Michael Dunlop’s shock announcement that he will be racing with a factory-backed BMW for the 2014 Isle of Man TT is still percolating through the road racing paddock.
It was only in November of 2013 that the Irishman announced that he was likely to sit out the 2014 season, after failing to come to an agreement with the factory Honda squad, the Honda TT Legends.
Winning four solo-races in the 2013 Isle of Man TT, Dunlop solidified himself as being the man to watch in 2014, and perhaps the racer with the best chance of challenging John McGuinness on race day.
With Honda keen to see McPint break Joey Dunlop’s record of 26 TT race wins (McGuinness has 20 thus far), the backstory for Dunlop seems fairly obvious to guess.
With BMW Motorrad UK and the factory in Bavaria giving Dunlop direct support though, the nephew of Joey should be an even more formidable entry for this year’s road races, especially at the Isle of Man.
The new marks the first time in 25 years that a factory-backed BMW team has raced at the Isle of Man TT, and the S1000RR is a stout racing package with a plethora of development time in WSBK and EWC.
The German manufacturer’s re-entry is surely made possible by the company’s decision to pull out of the World Superbike and World Endurance Championships, as well as limiting its involvement in MotoGP.
How will Dunlop run at the this year’s TT? Only time will tell, though we imagine the 24-year-old will be out to make a point this year, just like every other.
Source: IOMTT
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