Road Races, IRRC: Michael Dunlop set to debut at Imatra

Over the weekend of 2-3 July, one of the most prestigious and historic road races on the motorcycling landscape, the Imatranajo GP, will play out. This second round of the International Road Racing Championship season will see the famous Finnish circuit celebrate 60 years of activity, the track having changed its name just a few months ago to become the “Jarno Saarinen Circuit Imatra”, a tribute to the motorcycling legend himself.

Michael Dunlop to compete with Honda

---

While, on the one hand, the paddock will remember the late Mark Purslow, a frontrunner in the Supersport class who lost his life during this year’s TT, on the other hand, this second round of the 2022 IRRC will be interesting for a number of reasons.

Not least, the presence of road racing legend and 21-time Tourist Trophy winner, Michael Dunlop, who dominated in the Supersport class on the Isle of Man just a few weeks ago. Following in the footsteps of Uncle Joey, who won at Imatra in 1986, the rider from Ballymoney will make his debut at the iconic road track, competing in the Superbike class with a Honda CBR1000RR-R, supported by team Penz13.

As well as Dunlop, three more Superbike riders will take to the track with the bikes of Rico Penzkofer’s team, or rather David Datzer (who’s just completed his first TT), Erno Kostamo and Italian Luca Gottardi, for a grid brimming with first-rate riders, among which the number 1 plate of current champion Didier Grams is a standout.

Translated by Heather Watson

Petrucci wildcard: “It’s an idea to develop. SBK is very attractive”