Solo ace to team up with Dan Sayle for Scarborough meeting
AFTER months of speculation, Michael Dunlop and Dan Sayle are to make their official sidecar debut together in this weekend’s Steve Henshaw International Gold Cup meeting at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough.
The pair tried out Nick Crowe’s LCR Honda at Jurby last winter when Dunlop proved extremely impressive as a three-wheel rookie, but initial suggestions that he would race the 2012 TT on three wheels as well as two were later dismissed.
Sayle did, however, make a late decision to partner Tim Reeves in the event, finishing runners-up to Dave Molyneux and Patrick Farrance in race one.
They also contested the Southern 100 together, winning the non-championship race in what was Reeves’s Billown Course debut.
Michael Dunlop had already entered the solo classes for this weekend’s Scarborough Gold Cup meeting, but yesterday revealed that he would also be contesting the three-wheel class. Manxman Sayle’s name was added later as passenger.
The announcement has not pleased newly crowned Sidecar F1 World Champion Reeves who has broken his ties with the Nick Crowe Racing F2 Sidecar team with immediate effect.
Speaking on Thursday evening, Reeves said: ‘Recent events have left me very disappointed and having enjoyed a number of successful outings with NCR in 2012, I was very much looking forward to continuing with them next year and challenging for honours at the TT.
‘However, that will not now be the case and, instead, I will pursue this goal with a new team and passenger and with the continued support of all my loyal sponsors.’
Reeves had been hoping to contest the Scarborough meeting with Nick Crowe’s team himself, but said he only found out the news that Michael Dunlop would be driving the outfit via a social media website.