Record 29-time TT 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.   He’ll 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.   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.

Aided by a best lap of 126.681mph, Dunlop came home 33.7s ahead of David Johnson.   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 the machine 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 on Friday, August 23 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.

Dunlop made his debut at the Manx in 2006 when aged only 17. Riding a 125cc Honda and with father Robert guiding him, Michael set a best lap of 105.349mph on his way to winning the Newcomers C Race.

He then led the Ultra-Lightweight race later in the week before retiring and lapped at more than 112mph in the Junior on his 250cc Honda.