Gary Dunlop confirms he is set for roads debut at Mid Antrim 150

Ballymoney man Gary Dunlop has confirmed he will make his road racing debut at the JFM Haulage Mid Antrim 150 in April.
PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 1/5/2015:  Sam Wilson and Gary Dunlop with the Joey Dunlop Bar 125cc Honda during Tandragee 100 practice.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISONPACEMAKER, BELFAST, 1/5/2015:  Sam Wilson and Gary Dunlop with the Joey Dunlop Bar 125cc Honda during Tandragee 100 practice.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON
PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 1/5/2015: Sam Wilson and Gary Dunlop with the Joey Dunlop Bar 125cc Honda during Tandragee 100 practice. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON

The 32-year-old, whose legendary father Joey remains the most successful rider ever in the history of the Isle of Man TT races with 26 victories to his name, will compete in the 125cc class at the Clough meeting, which lifts the curtain on the 2016 Irish National season on Saturday, April 2.

Dunlop briefly flirted with the idea of following in his dad’s footsteps following his tragic death at a race meeting in Tallinn, Estonia in 2000, and he competed at Irish short circuit level as a teenager before deciding it wasn’t for him.

However, after becoming involved in running the Joey’s Bar MCC team last year with the aim of trying to boost dwindling two-stroke racing grids in the 125cc and 250cc classes, Gary has decided the time is right to make his bow between the hedges.

The Ballymoney man exclusively told the News Letter: “The whole concept is to try and get as many 125 bikes back out on the grid as possible.

“I lost a bit of weight over the winter and worked a bit on my fitness.

“William [Dunlop] had sort of said to me ‘why not go and ride and put another bike out there on the grid’.

“I’m smaller and fitter now than what I was when I was 18 and there’s not as much pressure now either, so I’ll got out and enjoy it without any expectations.”

Dunlop also plans to race at the Cookstown 100 on April 30 before making a decision after the TT on whether he will compete in any other National races, although the chance to ride at the spiritual home of the Armoy Armada must be a tempting prosposition for the Ballymoney man later in the summer on July 30.

“I’ll do the Mid Antrim 150 and then Cookstown after that, then I’ll wait until after the Isle of Man TT before looking at anything else,” Dunlop said.

“If it affects getting Sam [Wilson] set up properly then I’ll knock it on the head because Sam’s the main priority for us,” added .