Michael Dunlop touches down for unique American race
Michael Dunlop has arrived in the US for this year’s edition of the Daytona 200.
Road racing legend Michael Dunlop has landed in Florida ahead of his debut in the Daytona 200, arguably the US’s most prestigious closed circuit motorcycle road race.
Dunlop will be riding a Ducati Panigale V2 in the Daytona 200, which is raced on Supersport-class machinery.
The Panigale V2 was victorious last year in the hands of Josh Herrin, who went on to win the MotoAmerica Superbike title last year, and who this year will be chasing his fourth Daytona 200 victory.
For Dunlop, it will be a maiden race on the Italian bike that he has been testing since January, when he showed up to a WorldSBK test in Jerez.
It points to a potential roads campaign on the 955cc Panigale V2 this year, the bike with which Davey Todd won the second Supersport race at last year’s North West 200, Ben Currie won the 2023 British Supersport Championship, and which both Nicolo Bulega and Adrian Huertas have won the World Supersport title on.
Todd was also able to give the Panigale V2 two podium at the Isle of Man TT last year, finishing second in Race 1 and third in Race 2.
Dunlop won both Supersport races at last year’s TT on a Yamaha R6, although he started the event on a Triumph Street Triple 765 RS.
Dunlop will not be the only road racing star at the Daytona 200 this weekend, as Peter Hickman will also race aboard his own PHR Performance-prepared Triumph Street Triple. PHR and Triumph will also field a second Street Triple for Richard Cooper.
The 2025 Daytona 200 start procedure will begin at 13:10 local time on Saturday 8 March.
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
