Here are the highlights from the May 22nd running of the Cookstown, Ireland Bike Road Race.
Rider Ryan Farqhar has won this event in Ireland five times.
At the start, Farqhar gets a huge jump with the other riders trying to keep up. Need to learn the names of everyone in this series. Unfortunately, I don't see a website for it. So, bear with me on updating these races. John Burroughs and Davey Morgan are two of the other riders trying to keep up with Farqhar and his Kawasaki. Ryan Donnell on bike #86 is also very fast as he's lapping quicker than the leading two bikes are. Bike #13 of Damien Archibald is also in this mix.
Guy Martin on bike #7 tries to pass Donnell. He does so successfully. There's a lot of action right off the bat in this race. Cameron Donnell from Australia was looking to take second place, but has dropped back. It's a four way lead battle through the back roads of the Irish countryside. Ryan Farqhar retakes the top spot. There are two Dunlop brothers in this series. Now, it's the last part of this 100 mile event. Not sure if these guys do it by mileage or by laps. But Ryan Farqhar has the advantage. Guy Martin wants to pass Dunlop's Kawasaki. Farqhar wins it!
#77 Ryan Farqhar Kawasaki
There are a bunch of great riders in this series. Here are some of the names to watch for.
#3 Michael Dunlop Hunts/McAdoo Racing Kawasaki
#18 Guy Martin Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing Suzuki
This is a clockwise, two mile track, more or less, actually. Now, there's more racing, too. The first ones up are the 125cc bikes, a class that is unfortunately, losing steam in popularity and may go extinct before long.
Paul Robinson on bike #18 is the polesitter. William Dunlop is next to him on the front row, also quick. At the start, Dunlop fires into the lead, ahead of a field of seven bikes. It's one Aprilia vs. half a dozen Honda's. Robinson just got swamped. The bikes file into Gorton corner. Actually, there are more bikes. Another wave of seven comes to the grid and gets a start signal. A third wave of bikes also goes off on their way. Now, Peter McGillam and Jack Sands are two riders battling in this third wave of bikes. Out of Gorton, the bikes head for McAdoo corner.
This part of the road has been repaved. William Dunlop is ahead as Barry Davison gets passed. Davison gets passed and the next wave of bikes follows through over the peaks and valleys on this part of the road. There's a jump for the bikes to negotiate. In this wave, it's Paul Jordan, Adrian Coleman, Paul Henneson, and others. One lap is complete as battle ensue further down the order. Sarah Boyles is running well. She is one of three female racers entered along with Yvonne Montgomery and Maria Costello. For second place, it's a battle between Sam Wilson and Nigel Moore.
Riding these 125cc bikes is all about technique because the motors are so small, and you can hear it in how they manipulate the throttle, even though these bikes sound like weed trimmers with motors that have a raspy buzz to them. Riders of these bikes can't be too hard on the clutch. Adrian Coleman makes his way through Brayside corner. Nigel Moore wanted to pass Wilson, but, he had no chance into the corner. Riders in the back of the pack are almost literally shoulder to shoulder.
Dunlop seems to have checked out over everyone else in this race. These bikes don't have mirrors, so, riders are tempted to look back to see their competition. But, if you can hear someone coming, don't turn around. Run your race. Wilson continues holding the spot. There are little groups of riders all over the track in their own scraps. Second and third are closing on Dunlop. The deal with riding a motorcycle is that a rider must also make their body exteremely aerodynamic, tucking in their arms, and crouching as close to the fuel tank as possible.
Nigel Moore tries passing Sam Wilson again, but he still can't do it. There are yellow flags, so bikes can't overtake. The air fence is moved out onto the road further than it should be. So, riders need to be cautious. Craig Gibson and Wayne Kennedy are leading another wave of bikes that have not separated whatsoever and are sticking right together. Gary Jordan and Tor Henderson also run well in the most recent group to have started their race. Wilson almost crashes! He was looking for a way around Nigel Moore and wouldn't have been afraid to use a street lamp as a pick! Yikes!
The race is over, though. William Dunlop wins it.
#6 William Dunlop GBR Aprilia
Sam Dunlop (William's cousin), is still in a battle with other riders.
The 250cc class is on deck for their race. Unfortunately, this class MAY be going the way of the dinosaurs as there is a smaller field than expected.
William Dunlop is again in this race, and he's having issues with his bike even before setting off with a carburetor jetting dilemma. It will be William Dunlop and Davey Morgan battling off the line at the start. Seamus Elliott is third and he gets the jump at the start. Elliott streams into a lead on bike #97. Davey Morgan and Peter Wakefield seem to be moving up the order rapidly. Elliott leads Morgan and the others into Mackney corner for the first time. Dunlop passes Morgan for second. Dunlop is now going after Elliott into Craig Mound corner, but it's not going to work.
Bike #19 of Kevin Stroger is fourth. The #6 bike of Dunlop takes over the lead from Seamus Elliott. Davey Morgan also makes his way by. Elliott is not giving up, though. He wants to pass Morgan back. There's still five laps (ten miles) left in the race. Morgan is really pushing Dunlop, trying to force him into a mistake. Paul Hedison is now sixth. Stroger gains on Elliott out of McAdoo. One lap left, and this race is all but sewn up for Dunlop. There's another battle further down the order between #38 Darren Gilpin and #73 Mark Shields running the one and only Aprilia in the 250cc class.
These guys are heading from Craig Mound down to Orata crossroads. The 250cc Aprilia is a gorgeous bike and it was very popular in the old FIM Grand Prix formula. The problem is, those bikes are no longer made. So, it's hard to find parts for them. Dunlop and Morgan look to be fighting it to the finish. Paul Hedeson and Peter Wakefield scrap over third place. This tussle is for fifth spot. William Dunlop pops a wheelie for some reason. Hmmm. Dunlop wins!
#6 William Dunlop Honda
Now, it's back to another race for the 600cc bikes.
Ryan Farquhar gets the jump on this field, with William Dunlop in close pursuit. Michael Dunlop looks to have passed Guy Martin already. In the second wave, leading, it's Brian McCormack and Steve Mercer and Michael Sweeney leading the way. Farquhar tries passing Dunlop into the corner, but can't do it. Martin passes Michael Dunlop. Ryan Farquhar also gets passed as yellow flags wave. John Burrows on the #16 Suzuki is last in the first pack. OK, fans. We're at the best part of the circuit now. Over the jumps, the bikes literally get airborne!
That's what fans come to watch in this type of racing. Back at Mackney, there's a whole other group of bikes just now getting on the road. McCormack and Mercer lead, followed by Jamie Hamilton, Davey Morgan, Derek McGee, and Michael Sweeney. Dunlop leads Martin and Farquhar. The bikes are on lap two. Adrian Archibald is also in this scrap, someplace. Martin and Dunlop are going for the lead, both of them. Guy Martin on the Suzuki successfully makes the pass. Farquhar is third with Michael Dunlop, fourth.
There's trouble with the air fence at Gorton's corner again, so, yellow flags are prevalent on course. Dunlop continues to fend off Farquhar. Lap two is now in the books. Martin, Dunlop and Farquhar are 1, 2, 3, into Gorton corner again. Yellow flags mean no overtaking in certain places, so riders need to mind them every lap. Archibald and Burrows continue holding down fifth and sixth places. Dunlop is being hounded now by his brother Michael. Actually, it's Guy Martin still leading. Two laps remain in this race.
Michael Dunlop cannot pass his brother. But, Adrian Archibald is also right in this fight. He's not giving up either. Mike Dunlop passes William Dunlop another time, as yellow flags appear again. Now, William Dunlop was overtaken by his brother, and by Guy Martin, under yellow flags. What is the legality of such a move? Farquhar runs second, pulling away from the Dunlop brothers. Dunlop wants by Faruqhar again. He's geting close in the braking zone. Let's see.
It's Adrian Archibald though, who is applying the blowtorch to William Dunlop for fourth. Guy Martin goes through McAdoo corner for the final time. These fights for position will soon be over with a mile or so left in the race. Guy Martin wins the race. But, the stewards will decide if the victory is official or not. William Dunlop gets fourth ahead of Adrian Archibald in fifth.
#18 Guy Martin Suzuki
One race remains for this meeting. It's the Hayes Fuels combined Super 400 and Moto 450 event which is a five lap race.
Andy Farrell leads into the first corner on the start of this race. Vic Allen is second with Ryan Farquhar third. The way to tell these bikes apart is blue number plates for the 400s and black ones for the 450s. The 450s are another class in British motorcycle road racing that are being phased out of competition. Ryan Farquhar tried passing for the lead and couldn't. The 450cc and 125cc bikes used to run together in a combined race. But they no longer are able to per the regs of the series.
Andy Farrell chases Ryan Farquhar. This is the main battle of the race. Rider Paul McGuire is also leading a separate group. Gavin Lookton, Roy Scott and others are battling as Andy Farrell leads the pack into Gorton corner. Andy Farrell and Ryan Farquhar still lead. #117 of Alistair Bailey is also in the top of the order. There's another three bike trio right behind these guys. Farrell wanted by at McAdoo and couldn't quite get there. He didn't accelerate out of the turn quickly enough. Two #38 bikes are in this race. That's for two different classes including the 450cc and 400cc bikes as mentioned earlier. Darren Gilpin and Derek Wilkey are the respective riders.
Now, this race will be red flagged. Local rider Alex Black dumps his bike heavily on the road. This will be an entirely new, albeit shortened race. It will be just three laps. Ryan Farquhar gets the jump over everybody else. Riders are definitely banging shoulders and getting on with it here. The second wave is ready to go, too. One of the bikes that was #38 earlier has now been changed to bike #3 to prevent confusion on the part of the stewards and the fans. It's Farrell and Farquhar battling. Bailey is third into Mackney corner with #8 Paddy McGolgin on the 450cc bike running well. He is riding a KTM.
It's going to be Farrell and Farquhar battling for the race win here. Farquhar is riding (what is for all intents and purposes) a Motocross bike. It just has aerodynamic parts like a street bike. Gavin Lockton almost got stuffed into the curve. Farquhar does well on these 450cc bikes because they have power, but they're easier to handle than a 600 Super Sport machine. Farquhar was being held up by Farrell but now has a lead. It's interesting to juxtapose the two classes. 400s are harder to find parts for but 450s are cheaper and more plentiful, too.
Ryan Farquhar wins the 450cc race.
#77 Ryan Farquhar Kawasaki
With second place secure, Andy Farrell also wins the 400cc class.
The next race blogged here (within a week or so depending on what material also comes up from other series), will be the North West 200 from Northern Ireland. Stay tuned.
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