Bike Road Racing Series round 1: Cookstown, Part 1

Round one of the 2013 Bike Road Racing Series took place last month, in May.  It's time for the official start of the 2013 Bike Road Racing season in Northern Ireland.  This Cookstown 100 is the oldest motorcycle race in Ireland.  William and Michael Dunlop, the brothers, are the guys to beat this time around.  Michael Dunlop has factory supported bikes for all the classes he runs in.  Guy Martin is also back, trying to steal the Dunlop brothers' thunder.

Cookstown is a clockwise track, just over two miles long.  Gorton corner is the first one, with ripples on the pavement.  Keep it tight on turn in.  Watch for wheelspin, coming to McAdoo.  Then, go up the hill.  There's a bump that loosens the rear wheel, into McAney.  Then, go towards The Farm.  Move to the right.  Watch out for moving all over the road.  Brake again, to a right/left flick, and cross the finish line.  It's time first, for the big 1000cc monsters.  The Superbikes are going to race.  It's the Superstock race, with a couple big Superbikes (Guy Martin, and Michael Dunlop), tossed in to make things interesting.

The weather is great.  Ryan Farquhar and Adrian Archibald are not racing this year.  They've chosen to either retire from the sport, or take a hiatus.  But, the new faces to watch, are familiar names from last season in 2012, like Dean Harrison and Derek Sheils.  We're ready to get Bike Road Racing 2013 underway, folks.  Here we go!

At the start, Guy Martin gets swamped.  Derek Sheils on the #82 Kawasaki got the hole shot.  Michael Dunlop runs second.  Dunlop is wasting no time, passing Derek Sheils almost immediately.  See ya later, dude!  Martin and Dunlop are both going for it into Gorton corner for the first time.  Shields outbrakes Dunlop into the corner.  This is going to be a hot and heavy contest at the sharp end.  Shields is P1 at the moment.  Now, more fun, as the second wave of bikes takes off.

Brian McCormack and Dean Harrison are ones to watch in this second wave.  These guys have already had a race (a non championship warmup event at Scarborough race course).  Guy Martin gets around Davey Morgan.  Shields still has the lead.  Dean Harrison immediately dispenses with Brian McCormack.  The bikes fly over the jumps on the hilly part of the circuit.  They make their way through Craig Mound corner.  William Dunlop is behind.  He's nowhere to be found in the lead scrap.  Guy Martin makes the jump, lands, but has a huge wiggle!  Thankfully, he stays on the motorcycle!

Two laps done and dusted.  Dunlop still leads.  This is Derek Shields' first race at Cookstown in three years.  Guy Martin wants by him.  Harrison runs well.  Sheils is actually running one of Adrian Archibald's old bikes... a Kawasaki.  Dean Harrison is still fifth, three seconds behind Dunlop.  Martin can't get by Shields into McAdoo.  More bikes are in the hunt.  Michael Pearson, Alan Bullard, Steven Thompson, and Brock Barber.  Martin is now second, reeling in Michael Dunlop... or trying to.  Dunlop has a big advantage.  Martin makes the jump stick this time, and tries to get by Shields.

Michael Pearson is the other rider up at the sharp end here.  No yellow flags so far in this race.  Michael Sweeney grabs a bunch of front brake into the corner.  Dunlop is on cruise control at the front.  He leads Guy Martin by two seconds.  Shields and Pearson battle for third place.  Michael Dunlop is about to get his 68th career Irish Bike Road Racing win.  One lap to go, folks.  Dean Harrison's placing matches his bike number.  He's fifth.  Dunlop has 2.5 seconds on Martin now.  Jamie Hamilton will finish in the top six.  Haven't called his name yet today.

This will be another win for the Dunlop family.  These guys are professionals and know how to win these road circuit motorcycle races.  Michael Dunlop wins.

#3 Michael Dunlop     Honda

Here's the top five.

1. #3 Michael Dunlop     Honda
2. #7 Guy Martin           Suzuki
3. #82 Derek Sheils       Honda
4. #36 Michael Pearson BMW
5. #5 Dean Harrison      Kawasaki

The next race of the day sees a combination of 125cc bikes with a Moto 3 bike.  Now, there's just one Moto 3 spec cycle in this contest.  This is the 125/Moto 3 Cookstown Town Center Forum race.  At the start, William Dunlop gets the jump on his #6 James Delaney Honda.  He's going for it, down towards Gorton, as the second wave is ready to roll.  Jack Sands on bike #14 and Maria Costello (#84), lead this charge.  Sam Dunlop on bike #33 is also going to be in there.  Sam Dunlop is William's cousin.  Another Sam, (Sam WIlson), is now behind Michael Dunlop.

Paul Robinson (another Dunlop cousin), is also in the hunt.  It's a family affair here at Cookstown in a way.  William Dunlop leads, and has held the 125cc lap record for three years at 1:34.75.  Out of Mackney, the bikes are single file.  Sam Wilson runs wide out of Craig Mound corner.  This puts space between Wilson and Dunlop.  Dunlop completes lap one at 1:44.1.  Dunlop has the speed advantage so far in the 125cc contest.  Paul Robinson seems to be reeling in Sam Wilson ever so slightly.  Bruce Moulds and Nigel Moore are battling for fourth spot.

William Dunlop is booking it.  He has no immediate threats for the race lead at the moment.  Over Black's Jump, he carries on, pushing his bike to the limit.  Wilson is falling behind.  He sets fast time at 1:36.69.  He leads by 3.5 seconds.  Paul Robison is falling back, too.  He's about a second behind Wilson's bike.  Wilson and Robison continue their battle.  Nigel Moore is now fourth.  Dunlop approaches Craig Mount and stalls the motor at the crossroads.  Dunlop is in trouble.  It's game over.  Sam Wilson shoots into the lead.  Robinson and Wilson are side by side.  Bikes #56 and #18 respectively.  Wilson wants by, but can't get there.

Robinson extends his lead.  Two laps to go in this race.  Robinson, Wilson, and Moore, run 1-2-3.  Moles is fourth.  Sam Dunlop is fifth.  Warren Reid runs sixth.  Seventh belongs to Maria Costello on her Moto 3 spec bike.  Paul Robinson is into the last corner and will win the 125cc/Moto 3 race.  Nigel Moore retires his bike, promoting Bruce Moulds to third.  Here are the results.

#18 Paul Robinson     Aprilia

1. #18 Paul Robinson     Aprilia
2. #56 Sam Wilson        Honda
3. #9 Bruce Moulds      Honda
4. #84 Maria Costello   Honda
5. #33 Sam Dunlop       Honda

A couple final notes on this race.  William Dunlop had mechanical issues in the 250cc Grand Prix event.  Trevor Reid also crashed at Braeside corner, bringing out a red flag.  This next race is combining the 250cc GP and Moto 450cc classes.  This will be a combined race.  William Dunlop and Davy Morgan start first and second. 

At the start, Sam Wilson gets the jump almost immediately.  The 450cc bikes start in a second wave.  Dave Walsh cannot get his bike started.  Dunlop passes Morgan into Gorton corner.  Anthony McCulligan leads the Moto 450 field.  The bikes stream into McAdoo for the first time.  William Dunlop is chasing down Sam Wilson.  Darren Gilpin leads Moto 450 on bike #38.  Seamus Elliott is in second, having switched from a 250cc bike to a 450cc one over the off season.  Davey Morgan is charging through this field.  In fourth, it's Tommy Henry on bike #74.  Davey Morgan is looking for a way by William Dunlop.  Can he do it?

Davey Morgan does make the pass.  Kevin Straga is back there somewhere, too.  Sam Wilson gets passed and gos from first to third.  Tommy Morgan, John Ella and Kevin Stragga follow.  Seamus Elliott and Darren Gilpin are 1-2 in Moto 450.  Sam Wilson passes Davy Morgan into Mackney.  Morgan attacks Wilson on the uphill and over Black's Jump.  William Dunlop sweeps into Craig Mount.  Into the crossroads, it's the last lap.  Dunlop is going to win.  But Sam Wilson and Davey Morgan will fight it out to the finish.  Wilson passes Morgan into Mackney.

Seamus Elliott still leads the 450cc bikes, which lap about eight seconds slower than the 250cc machines do.  Dunlop looks to be headed for the win, as Morgan needs to be closer to Wilson to take over second place.  Davy Morgan is going to go for it around Sam Wilson.  William Dunlop will win this race.  Dunlop, Wilson, and Morgan, are the top three. 

#6 William Dunlop     Honda

Who takes the 450s?  Seamus Elliott takes it.  Here's your top five.

1. #6 William Dunlop     Honda
2. #56 Sam Wilson        Honda
3. #71 Davy Morgan     Honda
4. #173 John Ella          Honda
5. #74 Tommy Henry    Honda

Here are the Moto 450 results.

1. #97 Seamus Elliott          Yamaha
2. #8 Anthony McColgan    KTM
3. #38 Darren Gilpin           Honda
4. #28 Stephen Davison      Yamaha
5. #171 Dave Walsh           KTM

600 Supersport is on deck, and again, we will not see Adrian Archibald or Ryan Farquhar in any of the races this year it doesn't seem like.  This race will be eight laps.  We are ready for a start.  It's Michael Dunlop and Derek Sheils first and second.  At the start, Guy Martin gets a huge jump from the second row, rocketing off the starting blocks!  Dean Harrison is right at the back of group one as the second wave of bikes takes off.

Jamie Hamilton, Davey Morgan, and Rob Wilson are the top three riders in the second wave.  Guy Martin and Michael Sweeney are the first two bikes.  Martin, Sweeney, Pearson, Dunlop, and Sheils, are your top five.  Michael Dunlop holds the lap record for the 600s at 1:24 and change, which is slightly slower than the Superbikes.  Dean Harrison rides in sixth.  But, it will be a battle for fourth and fifth between Dunlop and Martin, more than likely.  Martin increases his lead out of Craig Mount.  Michael Sweeney runs wide at the crossroads.

Shiels misses his braking point, losing ground.  Michael Dunlop is on the grass, sweeping by Michael Pearson!  Whoa!  How close do you like it?  Martin chases after Dunlop.  The gap between Martin and Dunlop, is closing, and quickly.  Dunlop is going for it.  The fans know what he's up to.  Dean Harrison is going to pass Derek Sheils!  He also blows past Sweeney!  This is going to be quite the finish!  Harrison passes Sheils and Sweeney!  Dunlop is closing.  He's 7/10ths behind Martin.  They cross the line side by side!  Harrison wants to pass Sheils into Gorton.  Sheils is close.  Harrison gains a spot as Dunlop is catching Martin on the last lap of the race.

Guy Martin beats Dunlop by a whisker!  Harrison is third. 

#77 Guy Martin     Suzuki

Here are the results.

1. #77 Guy Martin             Suzuki
2. #6 Michael Dunlop        Honda
3. #5 Dean Harrison          Yamaha
4. #82 Derek Sheils           Honda
5. #36 Michael Pearson     Suzuki

The final race of the day will be the Supersport B race presented by Braeside Bar & Restaurant.  These guys didn't make the cut for the first 600cc Supersport race.  It's like the B Main in sprint car racing.  Robbie Lyall and Andy Lawson are 1-2.  The bikes fly up to Gorton.  Lyle is going to take the lead.  The second wave is away.  Lawson leads over Lyle, Dave Hewson, Phil Archer, and Scott Campbell.  Andy Lawson leads.  Lawson leads Lyall by a second at the end of lap one.  Scott Campbell is on bike #55 in fourth.  Mark Goodings is fourth, with Dave Hewson, fifth.

Hewson passes Lyall coming to Black's Jump.  Lawson leads by 2.3 seconds over a hammer and tongs battle between Hewson, Campbell, and Lyall.  Scott Campbell makes a pass on the extreme outside line as the bikes go three wide.  Hewson and Campbell keep going at it.  Gary Miller runs ninth.  Hewson and Campbell participate in a halfway long jump competition, and Campbell has the edge in that department.  Daley Mathison and Mark Goodings fight for fifth overall.  It's the last lap, and Lawson still leads it.  Hewson and Campbell battle through Gorton for the final time.

Mark Goodings and Gary Graves are both pushing hard wanting to break the top five.  Campbell and Hewson still are in a fight for position as the flag approaches.  Lawson wins this one, folks.  Matthison wants to take fourth from Robbie Lyall on corrected time. 

#10 Andy Lawson     Kawasaki

The results:

1. #10 Andy Lawson     Kawasaki
2. #55 Scott Campbell   Yamaha
3. #19 Dave Hewson     Yamaha
4. #104 Daley Mathison Suzuki
5. #43 Robbie Lyall        Kawasaki

That's it for now.  This is part one in a two part synopsis of the race.  Will have day two action later.  Stay tuned for part two, in the not too distant future.