MOTOR SPORTS NEWS

Latest News

  • Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season
  • Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced
  • Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award
  • Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes
  • Test run for the Audi RS Q e-tron in southern France concludes Dakar preparations
  • Home
  • News
  • Dakar
    • DAKAR 2016
    • Dakar 2015
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • Motorbike
  • Touring Cars
  • Circuit Racing
  • Events
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

English Extends Masters Superbike Championship lead …

May 15, 2016


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Tweet

 …while Johnston takes maiden Supersport win

Robert English extended his Masters Superbike Championship lead at Mondello Park as two rounds of Ireland’s premier short circuit Motorcycle Racing series were completed over the weekend of May 7th & 8th

With Saturday’s racing abandoned due to track conditions, the scheduled three championship rounds were reduced to two and it was English who dominated. The County Down rider took his IFS Yamaha to a pair of victories over a resurgent Brian McCormack who had his best weekend of the year so far with his TAG Honda to move up to third in the standings.

English led race one from the start and initially had McCormack and Nikki Coates right on his tail. As the race wore on McCormack and Coates faded leaving the series leader to take his third victory of the season, with an eleven second margin. Charles Stuart from Ballycastle was once again the ‘Cup’ winner with a seven second margin over Barry Sheehan, while Shane O’Grady picked up his first Masters podium with third.

The second race followed a similar pattern but this time McCormack held on to English for longer and looked like he might mount a challenge until around half distance. Eventually English started to open the gap and when he did McCormack backed off to finish in a comfortable second place. The Kingsbury Kawasaki of Coates was once again behind McCormack on the road, but a jump start penalty dropped him back to fourth behind Mark Glasgow who picked up his first podium of the season on his brand new Kawasaki. Stuart once again won the Cup but this time he was pushed much harder with Sheehan just over two seconds down in second while O’Grady once again filled the last podium place.

There was great celebration on the podium after Supersport race two as Ballymena’s Luke Johnston finally took his maiden Masters win. Johnston had to come from behind to beat Richie Ryan who had lead initially before being overtaken by Nikki Coates. On lap three both Ryan and Johnston were closing on Coates when the Kawasaki rider fell off leaving a two way battle for the lead. Three laps later Johnston pulled off a fantastic out-braking manoeuvre into the final corner and then steadily built his lead to come home two and a half seconds to the good.

Suzuki mounted Jason Lynn picked up another podium place with third ahead of Duleek’s Aaron Clifford who not only won the Supersport Cup and took his highest ever finish overall but also collected the Aidan Lynam award presented in memory of the former Masters commentator and motorcycling journalist who lost his life in 2014. Des Mackessy followed Clifford home in second with Oisin Watson taking his second ever Masters podium in third.

In the first Supersport race an impressive fight back from a poor start had seen Ryan move past Johnston and almost catch Coates, but Coates held on for his second win of the year. Johnston’s third place along with his race two win allowed him to move one point closer to Ryan at the head of the points standings after the weekends racing. Aaron Clifford was the race one Cup winner from Des Mackessy and Darragh Trappe.

Two comfortable wins in the Principal Insurance Pre-Injection class saw Kevin Dempsey leap frog Stephen Doyle and Paul McCrea to lead the championship standings. Round one and two winner Doyle dented his championship hopes with his second non-finish in three races and only moved up to second place in the standings as former series leader Paul McCrea did not complete either race. In race one Doyle and Joe Grant followed Dempsey home while in race two it was James McKenna and Darryl Sharkey who joined him on the podium.

The Masters next outing will be back at Mondello Park, this time on the shorter National Circuit, on July 16th and 17th with rounds 8, 9 and 10.


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season
    Overdrive Racing has just finished its...

    Nov 30, 2023 Comments Off on Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season

  • Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced
    Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman...

    Nov 30, 2023 Comments Off on Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced

  • Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award
    Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy...

    Nov 27, 2023 Comments Off on Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award

  • Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes
    Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’...

    Nov 27, 2023 Comments Off on Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes

More in this category
  • Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award
    Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy...

    Comments Off on Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award

  • Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes
    Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’...

    Comments Off on Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes

  • Let’s go…see the latest new releases at Motorcycle Live!
    Let’s go…see the latest new...

    Comments Off on Let’s go…see the latest new releases at Motorcycle Live!

  • Motorsport Ireland launch new strategic plan for 2024-2027
    Motorsport Ireland launch new strategic...

    Comments Off on Motorsport Ireland launch new strategic plan for 2024-2027


Fleet Car Magazine

Notice Board

  • Experience the Thrills of Motorsport in Emilia-Romagna: Following the Trail of Enzo Ferrari
    Experience the Thrills of Motorsport in Emilia-Romagna:...

    Sep 01, 2023

    TweetThe northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna boasts...
  • 1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evoluzione 2 for sale at Bonhams|Cars’ Goodwood Revival Sale
    1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evoluzione 2 for sale at...

    Aug 24, 2023

    TweetBonhams|Cars is delighted to offer one of the ultimate...
  • 1963 – 2023: Automobili Lamborghini, 60 years of unique cars
    1963 – 2023: Automobili Lamborghini, 60 years of unique...

    Aug 11, 2023

    TweetFrom the 1963 350 GTV to the Invencible and Auténtica...
  • One-off ‘Opera Unica’ Huracán Sterrato celebrates Lamborghini 60th anniversary
    One-off ‘Opera Unica’ Huracán Sterrato celebrates...

    Aug 05, 2023

    TweetInspired by the vibrant blues of Sardinia’s seas and...
  • Latest Statement by Galway Motor Club Limited
    Latest Statement by Galway Motor Club Limited

    Jun 16, 2023

    TweetThe recent decision by the Council of Motor Sport...

Categories

  • Africa Eco-Race
  • Baja
  • BRC
  • Circuit Racing
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Dakar
  • Dakar 2015
  • DAKAR 2016
  • DAKAR 2017
  • DAKAR 2019 PERU
  • DAKAR RALLY 2018
  • EV Motorsport
  • Events
  • EverGreeens: Irish Abroad
  • Extreme E
  • Forestry Rally
  • Formula 1
  • Hillclimb
  • IndyCar Series
  • Interview
  • Middle East Rally Championship
  • Morocco Rally
  • Motorbike
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • RallyX
  • Related products
  • Review
  • Sportscars
  • Touring Cars
  • Tribute
  • Truck Racing
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • WRC
Tweets by @IrMotSportNews

Recent Posts

Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season

Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever...

Nov 30, 2023

TweetThe Belgian car preparation company and Toyota Gazoo Racing won the Dakar Rally, the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for a second successive year and the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country...
Read More
Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes

Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ –...

Nov 27, 2023

Test run for the Audi RS Q e-tron in southern France concludes Dakar preparations

Test run for the Audi RS Q e-tron in southern...

Nov 27, 2023

Extreme E welcomes back broadcaster Jennie Gow to its commentary team for Season 3 finale (2-3 December)

Extreme E welcomes back broadcaster Jennie Gow to...

Nov 27, 2023

Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Mohammed Al-Balooshi & Haitham Al-Tuwaijri record wins in car, motorcycle & quad categories at Rally Qassim Toyota 2023

Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Mohammed Al-Balooshi &...

Nov 27, 2023

Copyright 2016 / All rights reserved