16 hours ago
- Automotive
- 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.
