Brady takes President's Cup success at Kirkistown

Awarded to the second Pre Injection race, Andrew Brady was the start to finish winner of the Presidents Cup race at Kirkistown last Saturday.
Jaimie Rea from Crumlin slid off his Suzuki in the Supertwins race. He was unhurt. Pictures: Roy Adams.Jaimie Rea from Crumlin slid off his Suzuki in the Supertwins race. He was unhurt. Pictures: Roy Adams.
Jaimie Rea from Crumlin slid off his Suzuki in the Supertwins race. He was unhurt. Pictures: Roy Adams.

Brady shot away from the line and at one stage had a useful gap opened up.

Towards the end of the race, Dromore rider Jonny Aiken pulled Brady back, but wasn’t able to make any kind of a pass. Brady took the Presidents Cup by .09 of a second. James McKenna was a couple of seconds back in third. Brady also won the opening Pre Injection race from Aiken, with Paul McCrea third, right on Aikens back wheel.

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The Superbike class provided us with some really hard races. In the first Nikki Coates and Ryan Rainey pulled away from the rest of the field, battling elbow to elbow. Coates got the better of the Crumlin man, by only .6 of a second, while Cody Nally was third. There was the same result in race two as well, but this time Rainey was .4 back.

Tam Nicholl from Ballymena on his Suzuki during Saturday's meeting at Kirkistown.Tam Nicholl from Ballymena on his Suzuki during Saturday's meeting at Kirkistown.
Tam Nicholl from Ballymena on his Suzuki during Saturday's meeting at Kirkistown.

The red flags came out on the final lap of the first Supersport 600 race when Jason Lynn fell from his Suzuki. The result, taken at the end of the last completed racing lap handed the win to Nikki Coates. He was just ahead of Randalstown man Christian Elkin, with Korie McGreevy just over 3 seconds back. There was a nail biter of a finish in the second race. Elkin, Coates and McGreevy were separated by less than half a second at the line, with Antrims Ross Patterson trying to get his Kawasaki out of McGreevys slipstream.

Joseph Loughlin from Castleblaney, had a double in the Supertwin races. Toomebridge rider Cahal Graham, the current Irish 125 champion, was sitting with Loughlin, but wasn’t able to put any kind of a pass on him. There was .7 of a second between them at the finish. Marty Lennon was third. Loughlin took the win in the second outing, this time pulling well away from Kia McGreevy. Lennon had another third place. Run concurrently with the Supertwins class, the Production twins gave Shane McGrinder and Mark McConville a win and a second place each. McGrinder won the first race, a couple of seconds ahead of Drogheda man McConville. Jonny Hamill was third. In the second race McGrinder was pipped on the line by McConville, with Hamill again third.

Dromore man Mark Camblin had a double in the SS400 races. In the first outing Kyle Walsh pushed hard, but was 2.3 seconds adrift at the finish. Martin Whearty took third place, but was right on Walshs rear wheel at the end. The second was a bit different. Again the win went to Camblin, but only after Walsh had been given a time penalty for ignoring the stop box when he overshot at the chicane. Second placed Whearty finished well ahead of Walsh, who was third after his penalty was added on. Richard Kerr won both Moto3/125 races from Nigel Moore and Luke Clements.

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Stephen McKeown took the honours in the first Forgotten Era F1 race. He came from behind to pass Mark Murphy, while Chris Campbell was third. Campbell won the second outing, but I get the impression that had the finish been another 100 yards further he would have been second. Stephen McKeown got great drive out of the hairpin and was reeling Campbell in. Just .08 of a second separated them at the line, while Mark Murphy was third. The Superbike Cup, run with the F1, gave a double to Raymond McNeill. He was comfortably ahead of Andy McAllister in both races with Thomas Lavin third. Andrew Irvine ran out as a handy winner in the first Supersport Cup race. He was nearly 10 seconds ahead of Noel Smith, with Alan Johnston third. Setting the fastest lap of the race, Toomebridge man Padraig Graham, a non finisher in race 1,won the second outing. He was 23 seconds ahead of Irvine and Johnston a further 13 seconds back.

Mid Antrim club member Marie Hodgson raced to a fifth place in the Superbike Cup was on Saturday.Mid Antrim club member Marie Hodgson raced to a fifth place in the Superbike Cup was on Saturday.
Mid Antrim club member Marie Hodgson raced to a fifth place in the Superbike Cup was on Saturday.

Warrenpoint lad Connal Courtney had a double in the Junior Cup races. Jordan McCord was second, with Matthew Campbell third in the first one. Young Jonny Campbell rode two blinders in the Young Guns Challenge races. In the first he had a bad start, having to work his way up through the grid to take the win over Andrew Smyth. Portglenone lad Tom Greenwood had his best day yet to take third here. The usual bad start left Campbell a job to do, but he was in great form. Tom Greenwood finished second, keeping his head to hold off a last lap challenge from Andrew Smyth.

Glarryford man Barry Davidson, just home from a successful Pre TT meeting at Billown, had a double in the Junior Classic race. Martin O’Neill and George Stinson had a runner up and a third place each, with Stinson getting the better of it in the last race. Big John Scott and Eanie Horan shared the spoils in the Senior class, with Alex Conroy third both times.

A brilliant days racing, well run and doubtless helped by the good weather. My thanks to the Lesley and the other ladies in the B&D Hospitality for the cups of tea and wee buns.