Michael Dunlop hoping to play leading role for French team TRT27 Racing at legendary Le Mans 24-Hours endurance meeting

The 25-time Isle of Man TT winner will share riding duties with British team-mates Ben Luxton, Tom Ward, and Tom Oliver when they compete in the Superstock class in the FIM Endurance World Cup on a Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.

Dunlop previously raced at Le Mans with the Honda TT Legends team in 2013, the same year he famously sealed a breakthrough Superbike victory at the TT.

The Ballymoney man rode Honda Fireblade machinery in the Superbike and Superstock classes last year on the roads and returned to the top step in the blue riband class at the TT, where he won the Superbike race and lapped at over 135mph.

Dunlop has yet to officially confirm his line-up of machines for 2024 but the 47th edition of the famous Le Mans race from April 18-21 will give him some valuable track time as he builds towards the North West 200 (May 8-11).

Looking ahead to the endurance meeting, Dunlop, who recently tested with the TRT27 team, said: “It’s obviously different to the bike I rode last year but I’d like to be able to give them a hand because they’re fast lads.

“If we can give them some help with the base it would be great to see them doing well. But I don’t see a reason why I can’t be fast here. If we get the base good, I should be fast as well.

“I came here with the Honda 11 years ago and I was fast then, I was the fastest of the group.

“It’s a different ball game [to the Isle of Man TT] and that’s just the way it is but there are obviously four of us here this year.

"Ben has joined the team and he looks fast so hopefully we can put on a good show.”

Dunlop says his experience as a TT rider should be the perfect preparation for competing in endurance racing and feels it is a discipline of the sport he should ‘excel at’.

“Something like this would be great and it would be a good window for me, especially for what I do,” he said.

“Somebody like me should excel at this because it’s plug along, keep going, a bit like the Isle of Man TT, you’ve got to keep going, keep pushing, keep going, keep pushing.

“A lot of people do 25 minutes and that’s the race over. In the TT I’m doing an hour and 45 minutes, maybe coming in and having two races in the day. Hopefully in this I can keep battling on and maintaining the laps.

“I suppose that’s what I’m here for and to keep upright as well. I do think I should have some pace if I can get the feeling and be as good as the rest of the lads.”

The Ulster rider hasn’t ruled out the prospect of competing in further endurance events, with Suzuka in Japan a race he would love to add to his CV.

“I’d love to and obviously a massive goal would be to go and do Suzuka but it’s never that easy, but time will tell probably,” he said.

“I’d love to do it if it’s possible just because Suzuka is the be all and end all, isn’t it really.

“Don’t get me wrong, Le Mans will be full to the rafters come race day but there’s just something about Suzuka; especially with the Japanese manufacturers it seems to be the pinnacle of the sport.”

Dunlop will be among a star-studded line-up at the official launch of the Isle of Man TT on Wednesday.