Irish road racing 2014

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Irish&Road&Racing 2014.

Photographs By Derek Wilson.

Derek McGee winner of the Supersport 600 Championship.

Irish Road Race Champions 2014 Superbike -Dan Kneen Supersport - Derek McGee Supertwin - Conor Behan 250 GP - Michael Sweeney Moto 3 (125 GP) - Sam Dunlop Supersport 400 - David Howard Senior Support - Neil Lyons Junior Support - Derek Costello Classic 250 - Philip Shaw Classic 350 - Barry Davidson Classic 500 - Gary Jamison Classic 1000 - Robert McCrum

Front cover photograph :- Dan Kneen 2014 Superbike Champion.

All Photographs Š Copyright Derek Wilson 2014.

KDM Hire Cookstown 100.

25th & 26th April.

Isle of Man rider Dan Kneen couldn’t have wished

for a better debut at the KDM Hire Cookstown 100 after roaring to a surprise victory in the feature Superbike event.

The KDM Hire Cookstown 100 kicked of the 2014 Irish National Road Racing season on the 25th,26th April. With three races on Friday and sixteen on Saturday it was a busy programme.

Dubliner Derek Sheils won the Invitation Supersport Race on Friday from a fast charging Derek McGee who had taken the lead with two laps to go but Sheils snatched it back to take the flag by 0.26 seconds. William Dunlop was third closely followed by his brother Michael.

Sheils followed his Friday victory in the 600 race with another in the Open Race, again it was Derek Mcgee who was his main challenger with less than a second separating them across the line and William Dunlop taking third.

Michael Dunlop began the 2014 Irish national road racing season with a double in the Supersport and Supertwin races, despite riding in pain after injuring his arm during a crash in qualifying for the Easter British Superbike meeting at Brands Hatch.

Michael Dunlop fought through the pain barrier due to an injured arm following a crash at Brands Hatch the previous weekend to take a win in Saturdays Supersport 600 Race, after battling with William they eventually got onto the back of leading pair McGee and Sheils and on the final lap he made his move to the front and take a hard earned and first win of the day. He also won the Supertwin Race from James Cowton and Jamie Hamilton in third. He did however fail to finish either of the Superbike races.

The second Superbike and feature race turned out to be a thriller. O the line it was a race between William Dunlop, Derek McGee and Derek Sheils, the trio hardly separated throughout the 8 laps but it was Manxman Dan Kneen who had qualified in 11th place and making his debut at the Orritor circuit who was on the move. Starting in the second group he had a clear track in front of him and was able to make fast progress, Dunlop crossed the line first with McGee and Sheils close behind, but when Kneen took the flag and the sums were done it was Kneen who took the win on corrected time by 0.3 seconds.

Derek Sheils made a victorious start to the KDM Hire Cookstown 100, the Dublin rider edged a thrilling Invitational Supersport race on Chris Dowd’s Yamaha.

Derek McGee leads Derek Sheils and William Dunlop in the Supersport 600 race.

William Dunlop made his debut in Irish Road Racing in the Tyco Suzuki by Tas colours at Cooktown.

The ever spectacular Sam Wilson makes big air as he negotiates Blacks Farm jump

Around A Pound Tandragee 100 The tragic death of Irish competitor Noel Murphy at this years Around-A-Pound Tandragee 100 plunged the popular national road race into darkness on another sad day for the sport in Northern Ireland. The organising North Armagh Club took the decision to continue with the race programme at the request of Mr Murphy’s father. Isle of Man rider Dan Kneen clinched a Superbike double as he maintained his excellent form from the Cookstown 100.

2nd & 3rd May.

Kneen was also making his bow at Tandragee and served notice of his prospects with a victory in the first Superbike race on Friday evening, which was brought forward due to the threat of rain in Saturday’s weather forecast.

The Braddan man took the win on Friday from Derek McGee and Jamie Hamilton with the result declared based on positions at the end of lap two due a red-flag incident involving Yorkshire’s

Jamie Coward, whose condition was later confirmed as non life-threatening. Kneen repeated the feat on Saturday in the three-lap feature Superbike race, which was held following a delay of around two-and-a-half hours in the wake of Noel Murphy’s fatal accident.He sealed victory by 2.8 seconds from Shaun Anderson (CN Suzuki) with Davy Morgan finishing third ahead of Michael Sweeney. number of riders decided not to compete in the final races.

William Dunlop won a pulsating Supersport race - the first event on the programme - to earn his maiden success in the Tyco Suzuki livery following a battle with Scotsman Amor, Dunlop came through from third place to pass Derek McGee before making his move on Amor on

the penultimate lap and went on to win by 0.186s seconds with McGee third.Connor Behan (KMR Kawasaki) was next while Jamie Hamilton and Seamus Elliott completed the first six.

Behan won the Supertwin race, held in damp conditions, by ten seconds from Stephen McKnight, while Michael Sweeney took a win in the concurrently-run 250GP class.

Michael Sweeney took the win in the GP 250 class.

Conor Behan won the Supertwin race, held in damp conditions, by ten seconds from Stephen McKnight

Ryan Farquhar won the Classic race bringing his his total of road race wins to 200.

Vauxhall International Northwest 200.

Tyco Suzuki’s William Dunlop claimed his maiden

International big bike victory on Saturday afternoon when he won the shortened 5-lap Superbike race at a wet North West 200, overhauling brother Michael at the final Juniper chicane. The Tyco Suzuki rider had a five second lead after three laps but Michael, who was looking to give BMW their first International Superbike victory, was coming all the time and whilst William made the most of the clear road, he overhauled Michael Rutter, Ian Hutchinson and Conor Cummins in quick succession to move up to second. A series of fastest laps allowed him to catch William and although it looked like he'd timed his run perfectly, William had other ideas and upstaged his younger sibling. Cummins

gave Honda some cheer with a good third with Rutter getting the better of Hutchinson for fourth. Simon Andrews had a lowly ride into sixth with Gary Johnson, who started from the second group, seventh ahead of Josh Brookes riding his BSB-spec R1 with no traction control - Guy Martin - who was docked ten seconds for a chicane infringement and Horst Saiger. John McGuinness, James Hillier and Bruce Anstey were amongst the retirements whilst Alastair Seeley and Lee Johnston sat the race out after their earlier Supersport crash.

Padgett's veteran Bruce Anstey won a dramatic Supersport race after Alastair Seeley and Lee Johnston crashed out at

10th - 17th May.

the Metropole on the final lap. The leading quintet of Seeley, Johnston, Anstey, Conor Cummins and Gary Johnson had been nose to tail throughout the six-lap race, which was held in damp conditions, with positions changing hands all the time. owever, Seeley and Johnston touched on more than one occasion on the final run down to the left handed Metropole before Seeley went down with the pair of them hitting the air fencing hard. Anstey, who had seemingly lost his chance of victory after overshooting the Mathers Cross chicane last time around still had to hold off the close attentions of Cummins but he did so by just 0.188s to take his 10th NW200 victory.

Tyco Suzuki’s William Dunlop claimed his maiden International big bike victory at this years Northwest 200 beating younger brother Michael by 0.545 secs

Padgett's veteran Bruce Anstey won a dramatic Supersport race The fourth lap, in particular, was spectacular as the lead changed hands on no less than nine occasions. The race looked like it would be between Seeley and Johnston but Anstey took full advantage of a double slipstream to hit the front for the first time on the fifth lap as they headed into Mathers Cross.

Seeley was back in front as they started the final lap before Anstey re-took the lead on the high speed run to University.

It was Johnston’s turn to lead again at Magherabuoy as he again showed his strength on the brakes but the heavy spill ended both his and Seeley’s hopes.

Johnson slipped back in the closing stages as the rain returned but he gave Triumph a superb podium with Josh Brookes, on similar tyres, having another good ride into fourth. Further back, Michael Dunlop came through from a lowly grid position to take fifth with Michael Rutter on the

second Triumph taking sixth.

William Dunlop and Dan Cooper took seventh and eighth with Russ Mountford and James Cowton having strong rides from the second group in ninth and tenth.

Seeley was back in front as they started the final lap before Anstey re-took the lead on the high speed run to University.

It was Johnston’s turn to lead again at Magherabuoy as he again showed his strength on the brakes but the heavy spill ended both his and Seeley’s hopes.

Johnson slipped back in the closing stages as the rain returned but he gave Triumph a superb podium with Josh Brookes, on similar tyres, having another good ride into fourth. Further back, Michael Dunlop came through from a lowly grid position to take fifth with Michael Rutter on the second Triumph taking sixth.

William Dunlop and Dan Cooper took seventh and eighth

with Russ Mountford and James Cowton having strong rides from the second group in ninth and tenth.

The Supersport race looked like it would be between Seeley and Johnston

Above:- Lee Johnston battles with Jeremy McWilliams for the lead in Thursday nights Supertwin race.

Left:- Ryan Farquar was hoping for big things in the Supertwin races on his KMR Kawasakis.

Below:- Lee Johnston on his way to his 2nd Supertwin win of the week.

Lee Johnston bounced back from his earlier Supersport crash to

make it a Supertwin double at the North West 200 on Saturday afternoon when he won a thrilling, sometimes scary, 4-lap race by two seconds from Michael Dunlop.

With rain falling at various parts of the course, Johnston got his head down from the start and whilst the action sometimes saw the riders four abreast on the opening two laps, the 25-year old hit the front for good half way round the second lap and never looked back.

Johnston went elbow to elbow with Dunlop, James Cowton and Ryan Farquhar in the early stages, the latter

two banging into each other on two or three occasions at times at more than 150mph, whilst KMR riders Connor Behan and Keith Amor were both out of luck on the opening lap, the Cheshire rider overcooking it on the brakes at the Mathers Cross chicane and Amor retiring back at the pits.

Johnston's lead was only 0.2sec after the first lap but by half distance it had shot up to two seconds as Farquhar, Dunlop, Cowton and Jeremy McWilliams continued to dispute second. With the rain spots getting heavier, Farquhar dropped back to leave McWilliams as the sole

KMR challenger but his hopes of the runner up spot disappeared when he took to the grass on the exit of Mathers Cross on the final lap.

Johnston had no such problems though and was able to ease back slightly on the final lap to take his second NW200 win, two seconds clear of Dunlop who finally got the better of Cowton at the Juniper chicance on the last lap. McWilliams cruised home in fourth with team boss Farquhar some 16secs adrift of the race winner at the chequered flag.

Alastair Seeley got the North West 200 races underway in superb style on Thursday evening, he fought his way through from 16th at the end of the first lap to take a stunning win in the opening Supersport race. The Mar-Train Yamaha rider was forced to do a uturn at York Corner on the first lap after Lee Johnston crashed out and pushed him wide but, aided by the fastest lap of the race a new lap record of 116.606mph he hit the front for the first time on the fifth lap and, after exchanging places with Guy Martin on the final lap he finally sealed victory on the final run up Black Hill.

Michael Dunlop wrapped up the 2014 International North West 200 meeting in spectacular style as he won a record-breaking feature Superbike race, seeing off the challenges of Josh Brookes and Alastair Seeley to take his second win of the day. The BMW rider broke the lap record on the third lap and when long time race leader Brookes ran onto the grass at Mather's Cross, he took full advantage. The Australian set a new outright lap record on his final lap but he couldn't close the gap and the Ulsterman ran out victor by three seconds. It was Michael Rutter who led off the line but Brookes took the lead at the Ballysally Roundabout and led the field round at the end of the first lap by 0.8s. Alastair Seeley had moved up to second with Guy Martin and Dunlop close behind whilst Gary Johnson, again starting from the second group, up to sixth on corrected time. Brookes' lead was significantly reduced on the second lap and with Dunlop now up to third, there was less than a second between the trio. Seeley then hit the front for the first time on lap three, pulling off his regular Juniper chicane overtake. Dunlop was quicker still third time around at lamost 122mph and as they headed out

on to their penultimate lap, the difference between first and third was just 0.4s. Rutter was back up to fourth ahead of Martin and new sixth placed rider Conor Cummins. Brookes then took over at the front with a daring pass at Station Corner but he left his braking too late going into Mather's and went straight across the chciance and onto the grass on the exit dropping down to third in the process. A new lap record of 122.501mph for Dunlop meant he went into the final lap three seconds clear of Seeley as Brookes regrouped. The Ulsterman had the situation under control and duly swept home to give BMW their first ever International Superbike victory on the roads whilst Brookes never gave up and had the small consolation of a new outright lap record, 122.958mph, as he came home second. Seeley took a solid third with Rutter doing likewise in fourth whilst Martin and Cummins were secure in fifth and sixth. Martin Jessopp wrapped up his week with seventh whilst Dean Harrison and James Hillier ended the day positively with eighth and ninth as Johnson slipped back to tenth

Top left Michael Dunlop and bottom right Alistair Seeley

shared the honours in the Superstock races with a win each.

Peter Hickman heading towards the fastest 200mph part of the triangle circuit.

Carole Nash Kells Road Races.

21st 22nd May.

The Kells Races returned to the Irish National Road Racing schedule after a three-year absence caused by a combination of financial restraints and bad weather.

Manx rider Dan Kneen continued his impressive form as a debutant at the Irish national events by taking a double success.

Kneen won the Open race and the Grand Final at the 2.25-mile Crossakeil circuit in County Meath. Michael Sweeney was second and Jamie Hamilton third in both events.

Mullingar's Derek McGee won the 600cc Supersport class from Hamilton.

Connor Behan was the Supertwins victor and Sweeney took the win in the 250cc race.

Sam Dunlop enjoyed success in the 125cc class, with William Cowden runner-up.

The Open race was a keenly fought affair between Kneen and McGee but McGee slid off unhurt at the last corner in his attempt to take victory.

Derek Sheils, who sat out the recent Isle of Man TT to consider his road racing future, was fourth and Saintfield's Davy Morgan fifth.

Sheils occupied the same finishing position in the Grand Final, but Seamus Elliott saw off Morgan for fifth in the final race of the day.

Newcomer Conor Behan took the chequered flag ahead of McGee and Hamilton in the Supertwins, while Elliott and Tommy Henry completed the podium positions in the 250cc class.

A impressive start to the season for Kneen who also won the main Cookstown 100 race in April as a newcomer and was a double winner on his first appearance at the Tandragee 100 a week later.

The Open race was a keenly fought aair between Kneen and McGee.

Neil Kernohan.

Michael Sweeney winner of the 250 race.

Derek McGee celebrates winning the Supersport Race.

Alan Kenny puts on an impressive show for the spectators during the Grand Final.

H2 Engineering Bush Road Races.

27th & 28th June.

After the dominance of Manxman Dan Kneen in the opening rounds of the Irish National Road racing season it was Ballyclare’s Jamie Hamilton’s turn to taste victory at the Bush Road races.

With no wins so far this season he turned the pressure on in style with a fantastic four wins in the Supertwin, Open, Grand Final and Supersport 600 races.

He started the day in great form, winning the Supertwin race by 22 seconds on his Kawasaki ER6 in front of Conor Behan on his Ryan Farquhar-prepared ER6 and Kneen in third.

In the Open Race it was a similar scenario with Hamilton taking to the front from the start and winning by a similar margin to that of his previous outing from Kneen and Michael Sweeney.

The Grand Final wasn’t such a straightforward encounter with Kneen, still in his rookie season in the Irish Road racing scene, taking the lead off the line. By the end of the opening lap Hamilton was in front opening up a gap of a few seconds.

Kneen was not giving up though and closed right back on Hamilton’s exhaust but try as he might he just could not get past and Hamilton took his third win of the day, but this time by only 0.16secs, with Davy Morgan taking the final spot on the podium after Sweeney had retired.

Hamilton then went on to make it a sensational four wins by winning the re run Supersport 600 race again taking the flag 22 secs in front of Kneen. The first 600 race was red flagged on the opening lap after a serious crash involving a number of riders.

Nigel Moore won his home race in the 125s from Sam Dunlop and Paul Jordan in third. Sweeney won the GP 250 race from Seamus Elliott and Neil Kernohan the race was red flagged on the second to last lap and the result declared.

The battle for 2nd place in the Superbike Race between No 4 Dan Kneen, 71

Davy Morgan and 65 Michael Sweeney devour back marker Stephen Degnan.

Jamie Hamilton wins the Supertwin Race.

Dan Kneen took an early lead in the Superbike race.

Michael Sweeney had another victory in the GP 250 class.

Mark Hanna crashes out heavily in the Supersport Race.

Dan Kneen and Jamie Hamilton had close encounters in every class, the pair are fighting for the lead in the early stages of the Supertwin race.

Nigel Moore winner of the GP 125 Race.

AXA Bikecare Skerries 100.

3rd & 4th July.

After four wins at the Bush Road Races the previous week, all eyes of the huge crowd were on Jamie Hamilton to see if he could maintain his form at the Axa Bikecare Skerries 100 Road Races.

His day got off to the perfect start with a win in the open race on his Wilson Craig Honda, beating Derek Sheils to the flag by 1.5 seconds and Michael Sweeney in third. He completed a double with a win in the Supertwins Race.

In the Grand Final the Ballyclare man led from the start, with Hamilton and Manxman Dan Kneen, on the Cookstown BE

Engineering Suzuki, never separated by more than a fraction of a second, but on the final lap Hamilton came off at the chicane bringing out the red flags and Kneen being declared the race winner. Sweeney was second and Derek Sheils thirrd. With a suspected shoulder injury, Hamilton’s entry in the Southern 100 on the Isle of Man next could be in jeopardy.

After a few weeks out due to a broken leg following a crash at the Isle of Man TT William Dunlop made a successful come back in the Supersport 600 race. Hamilton held the early lead but around the mid-point Dunlop took to the front on his Tyco Suzuki and finished six seconds ahead of Derek McGee and Hamilton.

The supertwins race was a start to finish victory for Hamilton, Derek McGee slid o unhurt on the first lap at the first corner, Conor Behan finished second some 13 seconds behind and

Czech Michael Dokoupil finishing third.

Sweeney and Seamus Elliott had a closely fought battle in the 250 race swapping the lead on a number of occasions, but on the last lap Sweeney crashed out creating yet another red flag incident and handing Elliott the win from secnd place John Ella.

Elliott won the Moto 450 race, Nigel Moore won the 125 race from Sam Dunlop and William Cowden. Neil Lyons was the victor in the Senior Support Race after being closely chased

by Thomas Maxwell who crashed out in the second to last lap bringing out the red flags.

Derek Costello won the Junior Support Race. Lyons took the win on the Amigo Yamaha R6, while Costello was victorious in the Junior Support race.

Sweeney missed the chance of a win in front of his home fans after he came o in the 250cc race on the final lap while battling for the lead with Elliott.

Walderstown.

Race Of The South.

12th & 13th July.

Dan Kneen’s domination of the 2014 Irish National road racing season continued at Walderstown.

The Manxman claimed victory on the Cookstown/Burrows Engineering Suzuki in the Race of the South at Walderstown in Co West Meath.As with most of the circuits that he has raced on since joining John Burrow’s team this season, the 27-year-old had never even seen the two mile long circuit before the weekend.

That didn’t stop him from notching up yet another 2014 National feature race victory as he added Walderstown’s triumph to wins at Cookstown, Tandragee, Kells and Skerries.

Kneens lack of track time appeared to play into the hands of Walderstown specialist William Dunlop, In his first outing on his Tyco Suzuki Superbike since his Isle Of Man TT crash in which he broke his leg, he started the day at the Walderstown Race Of South with a victory in Open Race. In a closely fought battle in which the lead changed three times he took the win 0.679 secs ahead of second place man Derek Sheils with Michael Sweeney finishing in third.

Sweeney was the quickest off the line leading the opening lap, Sheils took to the front in lap two a lead he held for two laps, before William worked his way into the lead which he held to the chequered flag. Kneen could only manage

a fourth place finish in this encounter, finishing 10 seconds down on Dunlop as he struggled to come to terms with the fast back section of the narrow West Meath circuit. Dunlop also won the Supersport 600 Race. Derek McGee took the early lead but it didn’t take Dunlop to many laps to move to the front where he stayed to the chequered flag setting a new class lap record on the way, McGee was second and Dan Kneen third. In the Grand Final, it was Manxman Kneen on the Cookstown Burrows engineering GSX-R 1000 Suzuki who was the man on a mission. In his debut outing at Walderstown he got the perfect start leading into turn one, from there on there was no looking back taking the win by 6.5s. William Dunlop didn’t get the best of starts and was put under pressure by Sheils in the opening laps but he held his nerve and took second with Sheils just over a second behind in third.

William Dunlop had wins in the Open and Supersport races.

Top Left: Michael Sweeney continued his winning run in the GP 250 race.

Top Right:- Alan Kenny Grand Final.

Bottom Left:- Derek McGee in the Supersport race.

Bottom Right:- wayne hall senior Support race.

Conor Behan won the Supertwins race.

Seamous Elliott Moto 3 Winner.

In his first outing on his Tyco Suzuki Superbike since his Isle Of Man TT crash in which he broke his leg, William Dunlop started the day at the Walderstown Race Of South with a victory in Open Race.

Sam Dunlop GP 125 Winner.

River Ridge Recycling Armoy Road Races Race Of Legends.

25th 26th July.

Michael Dunlop gave the supporters at his home road race the result they came to see when he won the feature race, the Armoy Race Of Legends. The weather improved from the treacherous conditions earlier in the day just in time for the final race of the day. Guy Martin was going for the treble having already won the Supersport 600 race and the Superbike race. It was Dan Kneen who took to the front from the start, but Dunlop was having none of it and by lap three he had made his way to the front where he stayed for the remainder of the race taking the chequered flag just over 3 seconds ahead of Guy Martin with Kneen a further three seconds behind Martin. Dunlop on his own MD Racing Superstock machine also set the fastest lap of the day. It was Dunlop’s 11th win and his fourth in the ‘Race of Legends’ Grand Final and he now joins Ryan Farquhar as the most successful riders ever at the event, which was first held in 2009.

Martin won a wet Supersport 600 race after a close fought battle with Scotsman Keith Amor, on the final lap Amor was to late on the brakes at the hairpin in Armoy village overshooting the corner and handing Martin the win and William Dunlop second place Amor recovering to take third.

The Superbike race took place in extremely wet conditions, held over just five laps due to the heavy rain it was the Tyco duo of Martin and Dunlop who led off the line but Martin soon took the lead. Michael Dunlop passed his brother on lap three and started to close in on Martin but he had left it to late and Martin took the flag 0.8s ahead of the charging Dunlop, William finishing 3rd.

Keith Amor had a dominant win in the Supertwin race beating Derek McGee across the line by 1.4 seconds and pole setter James Cowton in third.

Seamus Elliott easily won the 250 race 11 seconds in front of second place Neill Kernohan and James Cowton taking another third place.

This year the organisers ran a Supersport 600 race after qualifying and practice on Friday. In the sweltering evening heat it was a tight battle between the Tyco Suzuki team mates, William Dunlop and Guy Martin. Martin led the opening lap but by lap two Dunlop had taken the lead and the gap between them for the remaining five laps was never much more than a bikes length the local man taking the flag just 0.15s ahead of Martin

This year the organisers ran a Supersport 600 race after qualifying and practice on Friday. In the sweltering evening heat it was a tight battle between the Tyco Suzuki team mates, William Dunlop and Guy Martin.

Left:- Keith Amor had a dominant win in the Supertwin race.

Above:- Michael Sweeney lights up the evening in Fridays Supersport race.

Below Left:- Paul Robinson was the winner in the MOTO 3 125 GP race.

Below Right:- James Cowton and Michael Dunlop dice for position in the 1st Supersport race.

Guy Martin was a double winner at Armoy with victories in the 1st Superbike race and in Saturdays Supersport race.

The Superbike race took place in extremely tricky conditions, and was reduced to just five laps due to the heavy rain.

Dundrod 150 Races.

14th August.

Thursdays Dundrod 150 races saw Guy Martin win the Topaz Airport Road Service Station Superbike race after a five lap scrap with Kiwi Bruce Anstey. Starting one – two on the grid the pair were nose to tail at the end of the opening lap and already one and a half seconds clear of the rest of the field. Lap two saw Martin lap at 132.944mph but he could not shake o Anstey. Going into the last lap Anstey edged in front bot on the long climb from Leathemstown to the Deers Leap Martin surged back to the front setting the fastest lap of the race and snatching the victory. Man of the race was peter Hickman finishing seventh and becoming the fastest ever newcomer around the Dundrod circuit.

An enthralling supertwin race saw Lee Johnston, starting from fourth on the grid, quickly establishing a race winning lead. Behind him fighting for second place was half a dozen riders elbow to elbow but Conor Behan made up lost ground from tenth in the opening lap to cross the line side by side with Keith Amor just snatching second place from the Scot.

Peter Hickman won the Challenge race 23 seconds in front of second place man Ali Kirk.

James Cowton was a double winner, first taking the lightweight race on his 250 Yamaha and the four lap Support and Newcomers race from Robert Kennedy.

Peter Hickman fastest ever newcomer around the Hundred circuit.

James Cowton had three wins during race week .

Peter Hickman winner of the Totalis Challenge Race.

Lee Johnston and Keith Amor fighting for the lead in Thursdays Supertwin Race.

William Dunlop during Thursdays qualifying.

Metzeler Ulster Grand Prix.

16th August.

Once again the weather came into play at this years Ulster Grand Prix, when the opening Superstock race was stopped on the first lap. It was then declared a wet race and restarted over five laps. Dean Harrison, Dan Kneen and Bruce Anstey were never separated by more than a few bike lengths. Harrison took the lead which he held till the last lap when Kneen made his move around the outside in the final bend, a photo finish gave it to Kneen.

Drama was to follow on the opening lap of the first Supersport 600 race when Dean Harrison crashed out at Irelands Corner closely followed by Keith Amor and Dan Kneen. All three were taken to hospital, Harrison with a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs and a broken wrist, Kneen with a broken foot and Amor broken ribs.

The race was restarted later and ran over six laps, William Dunlop making the perfect start leading by four seconds at the end of the first lap from Guy Martin, Bruce Anstey, Lee Johnston and Michael Dunlop. By lap three Anstey was second and closing in fast on Dunlop. On the final lap Anstey was right on Dunlops tail but Dunlops engine blew up leaving Anstey to cruise to victory.

The feature Ulster Grand Prix Superbike race was a heart stopper in far from ideal conditions, with Guy Martin, Anstey and Johnston dicing it at the front. Heading into the last lap Martin was in the lead and almost a second ahead clear of Anstey, but he met slower riders at Leathemstown which allowed Anstey and Johnston back onto his rear. Anstey made a race winning move to pass Martin on the brakes into Tornarough and held a defensive line through the hairpin. He managed to keep ahead of Martin through the final series of bends to win his tenth Ulster Grand Prix by two tents of a second and setting the fastest lap of the day at 131.891 mph.

The concurrently run Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight race saw James Cowton cruise to a thirty second victory over John Ella, his third win of the week following his double in the Dundrod 150 races. Daley Mathison had his first Dundrod victory in the 125 Ultra Lightweight race.

Ivan Lintin had a runaway victory in the five lap Supertwin race which was held in atrocious conditions, finishing 14 seconds ahead of Derek McGee. The second Supersport race only got as far as the Deers Leap on the first lap where Anstey crashed taking out Michael Sweeney, Ian Hutchinson and Steve Mercer in a 120mph crash that brought out the red flags.

On the final lap of the Supersport race Anstey was right on Dunlops tail but Dunlops engine blew up leaving Anstey to cruise to victory.

The feature Ulster Grand Prix Superbike race was a heart stopper in far from ideal conditions, with Guy Martin, Anstey and Johnston dicing it at the front.

Davy Morgan Superstock race.

Michael Dunlop UGP superbike race.

Bruce Anstey Supersport 600 race one winner. He crashed in the second race bringing out the red flags.

Ian Hutchinson Superbike race.

Ivan Lintin winner of the Supertwin Race.

Michael Dunlop capped the 2014 Irish road racing season with a victory in the Grand Final at the 30th anniversary Country Crest Killalane meeting in North County Dublin.

This was Dunlops first appearance this year at a National road race in the south. The 11-time Isle of Man TT winner had gone without a victory since he won the feature Armoy ‘Race of Legends’ at the end of July, but he overcame a poor qualifying position on Saturday to clinch the big-money race on his MD Racing BMW Superstock machine on a day blighted by numerous red-flag incidents. Jamie Hamilton set the pace in the Grand Final chased by Michael Sweeney and Dublin’s Derek Sheils. Dunlop, though who qualified in 14th place was on a charge and quickly picked his way through the field eventually forcing his way into the lead before quickly establishing a gap as he went on to win by 2.7 seconds from Hamilton. Sweeney finished in third ahead of Sheils, with Seamus Elliott and Davy Morgan completing the top six.

Dunlop also won the 350cc Classic race on a rare appearance in the class to complete a double.

Earlier in the day, the organising Loughshinny Club scrapped the Open race after the red-flags came out twice, although the competitors involved escaped largely unscathed.

Derek McGee, who wrapped up the Irish title won the re-run Supersport race by half-a-second from Hamilton, with Sheils taking third, a further four seconds behind.

McGee had slipped off nharmed in the initial race before regrouping to finish the season with a win.

Elliott, Czech rider Michael Dokoupil and John Walsh rounded out the first six. Michael Dunlop – who had qualified in third place – didn’t finish the race.

The Supertwin 650 event went right down to the wire with McGee and Sweeney going head to head throughout. McGee made the early running on the first three laps but Sweeney was keeping a watching brief and the Skerries man made his move in the second half of the race. However, McGee regrouped to hit the front once more but a mistake at the final corner on the penultimate lap allowed Sweeney through and he closed out the win by two tenths of a second.

Hamilton finished third but more than 14 seconds behind the leaders, with Ian Morrell, Dokoupil and Andy Farrell next.

Sweeney notched up a brace when he won the 250cc race, crossing the line with two seconds in hand over Elliott.

The 125cc race was red-flagged due to a serious accident and the race was hit by another stoppage during the restart, when the result was declared, giving Sam Dunlop the Irish title as he finished second behind Paul Robinson by 0.6 seconds.

Neil Lyons won the Senior Support race with William Hara victorious in the Junior Support event.

Country Crest Killalane Road Races.

Derek McGee, who wrapped up the Irish title won the re-run Supersport race.

Michael Dunlop capped the 2014 Irish road racing season with a victory in the Grand Final.

Doctor John Hinds.

Davy Morgan armoy Road races.

All Photographs Š Copyright Derek Wilson 2014.