Dan will be competing in the Superstock race on the ILR Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R and will also be running his own privateer team in the Superbike and Supersport classes out of the ILR Kawasaki set-up during the fortnight.

The news also continues team manager Ian Lougher's long association with the famous event following his retirement from competitive racing last year.

26 year old Hegarty from Nottingham is very much gearing his 2014 season round the TT and is looking forward to his fourth year competing over the Mountain Course.

He was the fastest newcomer in the Superbike race at the 2011 TT with a lap of 118mph finishing 32nd, and he registered a Top 20 finish in the opening Supersport TT in 2012.

Last year he missed the Superbike TT with a brake problem before finishing 36th in the Blue Riband Senior race, setting a fastest lap of 122mph on what was very much a bike in the early stages of development.

'Hego' believes he has yet to show his true potential over the 37.75 miles circuit and he goes to this year's event fully intent on realising his personal ambitions of improved results and lap times and further justifying his growing reputation as one of the riders to watch.


Dan Hegarty:

''This is a literally my boyhood dreams coming true. I was first inspired to start road racing when I stood at Olivers Mount Hairpin watching Ian Lougher take on the big boys in the Gold Cup on his Honda 250, and Ian has been a secret hero of mine ever since then.

Here I am 10 years later with Ian for a mentor to take on the Mountain Course in my most serious campaign to date.''

ILR Kawasaki team manager Ian Lougher:

''It's a real pleasure to be involved with a young, enthusiastic and most of all intelligent rider like Dan for this year's TT races. It has always been my plan to try and pass on some of my knowledge to younger guys coming through on the roads, it would be such a shame for all that experience I have at the Isle of Man to go to waste.

So I'm really looking forward to working from the other side of the fence with such a promising, dedicated rider like Dan Hegarty.''



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