Masters Superbike Championship title chase continues at Mondello
Mondello Park will once again be the venue as the Masters Superbike Championship title chase continues on June 24th and 25th. Rounds seven, eight and nine of Ireland’s biggest Short Circuit Motorcycle Racing Series will see competitors tackle the Co. Kildare circuit’s National Track for the second time this year. The event will once again also count for Irish National Championship points.
Heading to Mondello Park, Superbike debutant, Richie Ryan is the clear championship leader on his Yamaha R1. Ryan has been the championships most consistently quick rider across the six races so far, taking four second places and two thirds, but the Waterford racer is determined to get his first win next time out at Mondello Park.
Ryan is trailed by a pair of three time winners, as Athlone’s Cody Nally and Lisburn’s Carl Phillips sit in joint second place. Both have achieved a treble, with Nally winning three races on his Kawasaki at event one but then missing the next three rounds, while Phillips MD Racing Suzuki took a hat-trick on a one-off championship appearance at event two. The other new Yamaha in the field, ridden by Charles Stuart, sits fourth in the standings just behind Nally and Phillips. The Superbike ‘Cup’ class is wide open with Dean O’Grady, Andrew Murphy, Michael Weldon, Mayo based Michael Gillan and Eddie Healy all in contention.
The Masters Supersport championship continues to provide the most competitive action with seven different riders having stood on the podium so far and three riders having tasted victory. Kingsbury Kawasaki rider Ross Patterson has made a very strong return to the class to take three wins and finish on the podium every time.
Patterson’s performances have given him a healthy lead over the Walter Bell Suzuki of Jason Lynn who has won twice so far. The other victory has gone to reigning ‘Cup’ champion Aaron Clifford who took his maiden outright Masters win at round four and sits third in the standings. Rising star Eunan McGlinchey from Agahdowey leads the Cup class from Aaron Wright and Luke O’Higgins, despite taking just one win so far.
The third event of the Masters season will be run by the Irish Sidecar and Motorcycle Supporters Club and due to their affiliation with the three wheelers some additional awards will be on offer to this class. The Sidecars will race four times over the weekend having missed out on one round during the previous event.
The support classes will be headed by the Principal Insurance Pre-Injection races with each class racing once on Saturday and twice on Sunday. The Pre-Injection class has been particularly tight this season with two first time race winners winners, Darryl Sharkey and Joe Grant, sitting on top of the table, followed by extremely impressive newcomer Ian Prendergast and the experienced Enda Delaney.
The remaining races on the programme will be for combined grids of Supertwin and Production Twin machines, Lightweight Supersport and Moto3, Young Guns and Junior Cup and the mixed Superbike and Supersport ‘B’ and ‘C’ Races. Classic will also be on the bill, with the older machines completing their two races on Saturday.
