunlop to make Tandragee 100 return after more than a decade away
Dunlop hasn't raced at the event since 2013, when he won both Superbike races on a Honda Fireblade.
The Ballymoney rider is on the crest of a wave after winning four more races at the TT to increase his tally to an unprecedented 33 victories around the Mountain Course earlier this month.
Dunlop has also been honoured with an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours for services to motorcycling.
He is entered in the Supersport and Superbike classes at Tandragee, which is being held for the first time since 2022.
Confirming the news on Monday, a statement from the organisers said: 'Earlier this year, our overall sponsor, owner of Around A Pound, Gerry Rice — who has also been a personal sponsor of Michael's for many years, had agreed to negotiate with Michael once the TT was over.
'True to their word, both men met and agreed that Michael will compete on his Supersport Ducati and Superstock MD Racing machines at this year's Around A Pound Tandragee 100 event on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28, 2025.
'The club are absolutely thrilled to have Michael return to the iconic Tandragee 100 course, one of the few remaining 'old school' circuits — especially after his record-breaking performance at the 2025 Isle of Man TT.'
The need for crucial resurfacing work around the spectacular 5.3-mile course prevented the race from going ahead in 2023 and 2024 but those have now been completed and the 2025 edition of the race is all systems go.
It may be over a decade since Dunlop last raced at Tandragee but there is no shadow of a doubt that he will take all the beating this weekend.
His chief rivals for success when the action gets under way include the likes of Skerries man Michael Sweeney and Conor Cummins from the Isle of Man, who is spearheading the charge for silverware for John Burrows' team.
Shaun Anderson, meanwhile, has also entered at his home road race where his machines include the Wiz Norton, which he will be jumping aboard in the Classic Superbike race.
Practice and qualifying for the Tandragee 100 takes place on Friday (roads will be closed 11.00am to 9.00pm) with racing on Saturday, when roads will be closed from 9.30am until no later than 7.00pm.
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Belfast Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Michael Dunlop lays down gauntlet by smashing qualifying record on return to Tandragee 100
The Isle of Man TT star is competing at the Co Armagh meeting at the invitation of personal sponsor Gerry Rice of Around A Pound – the title backers of the national road race. Dunlop smashed the qualifying record to put his MD Racing BMW on pole for Saturday's Open Superbike races. He also finished on the podium in third position in the non-championship Supersport race, despite starting from 17th position on the grid after running into a problem with his Ducati in qualifying. On his last appearance at Tandragee in 2013, Dunlop won both Superbike races by 26 seconds on the McAdoo/Hunts Honda Fireblade. Mike Browne from Cork won the four-lap Supersport race by half-a-second from Skerries man Michael Sweeney, with Dunlop 2.7s back in third on corrected time and clear of Conor Cummins (Burrows/RK Racing Ducati) in fourth. The Ballymoney ace set the fastest lap of the race on the Milwaukee Ducati at 107.445mph and will be fired up to reach the top step in today's Supersport encounter. Dunlop is on a high after winning four more races at the Isle of Man TT to extend his record to 33 victories. He broke his uncle Joey's famous 24-year-old record of 26 wins in 2024. Earlier this month it was announced that Dunlop would be made an MBE in recognition of his motorcycling success, following in the footsteps of Joey, who received an MBE in 1986 and an OBE 10 years later. Last year the 36-year-old stated that Irish national road racing 'was finished', but Dunlop said he was happy to lend his support to the Tandragee organisers. 'The TT will thrive regardless, the North West will thrive regardless (of whether national road racing continues) – that might be controversial,' Dunlop said. 'National road racing used to be the platform to go international road racing. 'Realistically, who is now winning international road races who is a national road racer? We're racing against BSB people now. 'That's who is at the front of the North West now, that's who wants to be riding at the front of the TT.' Dunlop, who started the road racing season with a double at the Cookstown 100 in April, said it was 'nice' to add his name to the Tandragee entry list. 'It's harder for the smaller races,' he said. 'But it's hard to say the people aren't supporting (road racing) any more when you see the amount of people at the North West and TT.' The popular road race, organised by the North Armagh Club, is taking place for the first time since 2022. Earlier, Dunlop recorded a new qualifying lap record on his 1000cc BMW Superstock machine with a speed of 107.97mph. His time of 2:58.174 was around 1.3 seconds quicker than Derek Sheils' record from 2018 (107.212mph). Dunlop secured pole for Saturday's Open and Tandragee 100 races by 2.8s from Sweeney (106.308mph) on the Martin Jones Racing BMW. Browne will line up in third on his 600cc Yamaha. The Irish rider was just under half-a-second down on Sweeney, lapping at 105.866mph. Ramsey rider Cummins was fourth quickest on the Burrows/RK Racing BMW (105.035mph). The top six was completed by Shaun Anderson on the Team Classic Suzuki and Manxman Marcus Simpson (WH Racing powered by Dynobike Honda). Fellow Isle of Man rider Joe Yeardsley was next riding an Aprilia for Trevor Scott, with the top eight rounded out by Ulsterman Neil Kernohan on his Kernohan Racing Yamaha R1. Browne topped the Supersport times at 106.148mph from Sweeney (104.516mph) and Darryl Tweed (104.246mph). Anderson was fourth fastest on his Suzuki ahead of Cummins. Sweeney claimed pole in the Supertwin class on his MSR Aprilia with a speed of 102.344mph, almost four seconds clear of Tweed (Novo Gen by FAO Racing Aprilia). Sweeney will be looking for more success in Saturday's Supertwin race after earning his maiden podium in the class at the North West 200 in May, when he finished as the runner-up in the second race behind Paul Jordan. Kernohan had a strong run on his Aprilia to qualify fourth behind Barry Furber on the DC Autos Yamaha. The Supertwin session was restarted following a red flag stoppage, which resulted in a delay to the evening schedule. Ten races are due to be held on Saturday, with roads closed this morning from 9:30am and reopening by 7pm. The first race for Supertwin/Supermono riders is scheduled to commence at 10am.
BBC News
18 hours ago
- BBC News
Dunlop takes pole position for Tandragee Open races
Michael Dunlop set the fastest lap speed in qualifying at the Tandragee 100 road races to secure pole position for Saturday's Open races at the county Armagh 33-time Isle of Man TT winner lapped the 5.3-mile circuit at an average speed of 107.97mph on his MD Racing BMW Superstock left the Ballymoney rider 2.78 seconds to spare over nearest challenger Michael Sweeney, who posted a 106.308 on his MJ Racing top six qualifying leaderboard for the Open class was completed by Mike Browne (105.866), Conor Cummins (105.035), Shaun Anderson (105.021) and Marcus Simpson (102.846).Cork man Browne recorded the quickest lap in Supersport qualifying on his BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha, 2.8 seconds ahead of Skerries rider Sweeney, who was similarly mounted on a Tweed from Ballymoney was third, Anderson fourth and Cummins fifth on his Cummins, 39, is making his first appearance at the event since his only previous visit back in 2007 and is riding for the Burrows Engineering/RK racing was an early retirement back to the paddock on his V2 Ducati in the Supersport qualifying 36-year-old, who picked up a treble at this year's North West 200 and a four-timer at the recent TT races, is aiming to add to his 11 previous Tandragee race wins as he competes at the meeting for the first time since 2013, when he sealed a Superbike Tandragee 100 itself is taking place for the first time since 2022 after essential resurfacing work on a section of the circuit was completed, with this the 61st running of the first Supersport race and a Senior Support race are scheduled to be run on Friday evening, with a 10-race programme on the agenda for Saturday.
BBC News
21 hours ago
- BBC News
Dunlop 'as competitive as ever' after successful year
Michael Dunlop says he is as "competitive as ever" after a successful year at the Isle of Man TT and North West ended his eight-year victory drought at the North West 200 when he won the opening Supersport race He then added to that by winning in the Superstock and Superbike classes at the Northern Ireland road race. The 36-year-old then won four races at the Isle of Man TT to extend his own winning record at the event to 33 victories."For the first time in a while I was really competitive at the North West, which was good," Dunlop told BBC Sport NI. "To do a triple there and go to the TT and win another four it's been a great year."The main job for me is the North West and TT, and I think we've done a successful job there and proven we're still one of the top men."Dunlop is racing at the Tandragee 100 national road race in county Armagh this weekend and heads to the national race in confident mood."When you are leaving those events [NW200 and TT] with most wins, I'm into the 30s now with the TT, it's good. "To go into the 30s where nobody is is nice. I would like to keep pushing at it, I feel like I'm as competitive as ever. "You just don't know with this game. At the end of the day, to get where I'm at is pretty cool and if I can add to it, I will. "We had a really good year and I'm faster than I ever was, so there's no reason we can't go back and win more TTs and more North Wests." Last year, Dunlop said national road racing was "finished" and the larger North West 200 and Isle of Man TT events would "thrive regardless". Ahead of his appearance at the Trandragee 100, which came through an invitation from one of his sponsors, Dunlop added that national road racing in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland "are in a bad place" and said it was "nice" to help the race organisers out with his appearance. The top road racers dovetail their Isle of Man and North West 200 commitments by participating in the British Superbike Championship, and do not usually ride at national road races."The North West 200 has thrived this year, the TT has thrived. The events that are doing things right are thriving. "Yes, it's harder for these smaller events. I know why some of them are doing some stuff wrong, but it's hard to say it's fallen when you go to the North West this year."The amount of people was mental. It's the exact same with the TT."It's hard to say people aren't supporting it when you see the likes of those events and they are absolutely booming." Dunlop says he will race at the Southern 100, Classic TT and look at racing at a round or two of the British Superbike asked if he would even race in British Superbikes full-time, he said he would like to but feels he's "too long in the tooth now".It's hard. Did we miss that boat? Without a doubt. But did I ever go looking for it? Probably not, and I probably would have liked to have had a bit of a shot at it. "With time I could fall into it, there's no reason that if we spent a bit of time doing BSB I could put in a half decent charge at it."
