Hi everyone

I’ve been busy busy this last month and have been out on the bike every weekend.  From British Championship round at Snetterton, to testing at Croft, to World Superbike round at Silverstone and last weekend back at Brands Hatch GP for he British Championship.

It was good to get out at Croft as the days are very limited there because of noise restrictions.  We had some very useful track time and got the lap times down.

Then Silverstone, what a track. We were on the new circuit and it’s my type of track.  Fast, flowing and I seemed to be on the pace straight away as I was 5th fastest in practice.  The only problem was the grid positions where from Oulton Park’s cancelled race earlier in the year and I didn’t have the best qualifying back then and was only 17th on the grid.  But I got on with the job and clawed my way up to 7th in the space of 8 laps and done similar times to the leaders so who knows what was possible if I started up with them.

Brands Hatch was next and I really enjoyed riding there.  We qualified 3rd and the pace was much quicker than I expected dipping under the lap record in qualifying.  I was up for the race and felt more confident than I have all season but as the lights were on for the start of the race I edged forward slightly and was deemed to have jumped the start.  What a nightmare as I was running in a comfortable 2nd pulling away from 3rd place and I broke the lap record with the chance of winning the race.  So after my ride through penalty I was dead last in 38th and got back up to 18th even with the race being stopped early. 

We’ll push on and hopefully carry the momentum to the next race.  Hopefully a podium is just round the corner

Thanks everyone, C ya’s soon

Nikki Coates #65

Ryan Farquhar’s excellent form at the Irish National road races continued on Sunday when he took four wins at the Munster 100 Dunmanway road races in Cork, Southern Ireland. The KMR Kawasaki rider won the Open race and Grand Final on his 1000cc machine, the 450cc/125cc race on the 450cc Kawasaki and also the Super Twins race on his ER6 650cc machine.   The re-introduced races, held on a 1.8-mile circuit, were a popular addition to the 2010 calendar after a long absence although the weather on Saturday did its best to spoil things and constant rain meant that practice was untimed and grid positions determined by Championship positions. Thankfully, race day was a lot better and Ryan kicked off his day with victory in the Open race although it was a close run thing with Michael Dunlop pushing him all the way, the gap between the two just 0.7s at the chequered flag. Dunlop then turned the tables on Ryan in the Supersport 600cc race and he had to settle for second on this occasion, seven seconds adrift of his younger rival.   That proved to be Ryan’s only defeat of the day and he made it win number 2 with a comprehensive 12.5s victory over William Dunlop in the concurrently run 125cc/450cc race. Again proving his excellent versatility, Ryan was then back out on the ER6 Kawasaki for the Super Twins and he duly completed his hat-trick with another dominant performance, this time coming home ahead of similarly-mounted John Burrows by 13 seconds. That left just the Grand Final and Ryan wasn’t going to be denied his fourth win of the day and he again romped home for the victory, this time ending the race 3.6seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Michael Dunlop. He also set the fastest lap of the day, a new outright lap record, at 81.075mph.   Speaking later, a delighted Ryan said: “It’s been another really enjoyable weekend of racing and although the circuit was one of the bumpiest, tightest ones I’ve ever ridden on, the club did an absolutely fantastic job. They made everyone feel very, very welcome and they really couldn’t have done any more for us so it was great to see race day have some fine weather a real good crowd turn out. The circuit was a bit like a mini-Macau or like the go-kart track that was used in Peel on the Isle of Man and it was real hard work on the 600cc and 1000cc machines so the smaller bikes definitely suited the circuit more but I was able to take another 4 wins and had a great time. I’ll definitely look forward to coming back here in 2011.”   Ryan now has a well-earned break from racing with his next outing coming at the Killalane road races on September 11-12, the final round of the 2010 Irish Road Race Championship.   Picture by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International   Phil Wain Freelance PR

Ryan Farquhar suffered mixed fortunes at the Ulster Grand Prix Bikeweek and although he was able to take two wins and a podium, this was offset by a number of machinery problems that caused him to miss all three Superbike races as well as retire from the second Supersport 600cc race. However, the KMR Kawasaki rider did manage to chalk up a brace of victories in the two Super Twins races as well as take a hard earned podium in the Superstock race.

Thursday’s Dundrod 150 races saw Ryan’s day get off to the worst possible start when the engine broke on his Superstock machine and he had to miss both the Ulster GP practice and the Dundrod 150 Superbike race. However, he bounced back from this disappointment with a comfortable 14.9s win in the Super Twin race also setting a new lap record of 116.118mph. The good fortune didn’t last long though when he was forced to retire from the Classic race after a wire broke on the 500cc Paton whilst involved in a great dice with similarly mounted Olie Linsdell.

Saturday’s Ulster GP race day dawned dry and bright and up first was the 7-lap Superstock race, which was expected to be one of Ryan best races. Sure enough, he slotted in to third place at the end of the first lap and although he was lapping in excess of 131mph, he was unable to stay with Ian Hutchinson and Keith Amor due to an oil leak that was steadily putting more and more oil on to his footpegs. As he was forced to ease the pace, he was overhauled by Ian Lougher and Gary Johnson but, just as he had been pushed back to fifth, the red flag came out on the sixth lap due to an incident and with results taken at the end of the fifth lap, he was awarded the 3rd position.

In the opening Supersport 600cc race, Ryan was mired back in the pack on the opening lap but was up to 7th second time around and for the rest of the race he was involved in a terrific tussle with the two Relentless by TAS Suzuki’s of Bruce Anstey and Cameron Donald. After exchanging places throughout, he eventually got the better of Anstey on the fifth lap but Donald overhauled the pair of them to take over in sixth going in to the final lap. However, he retired on the final lap handing the position back to Ryan.

It was then the 6-lap Super Twin race and it was a race Ryan, quite simply, dominated. Leading from start to finish, he eventually took the chequered flag by over 40 seconds, also breaking his own two-day lap record with a new speed of 116.683mph. Forced to miss both of the Superbike races due to the aforementioned oil leak, Ryan’s final race of the day was the second Supersport 600cc but, down on speed, he pulled in at the end of the opening lap.

Speaking later, Ryan said: “It’s been an up and down meeting for me and after going really well during Wednesday’s opening practice sessions, Thursday couldn’t have been more different. When I started the big bike up, I heard a horrible rattle so had little option but to park it for the day and, aside from a comfortable victory in the Super Twins race, the whole team’s efforts were concentrated on sorting the big bike out. It put me on the back foot quite a bit as it meant I missed out on about an hour and half’s practice compared to the other riders. Nick Morgan sent over the Superstock engine I’d used at the NW200 and TT and I got a flier of a start in the Superstock race but my feet started to slip off the pegs quite early on and I simply had to ride as steady as I could. When I looked down a couple of times, I could see oil on both sides so luck was definitely on my side when the red flag came out and I was pleased to get 3rd given the circumstances. At the same time, I was a bit disappointed as I had to park the bike for the rest of the day and we’ve finished nearly every race on the big bike for the last two years so it was a shame to miss the two big bike races.”

“The Super Twin race was shaping up to be a real close race between myself and Dan Kneen but when he went out, it gave me some clear road and I was just able to enjoy the race. The ER6 is a fantastic wee bike and I was delighted to take another Ulster GP win so a big thank you to Kawasaki and everyone else that’s helped me along the way with it. As for the Supersport races, I was simply struggling for speed and we need to do a fair bit of work over the winter to get back on terms with the Hondas and Yamahas. I’m just looking forward to the end of the season now and then, hopefully, get hold of one of the all new ZX-10 machines so we can have a real good go again next year. Like I say, it’s been an up and down meeting for me but it could have been a lot worse so thanks to all the team and to the fans for cheering me on.”

Ryan now plans to head to the new Cork road race meeting, which takes place next weekend August 21-22.

Picture by Simon Patterson – Pacemaker Press International

Phil Wain Freelance PR

Kettering’s James McBride took part in the fastest road race in the world the Ulster Grand Prix and joined the ranks of the 130mph club with a personal best of 130.004mph during the final Superbike race of the day. Riding his Downview Finance Yamaha R6 and Pazzo Racing Superstock Yamaha R1, McBride pulled off some fine top ten results while pitching himself against the top British and Irish riders on one of the most challenging pure road circuits in the world. The 7.4-mile circuit can suffer from the changeable Irish weather but this year it was kind and even the Dundrod 150, which is the precursor to the Ulster Grand Prix, ran in dry conditions (Thurs 12th August). It was also the first opportunity McBride had to stretch the legs of the R1coming over the line in sixth place and fending off the attentions of British Superbike Evo rider Gary Johnson during the Topaz/Airport Road Service Station Dundrod 150 Superbike race. He was also on the tail of the Relentless Suzuki riders, plus he put in a personal best lap time of 129.33mph which was set running on treaded worn tyres whilst everyone else was on new slicks. The Ulster Grand Prix took place on Saturday 14th August and much to everyone’s surprise the event was greeted with warm weather. First up with was the Lisburn City Council Superstock race which saw McBride take seventh place. He didn’t get the best of starts but knuckled down to the race setting another personal best of 129.8mph beating both the Dunlop brothers. Unfortunately the race was red flagged due to an incident at Quarterlands just as McBride was catching TT star Guy Martin. The Strong Construction UGP Supersport race one took to the track next and with McBride starting from 13th on the grid he had his work cut out for him. He managed to pull in a tenth place finish although a run across the grass at Leathemstown didn’t help matters. He lost two places due to this incident but overall improved his pace by three secs. The feature race of the day the Stoneyford Concrete/People’s race UGP Superbike Race saw another seventh place finish for McBride. The Pazzo Racing R1 Yamaha was the first Yamaha to take the chequered flag, and the first customer Pirelli runner home on treaded tyres not slicks. Another top ten finish was on the cards in the Around – a – Pound Supersport race with McBride bringing the Downview Finance R6 home in eighth place. This was a two part event with aggregated times so knowing exactly where McBride was running overall in the second part was a task for his pit crew Shaun and Bruce. Before the race McBride thought the bike was wrongly geared but didn’t take a chance with a change until the restart. The changes made the bike right after all that track time on the R6, if this change had happened sooner the results would have been even better but McBride was thrilled to again achieve a top ten Supersport result. The final race of the day was the www.visitlisburn.com Superbike race and although McBride finished in 11th just outside the top ten he managed to hit 130.004mph, allowing him into the 130mph club. The result wasn’t an issue for McBride as he had a close call battling with William Dunlop on the last lap and just to remain on his bike and finish would suffice. McBride said: “It was a great event, I’m really glad the weather held off as it can have a big impact there. I saved my fast sport engine for coming here and it paid off. I’m over the moon with the results, you’ve got to remember I’m on a stock 2008 R1 machine and giving Superbikes a bit of a hard time! I’m finally in the 130 club too, I’m chuffed to bits. I bring up the rear as the 15 fastest rider of all time around Dundrod, I’m in the 130 club and the sixth fastest Superstocker, I’m well pleased six starts with six finishes.” James will be back in action at Pembrey on the ManTTX Electric race on Sunday 22nd August. He will also be taking part in the Hottrax Endurance series and will finish the year at the Macau GP. To watch the race action tune into BBC Northern Ireland’s Bikes! Show which will air at 10:35pm tonight, for further information click here. Click here for high resolution image for download for web use, image courtesy of A C Promotions. For press enquires contact louise@finesse-pr.co.uk.

The Ryan Farquhar success train showed no signs of slowing down at the weekend when the KMR Kawasaki rider added four more wins to his 2010 collection. The Dungannon rider was competing at the second running of the Armoy road races and with victories in the Grand Final, Open, Super Twins and 450 races, as well as runner-up spot in the Supersport 600cc race, it was another superb day’s racing for the 34-year old.

After Friday’s practice sessions were almost entirely wiped out by poor weather, Saturday didn’t get off to the greatest starts when more damp weather meant the riders had just a handful of untimed practice laps under their belt before racing got underway. Thankfully, the weather improved and the roads were completely dry when racing commenced. First up for Ryan was the 6-lap 450cc race which he comfortably won on his KX450 Kawasaki from Seamus Elliott and he followed this up with a close fought second to Keith Amor in the Supersport 600cc race, the Scotsman just coming out on top on the last lap by 0.157s. Ryan’s third race of the day was the Open race and, after grabbing the lead on the opening lap, he was able to control affairs from the front of the field and got the better of Amor on this occasion by 2.024s.

The penultimate race of the day was the Super Twins race which saw Ryan get his third win, coming home over seven seconds clear of Michal Dokoupil and that just left the ‘Race of Legends’ Grand Final where he again went head to head with Amor. The duo went at it hammer and tongs throughout with Amor opening up a lead of 4-5 bike lengths on the last lap but as the duo approached the final corner, two backmarkers had to be negotiated and whilst Amor went on the outside, Ryan dived up the inside. Keith collided with one of the backmarkers and then he and Ryan also had a coming together but in the dash to the line, Ryan got the verdict by 0.153s.

Talking later, a delighted Ryan said, “It’s been a really enjoyable day’s racing and, after the problems with the rain on Friday, it was great to get the racing all run in decent, dry conditions whilst it was also really good to battling it out with Keith once more. In the first Superbike race, I got a good start and opened up a bit of a gap so from then on I was able to ride to my boards and control the gap. The Supersport was a lot tougher and although I led from the first lap again I just couldn’t shake Keith off and he was right on my rear wheel throughout. I knew he was going to come by at some stage and he left it until the final lap, slipstreaming by me, to leave me in a close second.”

“The 450cc and Super Twins races were fairly comfortable so that just left the Grand Final where I knew it would be between my and Keith once more. He led from the off this time but on the last corner of the last lap we encountered some backmarkers and it all got a bit messy. It was no-ones fault and just one of things but I was able to get the power down first and pip him to the line to complete another good day. I’m really happy with my riding at the moment and it sets me up nicely for this week’s Ulster GP. It’s not going be easy though, especially as I won’t have the use of a Superbike unfortunately, but I’ll be giving it my all and just see where we end up on the day.”

Ryan now heads to the Dundrod circuit for the Ulster GP Bikeweek with the Dundrod 150 races taking place on Thursday 12th and the Ulster GP races taking place on Saturday 14th August.

Picture by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International

Phil Wain Freelance PR

Ulster man John Simpson raced to second place aboard his Trickbits/T3 Racing Triumph at round eight of the Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship at Brands Hatch in Kent.

He put his machine on pole position with a superb lap time of 1min 30.776secs, the only rider to get into the 1min 30s. His nearest rival was Danny Buchan who was just 0.7secs off his time so it was a close run qualifying.

Off the line Simpson slotted into fourth place and started to work his way forward. By lap four he was into podium contention taking third place just as the Safety Car was deployed due to an incident on track.

When the Safety Car pulled in Simpson got stuck back into the race promoting himself to second place. He tailed race leader Buchan for five laps before overhauling him for the lead. Unfortunately for Simpson the red flag came out due to fluid on track, the race result was taken back a lap and he was relegated to second place.

Simpson said: “Qualifying was awesome I got pole by just 0.7secs, but the race, well I’ve just been robbed, I was in the lead when the red flag came out. The Triumph felt good so thanks to Dave Harris and Tony Scott at T3 Racing, they built me a really good bike. It was very slippery out there and the tyres were not coping with the heat. I had to change my riding style to deal with it. I felt smooth and when I got the opportunity I took the lead. I’m not happy to have missed out on the win but I guess these things happen.”

Simpson will be back on track at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on the 28th-30thAugust for round nine of the Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship.

Contacts: For press enquires contact louise@finesse-pr.co.uk.  Click here for high resolution image download for web use, image courtesy of Bonnie Lane, www.canbe.co.uk.

Highs and lows for Mossey at Brands Hatch

Following his superb win at European Superstock 600 last weekend at Silverstone, Luke Mossey experienced a very tough but promising weekend at Brands Hatch, for round eight of the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship.

He started out with a very spectacular crash during free practice on Friday. The high speed get off at Stirling bend saw his JT Performance/Fuchs-Silkolene Triumph vault the barriers and land in the trees. The image of his flying machine actually made it into the national papers.

Mossey’s team worked hard to rebuild the machine, which suffered a cracked frame, and managed to get him back on track in time for qualifying. He qualified in seventh place on the second row of the grid.

Mossey said following qualifying: “I’m happy because after yesterday I wasn’t sure I’d even be racing as the bike was such a mess. Kev and the lads did a great job getting it rebuilt. I need to get a good start and go with the leaders. I’d like a rostrum but I’d settle for top five.”

Off the line he immediately slotted into eighth position and once he settled in he started to move through the field. On lap five he set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1min 29.006secs. He was chasing the leading pack on lap six when he just pushed too hard and lost the front just before Sheene corner, crashing out unhurt.

GB Racing, Premier Motorcycle Protection and personal sponsor to Luke Mossey said: “It was unfortunate but he showed what he could do. He is capable of running at the front it’s just a matter of time and experience.”

Mossey said: “I got a good start and got past Gowland and some of the guys. I could see Billy McConnell and James Westmoreland in front so I tried to gain on them. I posted the fastest lap, and that was my fastest lap all weekend, just trying to catch the leaders. I lost the front unfortunately and that was that. I like Cadwell so I’ll concentrate on that. I’d like to thank Kev, Rocky and Steve who worked really hard to fix my bike for me.”

Mossey will be back in action at round nine of the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on the 28th – 30th August.

Contacts: For press enquires contact louise@finesse-pr.co.uk.

Click here for high resolution race image, and click here for crash image download for web use, image courtesy of Tim Keeton, Impact Image Photography.

Championship leader Jimmy Dye didn’t have it all his own way at round seven of the Triumph Triple Challenge, picking up one win and a second place as Chris Northover fought hard to pull back the points gap to the title lead.

Northover started out well by taking pole position. He only put in four laps and then opted to sit the rest of the session out. He made the right decision as the time he had posted was enough and he took pole by just 0.019secs from Toby Markham.

Markham hadn’t raced on the Brands Hatch GP track since 2001 and had to spend some time getting back into it. He admitted taking a guess on his gearing and luckily it worked out perfectly.

Local rider Dye, who took pole position and three race wins last time out, had to settle for third place on the front row of the grid.

Philip Atkinson, who is in third place in the Championship just behind Northover, was a little disappointed with his qualifying session. He had hoped for a pole position but had to settle for the final spot on the front row of the grid.

The TDG Cup riders put in a solid performance with Chad Hashmi the first one home in 11th position. Duncan Knox was second in 14th overall and was cursing his decision to wear new boots during qualifying! He was struggling to feel his gear change and was dropping down two gears instead of just one.  Jamie Poole took third place with 15th on the main grid.

There was one faller during the session and that was Tommy Dale who went down at Paddock Hill bend. He red flagged the session as his bike damaged the crash barriers.

Northover said: “That was great I only did four lap and sat nervously in the pit lane. I’ve got to say thanks to the Relentless team for lending me tyre warmers while I was sitting there. The bike feels good and the session was all very un-me like, it went well. I can’t wait for the race.”

Hashmi said: “That was a good session I got into the 1min 36s and I knew when I came in during the red flag that I could go out and go faster, which I did. Well done to Chris on getting pole position. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”

The first race for the Triumph Triple Challenge on the Brands Hatch GP circuit took place on Saturday (7th August) in wet conditions which made it the first wet race for a lot of the riders. The tricky conditions caught out several riders with four in total crashing out unhurt.

Off the line it was pole sitter Northover who got straight into the lead and set about stretching his advantage as early as possible. By the mid-point of the nine lap race he was a good 4.899secs clear of the chasing Championship leader Dye.

Initially it was Toby Markham who had settled into second place but he was gradually picked off by the hard riding Dye and the determined Phil Atkinson. By lap five Dye was really on the move taking second place off Markham and set his sights on the race leader who was doing his best to check out.

Dye actually took 2.5secs off Northover in one lap to really close him down as the last lap approached. He got superb drive on the run out of Clearways and literally pipped Northover to the win by just 0.026secs. Northover was so shocked he was almost speechless.

The TDG Cup riders also had a race to remember, or in some cases a race to forget. Knox sprinted off into the lead and was running in eighth place overall when he crashed out at Clarke Curve. With the Championship leader down and out the race was left to Hashmi, Poole and Kemp. Poole seized the lead thanks to Knox’s crash but Hashmi came past on lap five only to lose the lead to Poole again. He held Hashmi off for a couple of laps but as the chequered flag approached it was Hashmi who was in front over the line. Adam Kemp followed the action throughout and took a steady third place finish.

Dye said: “After a few laps I could see I was catching him. I noticed his pit board showed he had a big gap and I thought he might back off which he did. I’m sorry for Chris but the win was up for grabs. I’m real happy with the race I just kept closing and closing, I pushed hard and got good drive out of the final turn.”

Northover said: “That sucked! I had no idea he was there. I was cruising to the line and didn’t want to do anything stupid like bin it. He just came past me – I couldn’t believe it.”

Atkinson said: “I started off taking it easy as I’ve never raced this bike in the rain so it took three to four laps to get used to it. I had enough grip and caught Toby Markham, I was closing down on the front two but there weren’t enough laps left. I now know I’m comfy on the bike in the rain.”

Hashmi said: “I won! I had a big battle on my hands as Duncan Knox had got away. I didn’t know he had crashed out, I do feel for him. It was a good race and well done to Kempy as he wanted a podium.”

Poole said: “That was good, first time I’ve raced in the wet on the Triumph. I could see Chad coming and he passed me and I got back by him but I think I showed my hand too soon as he just blocked me for the rest of the race. It was a good race we passed each other so many times I lost count.”

Kemp said: “I got a cracking start and coming into the second corner I had a big slide and that let Chad past. I ran with them and then had another slide at Clearways so I backed off. I was taking it steady as there were a few fallers but I do feel I was on same pace as front runners. I’m happy with third.”

Race two on Sunday (8th August) was a different affair for Northover who was taking no chances during the second Triumph Triple Challenge race, taking the win by 5.629secs.

After being pipped on the line during race one he decided to get his head down and push hard for the duration of the race, pulling out a massive lead and salvaging more points to keep his title hopes alive.

With Northover out in front that left the hard racing to Championship leader Jimmy Dye, Toby Markham and Phil Atkinson. Markham was running third and pushing hard to take second place from Dye. He held it over the line and through Paddock Hill bend on lap three but when he got to Druids, Dye stuck his bike under him and regained the place. Unfortunately for Markham he sat his bike up and ran into the gravel.

With Markham now out of the way Phil Atkinson picked up where he had left off and started chasing Dye’s second place. Dye was determined to stay in second place and take as many points as possible for his Championship and rode very defensively on the final laps blocking any potential moves from Atkinson. They crossed the line just 0.06secs apart.

The TDG Cup riders were swapping paint on their black Triumph Triples with Chad Hashmi jumping straight into the lead. Championship leader, Duncan Knox was having none of it and took the lead a lap later. That was short lived as Hashmi seized it back and held him off to the chequered flag. They finished in 11th and 12th places respectively in the overall race. Jamie Poole picked up another third place finish but he was a little further back from the action finishing in 15th overall.

Northover said: “That is much better, I’m glad I did it as everyone was down after yesterday so it was good to re-pay them with a win. I think I looked back more than I looked forward during that race! Cadwell is next and it tends to be a win it or bin it track for me so we’ll see what happens.”

Dye said: “I’m happy with second as I didn’t want to lose points, I can’t risk a crash. I thought Toby was behind me I didn’t realise he had crashed. I’ve not raced at Cadwell since 2008 but I’m going to go there next weekend for a look.”

Atkinson said: “That was alright Chris had too much pace at the start to go with him. Toby went down so I slipped into second place and tried to pass Jimmy but he just blocked me everywhere. I nearly had him on the line but just missed out. I’ve not raced at Cadwell since 2008 so it will be a steep learning curve.”

Hashmi said: “Good race, well done to Duncan and Jamie. Duncan really made me work for that at every corner. I got in front and put my head down; I didn’t dare look behind me. As for Cadwell, I’ve not been there for years so I think it will be fun getting up to speed.”

Knox said: “I picked up a suspected broken rib during my crash yesterday but I didn’t feel it during the race as the adrenalin kicked in. I enjoyed that and made up for yesterday, I was disappointed that I binned it but I’d decided to race the red bikes! I planned to sit behind Chad and see where he was strong but we ended up mixing it for eight laps. Hats off to Chad, I’m still leading the Championship so roll on Cadwell.”

Poole said: “I got a poor start and then got stuck and couldn’t get through. By the time I did the other two were long gone and I couldn’t catch them. I’m disappointed but I’ll take it.”

The championship returns to track in three weekends time, 28th – 30th August at Cadwell park in Lincolnshire.

Click here for high resolution image download of the podium shot, and click here to download Chris Northover and Jimmy Dye over the line, for web use, image courtesy of Richard Swaffield. Web: www.swaffs.co.uk or Email: Photo@swaffs.co.uk.

For further information contact Tony Scott on mobile: 07870656920 or office: 01732 886505.

Ryan Farquhar’s brilliant 2010 road racing season continued on Saturday when he dominated the Mid Antrim 150 road races. Competing on the 3.6-mile Clough circuit, the KMR Kawasaki rider won no less than five races, including the Grand Final, extending his tally for the season to 38 victories. The five wins also took him to a total of 22 at the Mid Antrim, comfortably the highest in the 64-year history of the event whilst he now has the unique distinction of holding five lap records, including the outright.

It was another wet day for competitors whilst they also had to contend with a surface that was wet in parts, damp in others and then dry elsewhere making tyre choice constantly tricky. Ryan opened his account for the day with victory in the Open race where, after leading at one stage by over 12 seconds, he eased back in the closing laps to lead Adrian Archibald home by 6 seconds. Next up was the Super Twins race where he was pressured in the early stages by fellow Dungannon man John Burrows. As the race wore on, the circuit, which had started fully wet, began to dry up in places but Ryan, despite struggling for grip, was able to edge clear for another comfortable win.

The 600cc race saw a repeat of the early Open encounter only this time Archibald led to begin with. Having sat behind him for a couple of laps, Ryan made his move and was able to take his third win of the day. His penultimate race was the 125/450 race where the 450s started in their own group and it was Seamus Elliott who led on his 450 Yamaha until the third lap when Ryan found his way through. Elliott pushed Ryan all the way but eventually pushed too hard and slid off, fortunately without injury, on the final lap and Ryan was not only able to take the 450 win but was also the fastest rider on corrected time. The final race of the day was the Grand Final and with conditions again tricky, it was another close race between Ryan and Archibald. There was little to choose between the two riders as Archibald sat on the rear wheel of Ryan but on the last lap he crashed out at speed, again escaping injury, allowing Ryan to take an unprecedented fifth win of the day.

Speaking later, Ryan said, “It was really tough conditions out there today and very difficult to know what tyres to choose. Some parts of the track were wet, some dry and some were very dirty with mud running on to the course and stuff so it was really slippery out there. Adrian pushed me hard in the Superbike races none more so than in the Grand Final where I just couldn’t shake him off. He was there all the way through and it’s probably the toughest race I’ve ever had in those conditions. I’ve won in the wet before but have always had a bit of a buffer whereas this time he was on my bike wheel throughout and there was no let up. It was a real shame his race ended in a crash so I’m pleased he’s ok.”

“Seamus also pushed me hard in the 450cc race and our bikes were pretty evenly matched so that was another tough race although I was really chuffed to beat all the 125s on corrected time too. I’ve taken 22 wins now at the Mid Antrim and it’s certainly a circuit that’s been kind to me over the years, it’s just a shame that today’s been spoilt by the weather a bit. We’ve all got a mad dash now to get all the bikes, truck and the like all cleaned up before Armoy this weekend!”

Ryan now has just a few days before his next outing with the Armoy Road Races taking place on Saturday August 7th. Picture by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International Phil Wain Freelance PR

Two Wheel Tuning are pleased to announce that DJ Dave Johnson will be returning to the team alongside his manager Martyn Phillps who runs Becksport racing.

After a short stint with the two brothers Kawsaki team DJ has decided that to enable him to push for the top 3 places in the EVO championship the Suzuki developed by twowheeltuning.com will be a better package for him to do this.

Dave Tyson team owner of twowheeltuning.com said " I am pleased to welcome DJ back and am sure with the competitive package he now has at his disposal and with Becksport racing they will be able to secure a top 3 position for the end of the season"

Martyn Phillips of Becksport racing added " the package as a whole is far better for DJ and this will allow us all to press on for the last half of the season"

Dave Johnson wanted to thank the people who helped him so far this season and said " this is the lift we needed to secure a top 3 finish."

DJ is partnered by Nikki Coates in the Superstock 600 class with twowheeltuning.com both riders will be out in 2 weeks time at brands hatch