Michael Dunlop up and running for new season

LOCAL rider Michael Dunlop made a winning return to the Cookstown 100 at the weekend, winning the Supertwins race at the county Tyrone track.
However, the record lap holder, returning to the event for the first time in five years, was unable to add to his win as poor weather conditions prevented the Open races from being completed.
Michael Browne helped himself to a double, winning a red-flagged Supersport race and the Moto3/125cc event, but race fans were left frustrated by the persistent rain.
Officials eventually deemed the track too unsafe for the larger capacity bikes and so racing was abandoned later on in the day.
Browne had six seconds to spare over nearest challenger Nigel Moore in the Moto3/125 class, but Supersport runner-up Dunlop was just 1.76 seconds adrift of the Cork rider in that race.
Browne led the 600cc event on his Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Yamaha when the red flags came out on lap four after last year's man-of-the-meeting Michael Sweeney crashed out unhurt at Mackney Corner.
Last year's treble winner was occupying third place when he came off but that position was ultimately awarded to Ballymoney's Darryl Tweed after the results were taken after lap three following the Skerries rider's demise.
Dunlop rode his McAdoo Racing Kawasaki to victory in the Supertwins class, enjoying a comfortable advantage over Daniel Ingham at the chequered flag to take his 11th race success at the county Tyrone meeting.
The eight-lap race was run on wet roads and the race was halted when the red flags again came out as the Ballymoney crossed the line to complete his final lap.
Tweed came out on top in the Lightweight Supersport event and Barry Davidson clinched a landmark 100th Irish national road racing victory with a triumph in Supersport 300.
Afterwards, Dunlop told BBC Sport NI’s Stephen Watson that he needed more time on the big bikes ahead of next month’s North West 200.