Ulster Grand Prix winner Dan Cooper to make debut at Cookstown 100

Dan Cooper won the British 125cc championship in 2006

Dan Cooper, a Supertwins winner at last year's Ulster Grand Prix, will make his debut at the Cookstown 100 this month.

Cooper, 30, from Stroud, will compete in the Supersport and Supertwins classes over the 2.1-mile Orritor circuit, as well as the feature event.

The ex-British 125cc champion will be joined at the meeting by Guy Martin and 2016 double Superbike winner Derek Sheils on a Cookstown BE Racing Suzuki.

All classes for the races on 28 and 29 April boast full grids.

Cooper qualified on pole positions for the two Supertwins outings at the North West 200 last May but crashed out in Thursday night's race after being unable to avoid fellow faller Ryan Farquhar as the pair diced for the lead at Dhu Varren.

He will ride a 600cc Honda and an ER6 Kawasaki at the second Irish national road race of the season.

Martin will be on board the new Honda Fireblade SP2 Superstock machine in the Open and feature races at Cookstown, while there remains a possibility that Michael Dunlop will make his roads bow on the Bennetts Suzuki.

Other notable entries for the race include Mullingar's Derek McGee, McAdoo Racing recruit James Cowton, Michael Sweeney, Paul Jordan, Adam McLean and newcomer Alistair Kirk.

Roads close for practice on Friday 28 April from 12:00 BST and from 10:00 BST on Saturday for racing.

A week earlier, Honda Racing pilot Martin will also be part of the line-up at the Tandragee 100 on 21-22 April.

Also on the grid for the local road racing season curtain-raiser will be William Dunlop on his Supersport Yamaha, Sheils, McGee, Sweeney, Alan Bonner, Seamus Elliott, Shaun Anderson, Gary Dunlop, Davy Morgan, Jordan and McLean.

Meanwhile, 23-times Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness is recovering after suffering a dislocated thumb in a testing crash at Castle Combe.