Farquhar will run under the KMR Kawasaki banner for the third successive year and has taken delivery of two of the all-new ZX-10R Kawasaki machines, one for the Superstock class and one to be run to Evo-spec rules for the Superbike races, which he hopes will enable him to add to his International tally of wins, especially having come so close in 2010 when he finished 2nd in the Superstock TT. He again has the use of two 600cc machines for the Supersport class whilst he’ll once more campaign a full season on the ER6 Super Twin.

Having expressed his desire to run a 2nd rider during 2011, a number of discussions since took place and it’s regular rival Archibald that has secured the ride with the duo relishing the prospect of working together and giving the fledgling Super Twin class an even bigger boost. All machines under the KMR Kawasaki stable will be campaigned in the customary red and black colours with the exception of Ryan’s Superstock machine which will be run in traditional Kawasaki green.

For 2011, Ryan is delighted to welcome a number of new sponsors to the team, notably Manx Gas and BA Components. Manx Gas supply gas for both domestic and commercial purposes across the Isle of Man and the Island-wide provision includes central heating, fires, cookers, tumble driers, lighting, barbecues and many other appliances. Established in 1990 and operating from Cookstown, County Tyrone, BA Components has grown steadily to become a major manufacturer of kitchen and bedroom door accessories in the UK and Irish furniture components industry. In addition, Dawson Engineering (Portadown), Manx Telecom, Donaghy Motorhomes (Letterkenny), Arrow Exhausts and Furygan Leathers are also new sponsors for KMR Kawasaki in 2011 which should further add to the presence of what is one of the most professional teams within the sport.

Naturally, the three International road races – the Isle of Man TT, North West 200 and Ulster GP – will be Ryan’s main focus but in what promises to be another busy year he’ll also contest the Southern 100, all races at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, the Manx Grand Prix and the majority of the Irish National road races. He also hopes to run a couple of riders at the Manx GP in September.

Speaking about his year ahead, Ryan commented: “I’m delighted the new season is almost upon us and it’s great to have everything in place for, hopefully, another strong year. I’ve been fortunate enough to retain my loyal sponsors from 2010 whilst it’s great to welcome so many new ones on board, particularly Manx Gas, BA Components and Dawson Engineering. The last two seasons have been superb and we’re in a great position to challenge for even more race wins this year. I’ve got fantastic support behind me, probably more than ever before, and the success at the International races will be the main aim, particularly the TT.”

“Kawasaki have again helped tremendously and wanted me to run a 2nd rider this season and, after discussions didn’t work out with another rider, I spoke to Adrian. I wanted to run someone who I knew I could rely on, works hard and puts in 100% effort and commitment. Adrian fits that bill and is the perfect man for the job. We go back a long way and have the utmost respect for each other so I’m really looking forward to it. It can only be good for the class.”

New team-mate Archibald commented; “It’s going to be a very interesting year for me and I’m really looking forward to working with Ryan and his team. We spoke about working together a while ago and we’ve always been friends so it’s something that can only be good for the sport and, obviously, for the Super Twin class. It’s a new class for me but I’ve liked what I’ve seen so, all being well, I’ll be able to run at the front and gain more publicity for Ryan’s team. He’s always been very professional so I think we can have a good season together. I’m still as hungry for success as I’ve always been so I’m very excited about 2011 and can’t wait for the first race.”

Michael Johnstone, Kawasaki UK’s Sales and Marketing Manager added; “We’re very excited about Ryan working with Kawasaki again, especially with the launch of the new ZX-10R. We very much hope he can continue his recent run of success, particularly at the Internationals where the Kawasaki in Superstock trim will be the bike to beat. Bringing in Adrian is a great move and to have a rider of such stature in the team is superb and we’re delighted that he and Ryan will be working together in 2011, further increasing our presence in the Super Twin class. We’ve had an excellent working relationship with Ryan for some years now and we’re proud to be associated with him and his team once more so we’re all eagerly looking forward to the 2011 season.”

The first outing for the team and both riders will be the Ian Watson Spring National road races to be held at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough on Sunday 17th April.

Picture by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

Picture by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International

Ryan Farquhar’s excellent form at the Irish National road races continued on Sunday when he took four wins at the Munster 100 Dunmanway road races in Cork, Southern Ireland. The KMR Kawasaki rider won the Open race and Grand Final on his 1000cc machine, the 450cc/125cc race on the 450cc Kawasaki and also the Super Twins race on his ER6 650cc machine.

The re-introduced races, held on a 1.8-mile circuit, were a popular addition to the 2010 calendar after a long absence although the weather on Saturday did its best to spoil things and constant rain meant that practice was untimed and grid positions determined by Championship positions. Thankfully, race day was a lot better and Ryan kicked off his day with victory in the Open race although it was a close run thing with Michael Dunlop pushing him all the way, the gap between the two just 0.7s at the chequered flag. Dunlop then turned the tables on Ryan in the Supersport 600cc race and he had to settle for second on this occasion, seven seconds adrift of his younger rival.

That proved to be Ryan’s only defeat of the day and he made it win number 2 with a comprehensive 12.5s victory over William Dunlop in the concurrently run 125cc/450cc race. Again proving his excellent versatility, Ryan was then back out on the ER6 Kawasaki for the Super Twins and he duly completed his hat-trick with another dominant performance, this time coming home ahead of similarly-mounted John Burrows by 13 seconds. That left just the Grand Final and Ryan wasn’t going to be denied his fourth win of the day and he again romped home for the victory, this time ending the race 3.6seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Michael Dunlop. He also set the fastest lap of the day, a new outright lap record, at 81.075mph.

Speaking later, a delighted Ryan said: “It’s been another really enjoyable weekend of racing and although the circuit was one of the bumpiest, tightest ones I’ve ever ridden on, the club did an absolutely fantastic job. They made everyone feel very, very welcome and they really couldn’t have done any more for us so it was great to see race day have some fine weather a real good crowd turn out. The circuit was a bit like a mini-Macau or like the go-kart track that was used in Peel on the Isle of Man and it was real hard work on the 600cc and 1000cc machines so the smaller bikes definitely suited the circuit more but I was able to take another 4 wins and had a great time. I’ll definitely look forward to coming back here in 2011.”

Ryan now has a well-earned break from racing with his next outing coming at the Killalane road races on September 11-12, the final round of the 2010 Irish Road Race Championship.

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

After Friday’s practice sessions were almost entirely wiped out by poor weather, Saturday didn’t get off to the greatest starts when more damp weather meant the riders had just a handful of untimed practice laps under their belt before racing got underway. Thankfully, the weather improved and the roads were completely dry when racing commenced. First up for Ryan was the 6-lap 450cc race which he comfortably won on his KX450 Kawasaki from Seamus Elliott and he followed this up with a close fought second to Keith Amor in the Supersport 600cc race, the Scotsman just coming out on top on the last lap by 0.157s. Ryan’s third race of the day was the Open race and, after grabbing the lead on the opening lap, he was able to control affairs from the front of the field and got the better of Amor on this occasion by 2.024s.

The penultimate race of the day was the Super Twins race which saw Ryan get his third win, coming home over seven seconds clear of Michal Dokoupil and that just left the ‘Race of Legends’ Grand Final where he again went head to head with Amor. The duo went at it hammer and tongs throughout with Amor opening up a lead of 4-5 bike lengths on the last lap but as the duo approached the final corner, two backmarkers had to be negotiated and whilst Amor went on the outside, Ryan dived up the inside. Keith collided with one of the backmarkers and then he and Ryan also had a coming together but in the dash to the line, Ryan got the verdict by 0.153s.

Talking later, a delighted Ryan said, “It’s been a really enjoyable day’s racing and, after the problems with the rain on Friday, it was great to get the racing all run in decent, dry conditions whilst it was also really good to battling it out with Keith once more. In the first Superbike race, I got a good start and opened up a bit of a gap so from then on I was able to ride to my boards and control the gap. The Supersport was a lot tougher and although I led from the first lap again I just couldn’t shake Keith off and he was right on my rear wheel throughout. I knew he was going to come by at some stage and he left it until the final lap, slipstreaming by me, to leave me in a close second.”

“The 450cc and Super Twins races were fairly comfortable so that just left the Grand Final where I knew it would be between my and Keith once more. He led from the off this time but on the last corner of the last lap we encountered some backmarkers and it all got a bit messy. It was no-ones fault and just one of things but I was able to get the power down first and pip him to the line to complete another good day. I’m really happy with my riding at the moment and it sets me up nicely for this week’s Ulster GP. It’s not going be easy though, especially as I won’t have the use of a Superbike unfortunately, but I’ll be giving it my all and just see where we end up on the day.”

Ryan now heads to the Dundrod circuit for the Ulster GP Bikeweek with the Dundrod 150 races taking place on Thursday 12th and the Ulster GP races taking place on Saturday 14th August.

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

Picture by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International

Ryan Farquhar’s brilliant 2010 road racing season continued on Saturday when he dominated the Mid Antrim 150 road races. Competing on the 3.6-mile Clough circuit, the KMR Kawasaki rider won no less than five races, including the Grand Final, extending his tally for the season to 38 victories. The five wins also took him to a total of 22 at the Mid Antrim, comfortably the highest in the 64-year history of the event whilst he now has the unique distinction of holding five lap records, including the outright.

It was another wet day for competitors whilst they also had to contend with a surface that was wet in parts, damp in others and then dry elsewhere making tyre choice constantly tricky. Ryan opened his account for the day with victory in the Open race where, after leading at one stage by over 12 seconds, he eased back in the closing laps to lead Adrian Archibald home by 6 seconds. Next up was the Super Twins race where he was pressured in the early stages by fellow Dungannon man John Burrows. As the race wore on, the circuit, which had started fully wet, began to dry up in places but Ryan, despite struggling for grip, was able to edge clear for another comfortable win.

The 600cc race saw a repeat of the early Open encounter only this time Archibald led to begin with. Having sat behind him for a couple of laps, Ryan made his move and was able to take his third win of the day. His penultimate race was the 125/450 race where the 450s started in their own group and it was Seamus Elliott who led on his 450 Yamaha until the third lap when Ryan found his way through. Elliott pushed Ryan all the way but eventually pushed too hard and slid off, fortunately without injury, on the final lap and Ryan was not only able to take the 450 win but was also the fastest rider on corrected time. The final race of the day was the Grand Final and with conditions again tricky, it was another close race between Ryan and Archibald. There was little to choose between the two riders as Archibald sat on the rear wheel of Ryan but on the last lap he crahsed out at speed, again escaping injury, allowing Ryan to take an unprecedented fifth win of the day.

Speaking later, Ryan said, “It was really tough conditions out there today and very difficult to know what tyres to choose. Some parts of the track were wet, some dry and some were very dirty with mud running on to the course and stuff so it was really slippy out there. Adrian pushed me hard in the Superbike races none more so than in the Grand Final where I just couldn’t shake him off. He was there all the way through and it’s probably the toughest race I’ve ever had in those conditions. I’ve won in the wet before but have always had a bit of a buffer whereas this time he was on my bike wheel throughout and there was no let up. It was a real shame his race ended in a crash so I’m pleased he’s ok.”

“Seamus also pushed me hard in the 450cc race and our bikes were pretty evenly matched so that was another tough race although I was really chuffed to beat all the 125s on corrected time too. I’ve taken 22 wins now at the Mid Antrim and it’s certainly a circuit that’s been kind to me over the years, it’s just a shame that today’s been spoilt by the weather a bit. We’ve all got a mad dash now to get all the bikes, truck and the like all cleaned up before Armoy this weekend!”

Ryan now has just a few days before his next outing with the Armoy Road Races taking place on Saturday August 7th.

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

Ryan Farquhar’s tremendous 2010 road racing season continued this week when the Dungannon rider claimed the annual Southern 100 Championship title on the Isle of Man. Held on the 4.25-mile Billown course, Ryan took victory in Thursday’s feature race to get his name back on the trophy for the first time since 2003 whilst he also added three more victories to his account during the course of the four day festival.

The KMR Kawasaki rider opened his week with third place in Tuesday’s Senior race, which was held in wet weather, although he was lucky to stay on board after fellow countryman Michael Pearson crashed behind him on the final lap. The sliding machine forced Ryan to mount a kerb at around 70mph, breaking the front rim, and the race was subsequently red flagged, the result being taken at the end of the fifth lap.

Wednesday’s racing again started wet but dried up as the evening wore on and Ryan chalked up his first win of the week with a convincing win in the Mini Twins race. The race was held alongside the 250cc machines and, such was Ryan’s pace, he was able to finish third overall only beaten by the 250cc Hondas of William Dunlop and Chris Palmer! He was then back out on his Superstock Kawasaki for the second Senior race and he left the field trailing firmly in his wake eventually taking the chequered flag 23 seconds clear of his nearest rival! He rounded the evening off with 4th place in the 600cc race.

Thursday saw the final race action and Ryan was able to go one better in the second 600cc race as he took third place behind the Yamahas of Michael and William Dunlop. The second Mini Twins race was a lot closer this time around but Ryan had everything under control on his 650cc ER6 Kawasaki and came home ahead of Roy Richardson for his third win of the week. That just left the main Southern 100 Championship race and a good start saw Ryan running in the front pack with the Superbike machines of Michael Dunlop and Cameron Donald.

He soon fought his way through to the front and had opened up a near 3-second lead by lap 5 when the red flag came out for a crash involving Michael Dunlop, although the young Ulsterman was fortunately uninjured. That meant a two-part race, which was good news for Ryan as, when he pulled in after the red flag, he found out that there was a hole in the radiator which would never have lasted if the race had gone the full distance. With fellow rider Mark Buckley loaning him a new radiator, Ryan was able to make the second part of the Championship race and, rather than sit behind Donald, he decided to lead from the front once more and take the victory on the road as well as on the timesheets.

Speaking on Friday, a delighted Ryan said: “I’m well pleased with the results here at the Southern 100 and to win the main Championship race again is brilliant and I’m over the moon to get my name back on the trophy. Since I last won it in 2003, I seem to have always finished 2nd or 3rd but everything went my way this year. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to stay with the Superbikes but I got a good start and although they were quicker than me, they were holding me up in the corners so I made my way to the front and pulled away. When the red flag came out, I noticed there was a hole in the radiator and I thought that was me finished but I got talking to Mark Buckley who lent me his spare one and with the re-start taking place after the Sidecar race I had enough time to get it repaired,”

“I knew I had a bit of an advantage over Cameron and could have just sat behind him but I didn’t want to win the race like that and so got to the front and was able to take a really satisfying win – like I say, a big thank you to Mark for his generosity. The other races went well enough and with 4 wins, two thirds and a fourth, it’s been a really good week so a big thank you to everyone in the team for all their hard work and again to all my sponsors for their continued support. What with Scarborough, the Southern and now Kells, it’s certainly been a hectic week but let’s hope I can finish it off with some more wins.”

Ryan headed back to Ireland immediately after the Southern 100 had finished and will now contest this weekend’s Kells Road Races.

Pictures by Pacemaker Press International

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

Ryan Farquhar quite simply dominated proceedings at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough over the weekend and the Dungannon ace took a stunning nine wins from nine starts around the 2.43-mile woodland venue. The KMR Kawasaki rider was in imperious form at the public road circuit and was also able to claim the Cock o’ the North trophy for the first time in his career.

Saturday saw extremely warm, humid conditions on the North Yorkshire coast, which meant it was going to be a tough day for Ryan but, after taking a Superbike heat win, he opened his ‘proper’ race account with a comfortable victory in the first leg of the Supersport 600cc. A quick drink was all he had time for before jumping on the KX450 single for the 125cc/400cc race and he was involved in a race long battle with the 400cc Kawasaki of Mick Goodings before coming out on top by just 0.684s.

It was then back on to the KMR Kawasaki Superstock bike for the 8-lap Superbike race where, aided by the fastest lap of the race – 1m45.728s – he ran out victor by over ten seconds. The races were coming thick and fast and next up was the Minitwins where he saw off the challenges of Ivan Lintin and David Bell to take the chequered flag by almost 4 seconds.

Sunday saw a lot cooler conditions with a strong wind blowing throughout the day and Ryan got off to a great start with a 8.8s victory in the second leg of the Superbikes as he set what proved to be the fastest lap of the weekend at 1m45.704s. The second leg of the 125cc/400cc was again his toughest race of the day but, after sitting in second for the first half of the race, he managed to pass Alistair Haworth to take yet another win, this time by just one second. The second leg of the 600cc was also a lot closer as Michael Pearson took the early initiative but, by half race distance, Ryan was in the lead and he duly took the victory from his fellow countryman by almost two seconds.

The second Minitwins race saw Ryan maintain his 100% win rate and that just left the feature 10-lap Cock o’ the North Open race to negotiate. With a brilliant start once more, Ryan grabbed the holeshot going into Mere Hairpin and, lapping consistently half a second a lap quicker than his rivals, he was able to ease off on the final lap to come home ahead of fellow Kawasaki men Pearson and Ian Lougher to claim another piece of silverware.

Speaking afterwards, a delighted Ryan said; “Well, it doesn’t get much better than that and to come away with 9 wins from 9 starts is absolutely brilliant! I always enjoy coming to race at Scarborough and this weekend has been no exception and it’s been a superb two days for me and the team. It was quite frantic with the races coming one after the other but the team did a great job in making sure everything was fully prepared and ready and that allowed me to concentrate on my riding.”

“None of the races were easy and the 125/400 races, in particular, were tough as the 400s had quite a speed advantage over my 450 but I was able to utilise the handling and cornering speed of the bike to come out on top. Oliver’s Mount is very physical too with a lot of braking so my hands feel quite sore now and I’m pretty tired but it’s all been worth the effort and I’m over the moon to finally get my hands on the Cock o’ the North Trophy. It’s a busy time of the year for me so let’s hope I can carry this form over to the next few meetings.”

There’s no let up for Ryan and he now heads to the Isle of Man where he’ll be taking part in this week’s Southern 100 road races with practice getting underway on Monday evening.

Picture by Pacemaker Press International

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

Ryan Farquhar enjoyed another excellent, if not busy, weekend of racing as he took six wins from the ten races he started over the course of the two days. The KMR Kawasaki rider took two wins at the Skerries 100 meeting on Saturday before making the overnight dash to Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough where he added another four wins to his 2010 tally.

At the Skerries meeting on the outskirts of Dublin, Ryan opened his account with a comfortable victory in the Super Twins race on his ER6 Kawasaki and he followed this up with another first place, this time in the 1000cc Open race where he also set a new outright lap record of 109.335mph as he got the better of Keith Amor by over three seconds. The Scotsman then got the better of Ryan in the 600cc race, albeit by just 0.349s, after another close run affair and it was also second place in the 125/400 race where Ryan was out once more on his 450cc Kawasaki. The Grand Final was then stopped after one lap due to an accident.

Ryan then made the overnight trip to Scarborough for the Barry Sheene Classic Festival which had races for both classic and modern machinery and the day started with well with victory in both the 350cc Classic and the 400cc race where he was out on his Super Twin machine. First was also the order of the day in the Open race and then again in the Denis Parkinson 500cc Classic event on the 500cc Paton. The weekend then began to catch up with Ryan and after finishing 2nd in the second 400cc race and 3rd in the Geoff Barry Classic Superbike race, he decided to withdraw from the rest of the days racing as fatigue crept in.

Speaking later Ryan said: “I was really pleased with my results at Skerries and after qualifying quickest on the Super Twin and 1000cc and second on the 600 and 450, the day went pretty much as expected. Keith got a good start in the Open race and I followed him for a few laps before sussing out where I was quickest and once I’d got through I was able to open up a slight gap. The 450 race went better than I thought as Skerries is a pretty fast circuit so to lead for as long as I did and finish so close to William Dunlop on his 125 Honda was very pleasing. The Grand Final was shaping up to be another close race before the unfortunate accident.”

“I then got the overnight ferry to the mainland before driving to Scarborough, which, maybe, wasn’t such a good idea as we didn’t get to the circuit until 6am! I got a wee bit of sleep and felt ok in the first few races but as the day wore on, the lack of sleep started to creep up on me and I was that shattered I couldn’t really concentrate properly out on the circuit and it was getting close to becoming dangerous. I spoke to Roger Winfield, who’s bikes I was riding at the meeting, and we decided to sit the rest of the day out. Overall, it’s been a good two days of racing although a little bit more hectic than I would have liked but I’ll look forward to a week off now before getting back out at Scarborough for the Cock o’ the North.”

Ryan will be back at Oliver’s Mount next weekend, July 10-11, for the annual Cock ‘ the North races.

Pictures by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

All things considered, the big man is in good spirits and is keen to undergo all the necessary treatment in order to return to training as soon as possible. He’s hungry to regain full fitness and will have no problem in putting in the necessary hours in the gym with physio Isla Scott, who has been a real help to Conor over the past weeks. Many thanks again to all the people who sent cards and good wishes to Conor at this time – it is very much appreciated by Conrod, his family and the McAdoo Kawasaki team.

Ryan Farquhar has spoken about his decision to boycott the Bush Road Races in protest about the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland’s (Ulster Centre) decision to stop the 450cc machines from competing directly alongside the 125cc bikes at Irish National Road Races. Over the winter, Farquhar was informed that the 450s would be allowed to compete in direct competition to the 125s and subsequently built his own bike using a KX450F Kawasaki engine. Using the bike successfully over the Easter weekend at Bishopscourt and Kirkistown, Farquhar then rode the bike at the first road race of the season, the Cookstown 100, and promptly defeated William Dunlop on his 125cc Honda by 1.179s after a thrilling race.

However, Dunlop protested that the 450s shouldn’t have been allowed to race alongside the 125s and, just before he left for the Isle of Man TT races, Farquhar was told he had been removed from the results, much to his obvious annoyance. An appeal was subsequently logged and, although this has yet to be heard, Farquhar wasn’t allowed to compete against the 125s at the Bush. There was still a race for the 450s but they had to start separately from the 125s and not together as what the MCUI (UC) had initially stated at the beginning of the year.

The whole reason Farquhar had decided to build a 450cc machine was to prove that they could be competitive against 125s and also that the class had a strong future with two strokes machines gradually disappearing and being phased out from the racing world. This could only be done by the two different bikes competing directly against each other in a straight race and so Farquhar took the decision to withdraw from the Bush races, not an easy decision given that it’s his local circuit, and make a stand against the decisions and mistakes being made by the MCUI (UC).

Speaking on Sunday, a bitterly disappointed Farquhar said: “Over the winter I was informed by various parties at the MCUI (UC) that 450s were going to be introduced to run alongside the 125s at National road races. I was given a set of regulations, which I still have, and, having spoke to Kawasaki who fully supported me in the project, built a bike that was completely within the rules and guidelines that were laid down. Sadly, the two-strokes are dying out and so the 450 machines are the ideal replacement and perfect for getting youngsters in to the sport. I believed that I could build a bike that could be competitive and do a lot of good for the future of the sport thus proving a lot of the doubters wrong.”

“The regulations came out for the Easter meetings and I had my entries accepted subsequently practicing and racing without any problem. The regulations for Cookstown came out in December before ther MCUI (UC) had made their decision about the 450s but I again spoke to various parties of the MCUI (UC) who told me that I would be eligible to race the 450 against the 125s at the Cookstown 100. I entered the race, was listed in the programme, qualified second and then won the race. However, William Dunlop protested my inclusion, a decision that was upheld. I did everything by the book, have everything written down in black and white and so appealed the decision as I felt I had been treated unfairly.”

“My appeal has yet to be heard yet I was told by the Dungannon and Motorcycle Club that I wouldn’t be allowed to race against the 125s at the Bush – I could’ve raced the 450 as a separate class but the whole idea of the 450 concept was for them to compete in direct competition to the 125s. In my opinion, I should be allowed to race against the 125s until my appeal has been heard and I feel really disappointed that the Dungannon Club didn’t back me 100% on this. The MCUI (UC) can’t change the rules as and when it suits them yet they’re bullying people around and, quite frankly, it’s just not on.”

“Everyone I’ve spoke to, whether it be sponsors or friends, is right behind me so I made the decision to withdraw from the Bush meeting. It’s my home event so I was bitterly disappointed not to be there but I feel that I have to make a stand and stand up to the MCUI (UC). The 450s are a great bike that can entice young kids into the sport as they are relatively cheap to run and are a great bike for them to learn on. Every manufacturer builds a 450cc machine that can be converted into a race bike and, just like I helped do with the Super Twins class, I believed that I could successfully raise the profile of the class and help the future of the sport. But this can only be done if they are allowed to compete directly against the 125s and not be run as a separate race. I’m being penalised for the inadequacies of the MCUI (UC) who have failed to get their paperwork in order and have been telling people different things over the last few months over what is and what isn’t allowed. It’s simply not fair and I won’t be pushed around by these bullies.”

Kawasaki’s Sales & Marketing Manager Michael Johnstone added; “Whilst disappointed, Kawasaki UK support Ryan’s decision not to race this weekend. The decision by the organising body not to follow the agreed regulations on the inclusion on 450cc, single cylinder four strokes in the 125cc class at this meeting is very disappointing. We share Ryan’s frustration knowing the amount of time, effort and money he has invested in to this project.”

“We also share the disappointment of many race fans in Northern Ireland. After the close racing seen in this class at Cookstown, I am sure many were relishing the prospect of a season of competitive racing in this category. We hope that this issue can be resolved soon.”

Ryan’s next meeting will be the Skerries 100 on Saturday 3rd July. The MCUI (Southern Centre) have confirmed that they will be running races as per the initial regulations thus allowing the 450s to compete directly against the 125s.

Picture by Stephen Davison (Pacemaker Press International)

Phil Wain
Freelance PR

McAdoo Kawasaki Racing’s Conor Cummins stepped up his pace at Thursday evening’s TT practice (4) lapping at almost 129mph. Conrod made further adjustments to the Maxton suspension on the McAdoo ZX-10R Superbike which helped the handling and did two laps at over 128mph, making him second fastest in the Superbike class on the evening. He also got one lap on the McAdoo Superstock ZX-10R Kawasaki and again ended the evening second fastest in this class.

Conor spoke shortly after practice ended “I’m happier with the suspension now on the Superbike. It’s not perfect but we can make some little tweaks and I think we’ll be there. The guys tell me I should have been a lot faster tonight but I lost a load of time on both laps, 8 seconds from the Bungalow to Cronk ny Mona on lap one which would have been 129mph+ (yellow flag), then 4 seconds in the final sector on lap two having to slow for the pits. I also struggled with the low sunlight plus I seemed to get yellow flags everywhere but I suppose race day is when the times count. We went the wrong way with the suspension on the Stocker but again, we know where to go with that now.”

Practice is due to conclude on Friday evening, with race one on Saturday, TT Superbike.
________________________________________________________________________________

Poker Stars Superbike TT
1 Ian Hutchinson 1000cc Honda / Padgetts Motorcycles 2 17 23.51 130.165
2 Conor Cummins 1000cc Kawasaki / McAdoo Kawasaki Racing 2 17 34.25 128.838
3 Cameron Donald 1000cc Suzuki / Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing 2 17 34.27 128.836
4 Keith Amor 1000cc Honda / H M Plant Honda 1 17 35.46 128.691
5 Michael Rutter 1000cc Honda / Batham’s Honda 2 17 44.78 127.564* (also given Stocker time by mistake)
6 Michael Dunlop 1000cc Honda / Street Sweep/Robinson Concrete 2 17 45.35 127.496
7 Ian Lougher 1000cc Kawasaki / Blackhorse Kawasaki 2 18 00.83 125.670
8 John McGuinness 1000cc Honda / HM Plant Honda Racing 2 18 05.64 125.113
9 Ryan Farquhar 1000cc Kawasaki / MSS Colchester Kawasaki 1 18 06.20 125.049
10 Gary Johnson 1000cc Suzuki / AIM Racing 1 18 06.55 125.009

Royal London 360 Superstock TT
1 Michael Dunlop 1000cc Honda / Hunts Motorcycles/Marlow Construction 1 17 48.58 127.111
2 Conor Cummins 1000cc Kawasaki / McAdoo Kawasaki Racing 1 18 07.29 124.924
3  Mark Buckley 1000cc Kawasaki / OTSS Racing 3 18 12.58 124.319
4  Adrian Archibald 1000cc Suzuki / AMA Racing Team 2 18 13.35 124.232
5  Steve Mercer 1000cc Yamaha / G Forces / SMR Road Racing 2 18 14.01 124.156
6  Gary Johnson 1000cc Suzuki / AIM Racing 1 18 20.10 123.468
7  Dan Kneen 1000cc Suzuki / Marks Bloom Racing/West London Suzuki 1 18 32.26 122.119
8  James McBride 1000cc Yamaha / Downview Finance / Pazzo Racing 1 18 32.62 122.080
9  Ian Mackman 1000cc Suzuki / PRF Racing 1 18 34.34 121.891
10  22 William Dunlop 1000cc Suzuki / CD Racing 1 18 34.74 121.847