Road Racing: Michael Dunlop signs for Hawk Racing

Michael Dunlop will race for Hawk Racing for his 2023 Road Racing campaign.

Michael Dunlop will race for Hawk Racing onboard a Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. He will contest his Road Racing campaign and make multiple wildcard appearances at this year’s British Superbike Championship.

The 33-year-old will compete at this year’s Isle of Man TT and the North West 200. At the North West 200, Dunlop aims to race in two Superbike races for the Hawk Racing squad with the race facing doubts. Meanwhile, at the Isle of Man TT, Dunlop will race in the RST Superbike TT and the Milwaukee Senior TT.

Dunlop is no stranger to the British Superbikes, making an appearance in both the Superstock and Supersport classes last season. In his wildcard appearance at Oulton Park, Dunlop would finish 19^th in Supersport and 22^nd in Superstock. It is not confirmed where Dunlop will make his British Superbike appearance this season. 

Michael Dunlop is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time at the Isle of Man TT. He has 21 Isle of Man TT race wins to his name, after a double Supersport win last year. He is only bettered by his uncle and legendary Road Racer, Joey Dunlop and veteran John McGuinness.

Michael Dunlop has had great success at the North West 200, with five race wins to his name. His most famous race win would arguably come at the 2008 North West 200 250cc race.

This announcement comes after Hawk Racing announced its partnership with both Suzuki and Buildbase would come to an end. The move to Honda machinery looks popular, with many competitors choosing the Honda as the bike of choice.

Team Manager, Steve Hicken, said: “Michael’s achievements in road racing speak for themselves and we’re really pleased to be working with him again this year.”

“Our relationship goes back a long way so we know how he likes to work and, equally, he knows what to expect from us. We’ll be doing everything we can to put him on a bike that‘s competitive and gives him the opportunity to build on his many achievements in the sport.”

Image credit: Hawk Racing