Top ‘rookie’ honour for Ahoghill motorcycle ace Luke

The local lad, who is studying for a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Queens, had a no score weekend in early September at Mondello when he was taken out on the first lap by another rider chopping across his front. Despite this, he finished the year as Stock Cup champion in the 600 class.

The prize is to have the expenses met for a week’s testing at the Pro test at Cartagena in Spain in 
early March.

“I hope to be able to take it up. We have to get ourselves and our bike out to Spain.

“My course work at Uni now is getting harder, and with that and the fact that I might not be able to afford the time away, means I may not be able to take up on the offer.” Luke told me on Sunday night.

It looks like the Graphics Unlimited team will retain the use of their R6, which was bought new at the start of 2012.

“The bike was only new at the start of the year and its going well enough and handling well enough. There’s no real point in changing it.”

Pressed about what he would like to do after he finishes his University course he told me: “I’d like to be an Engineer at MotoGP. There’s not many places at that, so I might end up at BSB or something like that. Who knows?”

Hopefully Luke will be able to make the trip, where most of the top teams and riders test their machines ahead of the various championships.