HARRISON TO LEAVE DAO RACING AT END OF 2023 SEASON

DAO Racing have announced that 3-time TT winner and 2019 Senior TT champion, Dean Harrison, will leave the team at the end of the 2023 season, ending a 7-year partnership.

Since joining the team in 2016 – known then as Silicone Engineering Racing – the combination has been a near-permanent fixture on the TT rostrum, taking 21 podiums from 28 starts and 26 finishes. Harrison brought the team their first TT race victory in the second Supersport Race of 2018, which was then followed by victory in the blue-riband race twelve months later.

During his tenure with the team, Harrison has been a part of an elite group of racers to push the TT to new heights, and whilst Peter Hickman has had the edge over the competition on a number of occasions, it’s often been Harrison and the DAO Racing outfit that have pushed Hickman to record-breaking speeds.

In an official statement, DAO Racing Team Manager Jonny Bagnall said: “Dean’s contract was due to end at the end of 2023 as part of his two-year contract. During negotiations, we haven’t been able to agree on a suitable deal. Therefore we came to this mutual decision on both parties.”

“It has been a fantastic 8 seasons with Dean, we’ve grown together, won together and now it has obviously come to the time for us to go our different ways. We wish him all the best for the future.”

2019 Senior TT glory is an undoubted highlight for the highly successful partnership

Dean added: “Genuinely this is a sad choice to make, that didn’t come easy. You get close to your team, care about everyone and don’t want to upset anyone. I don’t call racing a career, I see it as a journey. You go from place to place, you have your ups and your downs, and I’m almost 35 now.”

“DAO Racing is one of the best teams in the paddock and in some ways I’d be silly to leave it. I’ve been on the Kawasaki for 8 seasons now and what Clarissa and Sommai have done for me I’m so grateful for and the opportunities I’ve had.”