William Dunlop has re-established his old partnership with ex-racer turned team owner Chris Dowd to contest the national road races in 2013 on a 600cc Yamaha R6.

Dunlop penned a deal before Christmas with Shaun Muir’s British championship Milwaukee Yamaha team for the international roads meetings plus the first three rounds of the British Supersport series, with an option to continue in the championship based on his results at Brands Hatch, Thruxton and Oulton Park.

The 27-year-old Ballymoney man will ride Muir’s red and white-liveried Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, Superstock and Supersport R6 machines at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT, Southern 100 and Ulster Grand Prix.

However, his handshake with Dowd enables Dunlop to compete in the Supersport class at selected national meetings this year, such as the Cookstown 100, Skerries and Armoy.

His presence on the domestic scene will serve as a much-needed boost as the smaller road races struggle to stay afloat due to rising insurance bills, lack of sponsorship and depleted grids.

Dunlop previously enjoyed a successful association with Dowd’s CD Racing team that earned him his maiden international four-stroke victory at the Ulster GP in the Supersport class in 2009.

“It’s a good set-up for me because it means I can ride Chris’s Yamaha now at the nationals this year,” he told the News Letter.

“I raced for Chris before and we had some good results and I know the bike he has will be really good.

“I’ll probably be out on it at Cookstown but I’ll miss Tandragee because it clashes with a round of the British championship,” he added.

“It means now that I’ll be there to give Michael a bit of a run for his money at some of the wee road races rather than him running away with it.”

Dunlop, a Supersport winner at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix in 2012, may also have the opportunity to ride the Milwaukee Yamaha Superbike at selected national road races this year.

Dublin’s Derek Sheils will also compete for CD Racing in 2013 on a Kawasaki ZX-10R and will make his debut at the TT races in June.

Dunlop is among the guests at the Adelaide Motorcycle Festival in Belfast, which opened yesterday and ends tomorrow at the new King’s Hall Pavilion.



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