One of the most famous bikes ever to race at Dundrod, certainly in my era, is Joey’s RC45 from 1999, when he fought off David Jefferies for what turned out to be his final win at Dundrod.
I am pleased to say that this legendary machine will be on display in the UGP Paddock on Friday 7th August from noon until 8pm and you can have your photo taken with it simply by making a small donation to our charity Clic Sargent. It will also be doing a special lap on the Saturday with William Dunlop on board.
Two of our other VIP guests on race day will be Richard (Dick) Creith, who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his last UGP win in 1965, and Jonathan Rea, our homegrown World Superbike star. Hopefully by the 8th August he will be confirmed as World Superbike champion and I’m sure both guests will get a rousing Dundrod welcome.
We’ll also have Horst Saiger making his debut at Dundrod with Ian Lougher’s team. I’ve been trying to get Horst to Dundrod for a few years now and I’m confident he will love the place. He’s just one of the names on our packed entry list, with 170 competitors representing 17 countries.
The final shakedown on the roads before the Prix is next weekend at the Armoy Road races and once again they have a top class entry. I hope it is a safe weekend for the competitors and officials, and the sun shines for them.
Finally make sure you get involved with Ulster Grand Prix supporters club, a band of dedicated fans who have a huge impact on the UGP. They raise over 20k per year for the UGP and you can find out more at www.ugpsc.com