Belfast Newsletter
The KDM Hire Coosktown 100 was launched on Thursday night at the Royal Hotel in Cookstown, where William and Michael Dunlop were among the special guests.
William’s Tyco Suzuki team-mate Guy Martin will miss the event - the opening Irish road race meeting of the season - to compete in the Endurance World Championship round at the Bol d’Or 24-Hour race at Magny-Cours in France, which takes place over the same weekend.
However, the organisers have put together a superb entry, with Michael Dunlop making his first roads appearance on his new MD Racing Superstock BMW S1000RR at the Orritor circuit from April 25-26, while William spearheads the challenge for new team TAS Racing.
Derek Sheils boosts the line-up on Chris Dowd’s Kawasaki, along with fellow podium hopeful Michael Pearson, who is also Kawasaki mounted on the Northern Escalator Installations ZX-10R.
Manxman Dan Kneen is a high-profile newcomer as he teams up with John Burrows’ Cookstown/BE Racing outfit, while Shaun Anderson will be aiming to force his way into contention on the CN Racing Suzuki.
Young Ballyclare lad Jamie Hamilton will have his first outing of the campaign on Wilson Craig’s Honda machines at Cookstown.
Fans will also have the opportunity to see Milwaukee Yamaha’s British Superbike and international road racing star Josh Brookes in action, when the Australian rider will complete a number of demonstration laps on Shaun Muir’s YZF-R1.
Practice takes place on Friday, April 25 with roads closing at 12 noon, with racing getting under way shortly after roads close at 10am sharp on Saturday, April 26.