Michael Dunlop to race a Ducati 916 at Manx Grand Prix

Dunlop on Ducati for ManxGP

Record 29-time Isle of Man TT race winner Michael Dunlop will return to the 37 and ¾-mile Mountain Course later this month as he contests two races at the Manx Grand Prix.

The 35-year old will again line up as one of the favourites for the four-lap RST Classic Superbike race on August Bank Holiday Monday.

However, for the first time in more than a decade, the Ulsterman won’t line up on a Team Classic Suzuki preferring instead to go for glory on a Ducati 916.

Dean Harrison rode a Ducati 916 last year, 2023, at the Manx and set a new lap record

Dunlop will also line up in the three-lap PE Lightweight Manx Grand Prix on his 250cc MD Racing Honda but it’s arguably the Classic Superbike race where he’ll be pinning his hopes for success.

Under the guise of the Classic TT, Dunlop took the inaugural honours in 2013 on Team Classic Suzuki’s 1100cc XR69 machine and although retirement followed in the next two years, he bounced back in style in 2016 with another victory when he also set a new lap record of 126.808mph.

Classic TT 2016 - Michael Dunlop - Image by Kevin Warren — Classic TT 2016 – Michael Dunlop – Image by Kevin Warren

A last lap retirement followed in both 2019 and 2022, the latter proving to be his last outing on the XR69 as he switched to the later 750cc GSXR SRAD model for 2023 where he promptly took his fifth victory in the class.

Michael Dunlop at the Manx GP last year, 2023 – Image by Jim Gibson

Aided by a best lap of 126.681mph, Dunlop came home 33.7s ahead of David Johnson.

2023 Classic Superbike Manx Grand Prix Results
1. Michael Dunlop (Suzuki GSX-R750) 54:32.154
2. David Johnson (Kawasaki ZXR750) 55:15.846
3. Rob Hodson (Kawasaki ZXR750) 55:17.952

The iconic Ducati 916 represents a new challenge for Dunlop though with the machine yet to win around the Mountain Course.

Iain Duffus and Michael Rutter both took podiums on a Ducati 916 at the TT in the 1995 Senior and 1996 Formula One races respectively whilst Dean Harrison’s lap of 125.597mph set in practice for last year’s Manx Grand Prix is its quickest ever lap and will act as the initial benchmark for Dunlop this year.

Meanwhile, the Lightweight race will give him a second opportunity at the Manx to take yet another victory around the Mountain Course and although he’s been out of luck in the class in recent times, a lap of 116.535mph in practice last year more than proves the threat he’ll pose to the likes of Mike Browne, James Hind and Ian Lougher.