Hot on the heels of Michael Dunlop’s unexpected departure from BMW Motorrad, there was more sensational news on Wednesday night concerning Manxman Dan Kneen and Bradford racer Dean Harrison.

Braddan prospect Kneen, who dominated the Irish national roads scene this year on John Burrows’ B.E. Racing Suzuki to scoop the Superbike crown at his first attempt, has seemingly turned down the chance to re-join the Dungannon team boss in 2015.

Instead, Kneen seems destined to head up a full-scale return to the roads by Ballymoney outfit Millsport Racing on Suzuki machinery, leaving Burrows on the lookout for an alternative rider.

The 27-year-old Isle of Man rider enjoyed the best season of his career this year, excelling at the national road races and clinching his first win on the big stage after a thrilling Superstock race at the Metzeler Ulster Grand Prix with English star Harrison.

Kneen and Harrison were injured in a crash in the Supersport race at Dundrod, ruling the pair out of the Classic TT and November’s Macau Grand Prix, although both are well on the road to recovery.

Harrison, meanwhile, is now set to complete his move to Northern Ireland’s Mar-Train Racing team following an ‘amicable’ split from RC Express Racing.

The 25-year-old, who won his maiden Isle of Man TT race this year with victory in the Lightweight event, has been strongly linked with Tim Martin’s Temple-based outfit, which will be Yamaha UK’s official roads team in 2015 and 2016.

Mar-Train has withdrawn from the British Supersport Championship to concentrate its efforts on the roads and Harrison is the perfect candidate to spearhead the team and put Yamaha’s all-new YZF-R1 Superbike on the map next year.



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