Oil spill on track means Mondello meeting fails to take place

During practice Eoin Collins had a brake problem on his 400 Kawasaki, which locked the wheel and pitched him off on the start finish straight.

He was unhurt, but his bike spilled oil, which took the track team over 3 hours to clear up. With a couple of qualifying sessions left to run, another oil spill brought a premature end to the days sport.

During the day we had rain, which set in shortly after the practice was due to start. It became gradually worse until at times the track was like a river. Even when it did stop there was a lot of standing water.

It’s easy to understand riders frustrations at paying a lot of money and then not getting to race. I’ve had no word as yet from the organisers as to what they intend doing, if indeed anything. Some have said a reduced entry fee at the next meeting, and others asking for their entry fee to be returned.

Daire Lowe and his deputy Jim McDonnell had a rough call. If they had given the all clear and someone had been seriously injured, who would the finger be pointed at?

NORTH WEST 200 THIS WEEK

The high point of many people’s bike racing year, the North West 200, takes place on the Triangle circuit this week.

It’s seen by most riders as a build up to the TT, the North West used to be one of the fastest circuits in the world, till the addition of Mill Road roundabout and a few other man made chicanes made it slower than both the TT and the fastest of them all, Dundrod.

Racing gets underway on Thursday night, when the Supersport 600 bikes will be first on track.

After William Dunlop’s win at Tandragee, where he came from behind to beat Keith Amor and Derek McGee, the Suzuki rider in obviously in great form.

Men like Amor, Alistair Seeley, Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson, Josh Brookes, Stuart Easton and possibly even Michael Rutter will all fancy their chances, but there is a great crop of riders from Southern Ireland now ready and waiting to grab a podium. Derek McGee, Derek Sheils, and Brian McCormack are all riding really well. Michael Dunlop has had an operation on an injured arm after the BSB Brands Hatch meeting a couple of weekends ago, and doesn’t as yet know if he will be fully fit for the meeting.

The Supertwin race is next. It seems like anybody who feels like predicting winners and looking at Jeremy McWilliams, Ryan Farquhar and Keith Amor, in other words, a 1-2-3 for Farquhar’s KMR team.

It’s hard to see anyone beating them, but here again there a load of lads will want to shake up the established stars. Michael Dunlop is due to ride an ER6 in a class he publically ridiculed a couple of years ago. Lee Johnston and Manxman Dan Kneen are also entered and could shake the better known road racers.

The Superstock racers will also have a run out on Thursday night. Hopefully we will see dry weather for what will be a good indication of what to expect on Saturday. Alistair Seeley will want to carry on with his North West purple patch, while the Dunlops, Guy Martin, Bruce Anstey, Connor Cummins, Lee Johnston, John McGuinness and Gary Johnston won’t be too far away.

Roads close on Tuesday for practice at 9.15am, due to reopen at 2.45pm. On Thursday roads close at 9.15am till 2.45pm. The roads will reopen and then close again at 5.15pm until 9pm for the first three races of the week.

On Saturday roads close from 9.15am until 7pm. It seems to me a very long day for a 5 race programme. There are, as normal, a lot of sideshows and other events during the week. Full details are on the North West website.