Norton Classic TT team clarifies Superbike rider swap with Michael Dunlop

The WizNorton Racing team has clarified why it swapped Shaun Anderson for Michael Dunlop in the Formula One class and says the former “understands” the “unmissable opportunity”.

On Thursday 14 August, Classic TT organisers announced that 33-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop will ride a WizNorton-prepared 588cc Rotary machine in this year’s Formula One race for classic Superbikes.

Dunlop was already an entry for the race, but had yet to finalise machinery.

At last year’s Manx Grand Prix, which hosted the historic races now under the Classic TT umbrella for 2025, Dunlop rode a Ducati 916 but encountered numerous technical issues with it.

But Dunlop’s WizNorton deal comes just a few days after its original rider Shaun Anderson announced on his Facebook page that he had been “let down” having lost his ride with the team for the class.

After reaching out to the WizNorton team through the Classic TT press office, the outfit has clarified the situation.

“We have worked with Shaun for a number of years, both at the Classic TT/MGP and at the TT, where we have run him in the Supersport and Superstock classes,” the statement began.

“We understand Shaun’s disappointment to miss out on riding the Norton again on this occasion, but we discussed it with him as a team, and he understands that running Michael was an unmissable opportunity for the us.

“Shaun will still be riding our DKW W2000 in the Historic Junior class, and he firmly remains part of the WizNorton Racing team.”

Anderson has made a pleas on his social media channels for a classic Superbike ride for the Formula One races.

Norton is a name synonymous with the Dunlop family, with Michael’s late father Robert Dunlop taking the 588cc Rotary to podiums at the TT in the early 1990s.

The bike also won one of the TT’s most iconic races in 1992 with Steve Hislop following a battle with Carl Fogarty in the Senior. Robert Dunlop was on the podium in that contest.