2025 Tandragee 100: Dunlop Attains Golden Feature Race Encounter

Last run in 2019, the Tandragee 100 feature race is one of those race wins, that every road racer would like adorned within their racing CV.

A touch behind schedule, the six-lap Around A Pound Feature Race, got underway at close to 6:00 PM.

Record breaking, history breaking racing ensued as Michael Dunlop and Michael Sweeney swapped on multiple occasions the lap-record feat.

Covered by 0.332 of a second as lap four dawned, Dunlop, Sweeney had already between them broken the outright lap-record on four occasions.

Determinedly keeping hold of race leadership reigns, Dunlop upped the gap to Sweeney to over 1.3 seconds before the fifth, penultimate lap of the race.

Lap five saw ‘MD’ unlock another level, setting the first ever sub 2 minutes 53 seconds lap-time at Tandragee, (new record lap-time 2.52.403).

Nigh on five seconds to the good out front as lap six dawned, ‘Maverick’ would go onto collect in assured trademark fashion, his first T100 feature race glory in twelve years and his 126th Irish Road Race win in total.

Sweeney ending an excellent day’s racing in second, finished 8.059 adrift.

Third behind Dunlop, Sweeney after close fought, intense last lap duelling with Conor Cummins was Banbridge’s Shaun Anderson, who on route to P3 set a PB T100 lap-time of 2 minutes 55.711 seconds.

Following BE/RK Racing’s Cummins home in fifth place was fellow Manx rider Marcus ‘Spartacus’ Simpson.

Kevin Keyes, continuing to finely tune his roads scene craft, placed sixth with Ryan Whitehall, Barry Furber, Michael Gahan, Richard McLoughlin respectively seventh to tenth.

Stephen Tobin banked eleventh, Dermot Cleary was twelfth, the great Paul Cranston picked up thirteenth, Senior Manx Grand Prix winner Dan Ingham took fourteenth with Owen Monaghan the final race finisher in fifteenth.

Photo credit: Tommy Vennard