By Richard Petrie BBC Sport NI

Phillip McCallen was a 14-time winner at the Ulster Grand Prix

Phillip McCallen is a man who knows what it takes to enjoy success at the Ulster Grand Prix as a 14-times winner at the event and the only man to enjoy five victories in a day, a feat he achieved in 1996.

The Portadown man says the Dundrod circuit was one he particularly enjoyed as it offered something different from the other top international road circuits.

"It is a totally different course to the North West 200 or the TT, like a proper grand prix on roads," McCallen told the BBC.

"It has fast corners, slow corners, hard braking, slow braking and blind apex corners - it's a real riders' circuit and one that all real road racers enjoy.

"At the North West it's important to have the fastest bike but you don't have to be on the quickest machine to win at the Ulster.

"There are so many corners and so many braking points that you can ride harder at the Ulster to make up for a lack of power and speed."

The 11-times TT winner praised the efforts of the Dundrod Club in resurrecting the fortunes of the annual showpiece and added that the running of the Dundrod 150 national road race on the Thursday before the main event has made the meeting "an attractive proposition for riders and spectators".

John McGuinness hasn't really hit it off as he would like at the Grand Prix but he can never be discounted Phillip McCallen

McCallen added that Dundrod is "a place you have to love in order to go fast" and predicts that Guy Martin, a four-time winner in 2006, will be the man to beat again.

"The circuits suits Guy as he is a rider who tries hard and to win at the Ulster you have to ride hard, go fast and be very exact.

"Cameron Donald is another who should go well as he has good form from the TT and is capable of really scratching on fast courses, whether it be on the roads or on the British short circuits.

"Ian Hutchinson won in the wet last year and he is also used to hard track riding every week on the circuits, which is what you really need to be doing.

"John McGuinness hasn't really hit it off as he would like at the Grand Prix but, given his performances on the Isle of Man and the fact that he has won some races at Dundrod and is the course lap record holder, he can never be discounted.

"Bruce Anstey has hardly raced since the TT but he has loads of talent and should weigh in with a victory or two again."

McCallen believes Ryan Farquhar represents the best chance of Irish success, along with William and Michael Dunlop in the smaller classes.

"Ryan has got good bikes from Millsport and Kenny Harker and you must remember that Alistair Seeley won on one of the Millsport bikes at the North West 200 and went well on the rest, so they are very competitive.

Cameron Donald has made a huge impact on the road racing scene

"When Ryan has got the right bikes and gets his head right, he can win races. He's a good wet weather rider too, which is also a bonus with the unpredictable weather at Dundrod.

"William and Michael have had a good teacher in their dad Robert but they need to keep up the consistency and move onto a slightly different level to compete with the big boys in the main classes.

"Adrian Archibald is another who enjoys racing at Dundrod, and should do well, but I suspect his days of winning are over."

The former Macau Grand Prix winner says it is good to see "new blood in the form of Conor Cummins, Gary Johnson and Keith Amor making an impression".

"We need new riders of that calibre to come through if road racing is to survive and have a bright future.

"At the opposite end of the scale, you have Ian Lougher, who has been around for ages, but is still a really good road racer and can't be counted out.

"Some of the younger riders should just have the edge over him but it's exciting that you have at least six guys capable of winning each race.

"If the weather is good, it should be a great day's racing, and I hope it is a safe and enjoyable one."

Roads close for Ulster Grand Prix practising at 1330 BST on Wednesday 13 August, and on 1000 BST on Thursday for practice and the Dundrod 150 races. Road closing time for the Ulster Grand Prix itself on Saturday 16 August is 0930 BST.

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