John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop lead 2022 Manx Grand Prix entry list

The entry list for the new-look Manx Grand Prix has been unveiled with as many as eight Isle of Man TT winners and 22 Manx GP winners competing, including John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop.

Following on from June’s Isle of Man TT, a number of the riders who competed in the blue riband centrepiece of the road racing calendar will make the trip once more for another blast around the 37.7-mile Mountain Course for the 99-year old event.

The first Manx GP since 2019 after COVID-19 forced a two-year hiatus, the August event - starting on 21st and ending on 29th - will feature a new five race programme that begins on the 26th with the Lightweight Race, followed by the Senior Classic, Manx Junior, Senior Manx and Superbike Classic races.

In all, 8 TT and 22 Manx GP winners make up the entry list, with a total haul of 77 TT and 34 Manx GP victories between them.

In the classic races Honda Racing’s McGuinness - the second winningest rider in history at the TT - who will resume his attempts to secure another win on the island, while Dunlop will start as arguably the favourite as the highest-placed rider from this year’s Senior TT rider to enter.

They will be joined by Michael Rutter, David Johnson, Jamie Coward, Gary Johnson, James Hillier, Lee Johnston and Ian Lougher, with each lining up for the Senior Classic, Lightweight and Classic Superbike Manx Grand Prix races across the August Bank Holiday weekend. 

In the Senior and Junior Manx Grand Prix Races (for Supersport and Supertwin machines respectively) features an entry including Stephen Smith, Dan Ingham and local rider Dean Osborne, Victor Lopez Santos (Spain), Francesco Curinga (Italy) and Andrea Majola (Italy).