Michael Dunlop is preparing for the 79th running of the Daytona 200 in Florida next weekend.

The 19-time Isle of Man TT winner has made the trip to the US for America’s most famous motorcycle race, where he will ride his Carl Cox Motorsport-backed Yamaha R6 on Saturday, March 13.

Held over the famous Daytona International Speedway’s famous 3.51-mile course, the 57-lap race for 600cc machines covers 200 miles.

The line-up includes four-time champion Danny Eslick, who is bidding to become the third five-race winner in the history of the event, while Kyle Wyman will be out to repeat his 2019 as the race makes a welcome return after it was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ballymoney rider Dunlop will have limited opportunities to race on the roads this season, with the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and most Irish road races cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

His home event at Armoy remains an option for now, with the popular Irish national meeting at the end of July currently still set to go ahead, while the Cookstown 100 in September is another possibility, although Dunlop opted not to compete at the event last year, which was the only Irish road race to go ahead in 2020.