Michael Dunlop wins top prize at Irish Motorbike Awards

Michael Dunlop has been named Irish Motorcyclist of the Year at the recent Irish Motorbike Awards.

Dunlop, who secured his record-breaking 27th victory at the Isle of Man TT this year (as well as 28th and 29th successes), picked up the award for the second time in his career at this year’s edition of the Awards, held in Belfast last Friday (17 January).

The previous occasion on which Dunlop won the award was 2014, following his second successive year of winning four races in a single Isle of Man TT event.

Dunlop also won this year’s International Road Racer prize, while Davey Todd  – winner of two TTs in 2024, including the Senior – picked up the King of the Roads award.

Todd was also a key character in the Race of the Year Award winner, which went to the third and final Superbike race at the North West 200, which saw Todd battle it out with Glenn Irwin for top honours in the final race of the meeting, the latter rider ultimately coming out on top to secure an 11th consecutive victory in the Superbike class at the famous Triangle.

There were also a couple of new additions to the Irish Motorbike Awards this year, with trials rider Nicole Lynch winning the Female Trailblazer Award, and Scott Swann taking the BSB Breakthrough Award.

Other winners included the TAS Racing team who got the Team of the Year prize, the North West 200 for Event of the Year, Jack Kennedy for Short Circuit Rider - UK Circuits, Sophie Ferguson for Young Rider of the Year, and Jay McCrum for Off-Road Rider.

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s crew chief, Phil Marron, also won a Special Recognition Award after winning the World Superbike Championship with Razgatlioglu for the second time last season.