Practice for the Skerries 100 near Dublin gets under way on Friday afternoon, when Michael and William Dunlop return to action for the first time since the Isle of Man TT.

William is set to compete on the CD Racing Yamaha R6 at the popular national meeting this weekend and will also ride the 125cc Delaney Honda and brother Michael’s TSR 250cc Honda.

However, the 27-year old – who finished on the rostrum in third place in the opening Supersport race at the TT last month – won’t have the Milwaukee Superbike at his disposal.

Dunlop, who has won a premier class race at Skerries for the past two years, said: “I’ve won a Superbike race at Skerries now for two years running so it’s a pity I won’t be able to give Michael a bit of a run.

“But I’ll be out on the 600 and Michael won’t have it all his own way.

“I seem to go well at Skerries even though it’s not my favourite circuit, but it’s always a good event and hopefully we’ll get some good weather.”

Last year, William suffered a dislocated shoulder following a crash in the Supersport race.

He had set the fastest lap of the race and was catching the leading pair of Ryan Farquhar and Michael Dunlop when the accident happened after the famous Gillies Leap section of the course on the fourth lap.

“I was trying to catch Ryan and Michael and I was just a bit too eager,” he said.

“I got caught out and the crash ruined the Southern 100 for me.”

Michael Dunlop is riding high after his fabulous four-timer at the TT and will take some stopping on his stable of MD Racing Honda machines.

Team Hotties rider Michael Pearson from Lisburn, Dublin’s Derek Sheils – a former winner of the Open race at Skerries – plus John Walsh, Davy Morgan, Michael Sweeney and Jamie Hamilton are also among the entries this weekend.

Kilrea’s William Davison will ride John Burrows’ Suzuki Superbike, with Nigel Moore entered in the 125cc class plus the Supertwin race.

Manx Sidecar star Dan Sayle is also listed on the event’s official website as a late entry.

Roads close on Friday from 3pm-9pm for practice and from 9am-6pm on Saturday for a packed race schedule.

Meanwhile, the British Superbike Championship resumes this weekend at Snetterton, when Alastair Seeley will be determined to regain the lead of the British Supersport series.

The Gearlink Kawasaki rider is one point behind Mar-Train Racing’s Stuart Easton, who moved to the top of the standings after finishing third and second at Knockhill last time out.

Easton’s team-mate, Glenn Irwin, will also be aiming to climb the leaderboard with a brace of solid results at the Norfolk circuit.

Irwin currently holds seventh place in the championship, two points behind Glen Richards.

Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider Shane ‘Byrne’ heads the BSB charge from Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes by 33 points, with Samsung Honda’s Alex Lowes in third place, a further three points adrift.

Byrne is chasing a record fourth BSB crown this year and has been in dominant form, winning six of the eight races held to date.

His team-mate, Clogher man Keith Farmer, is within striking distance of the Showdown places in ninth position in the table, 15 points behind Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Chris Walker in sixth.

Practice gets under way today with the first British Supersport race taking place on Saturday at 3.45pm over 10 laps.

On Sunday, the second Supersport race is scheduled for approximately 3.40pm with the BSB races at 12.45pm and 4.30pm.



Kyle Whte
.