Isle of Man TT star Michael Dunlop to make surprise Mid Antrim 150 return

Isle of Man TT record holder Michael Dunlop will make a sensational return to the 2026 Mid Antrim 150 road race later this month, marking his first appearance at the event in 17 years. 

Dunlop was due to compete at the event in 2010, however, the Ballymoney-born rider pulled out due to a conflict regarding entry fees. 

This year’s Mid Antrim 150 races will be the first since 2016, while Dunlop is the most high-profile name set to race at the event.

Dunlop has been on another impressive run of form in recent months, something we seem to be saying about the 36-time TT winner most years. 

It started at the North West 200 in May when Dunlop secured victory in the only Supersport race of the event. Following that, Dunlop once again starred at the 2026 TT in June, winning both Supersport races and Race 1 of the newly-named Sportbike TT category.

More success followed for Dunlop later that month, as he matched his father, Robert, on 135 Irish road racing wins. Dunlop matched his dad’s record thanks to a quadruple of victories at the Tandragee 100 in Northern Ireland. 

Matching that record meant that Dunlop moved into joint-third on the all-time winners list behind Ryan Farquhar (211) and Joey Dunlop (156). However, Dunlop has achieved even more road racing success since last month’s Tandragee 100, meaning he now sits on 139 wins. 

Dunlop is expected to challenge for more wins at the Mid Antrim 150, which is scheduled to take place from July 31 to August 1 at the Clough circuit. If Dunlop does add more success to his name, then he will continue to close on Joey Dunlop’s tally of 156 Irish road racing wins, which is a number that certainly seems achievable over the next couple of years.

Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com