Overcast conditions were the order of the day for practice and qualifying at Oliver’s Mount for the first day’s action of the 2011 Cock O’the North Road Races.

The opening race of the two day programme was the first leg of the 600cc Supersport class.

Ryan Farquhar got the hole-shot and led into and out of Mere Corner on the first of the eight laps, holding the lead at the end of lap one from Ian Lougher and Michael Pearson, but the red flag was shown putting an end to the action, due to oil on the course on the approach to Farm Bends.


After the delay, it was decided to run race two, the first of five races for the sidecars at the meeting.

At the end of the opening lap of six it was Conrad Harrison and Lee Patterson 3.7 seconds ahead of Tony Thirkell and Nigel Barlow with DAVE Wallis and Steve Wareham third.

A lap later the leaders remained in the same positions, while Greg Lambert and Aaron Galligan moved into fourth.

At half distance Harrison’s advantage was up to 8 seconds with Wallis still third, chasing Thirkell.

The winning margin was some 10.4 seconds for Harrison and Patterson.


The next race was first leg of the Open class for machines 175cc to 1300cc.

Once again it was Farquhar who got the hole-shot into and out of Mere Hairpin.

The end of the first lap it was Farquhar from Pearson and Adrian Archibald, the gap being 3/10ths of a second and 1.4 seconds.

Next time round Pearson had closed the distance to 0.08 of a second, with Archibald now 3 seconds down in third.

A lap later the gap had widened to 0.244 of a second with the first three in situ. Ian Lougher moved into fourth ahead of Steve Mercer.

The half distance lap saw a change in the lead with Pearson in front of Farquhar by 0.313 of a second.

Lap five and six saw positions remain the same. Lap seven and the gap had increased to 1.433 seconds between Pearson and Farquhar and at the flag it was Michael Pearson from Ryan Farquhar and Adrian Archibald, the winners lead was a massive 8.536 seconds.


Next up was the combined 400c and 125cc machines for their first race of the meeting. Dan Frear opened a 4 second gap on the opening lap from James Cowton in the 400cc class, with Chris Palmer ahead of Paul Owen enjoying a six second lead as Ian Lougher pulled in at the end of the first lap with machine problems.

By half distance the leaders, Frear and Palmer were heading their races by 23 seconds and 20 seconds, with Palmer now third on the road.
At the chequered flag Daniel Frear took the 400cc win from James Cowton and Chris Palmer collected the 125cc victory from Paul Owen.


Race five saw the sidecars back in action with Harrison having a start to finish winning ride. Second and third throughout were Dave Wallis and Greg Lambert.


The combined 250’s and 650 SuperTwins were next. Chris Palmer took the hole-shot and continued to lead at the end of the opening lap of eight. Dan Frear took the lead from the off, but retired at the end of the lap with machine problems, handing the lead to Ryan Farquhar.

Palmer’s lead had increased to nearly six seconds on lap two, as Farquhar had nearly three seconds over Ivan Lintin.

At half distance the quarter-litre class saw Palmer still leading with a 10.4 second advantage from Derek Clark with Jamie Coward in third. Ryan Farquhar headed the 650’s from Ivan Lintin and Adrian Archibald.

Ryan Farquhar was second on the road by the end of the fifth lap.

Chris Palmer retired at Farms Bends towards the end of lap six, with a machine problem, as Farquhar now led on the roads. Derek Clark now led the 250’s.

At the chequered flag it was Farquhar who took the 650 victory and Derek Clark taking the 250 honours.


Next Up was race one, the 600cc and it was Ryan Farquhar who got the hole-shot from Michael Pearson and Ian Lougher.

However it was Lougher leading at the end of the first lap of eight from Archibald and Pearson. Farquhar reported as ‘cruising’ and retired back to the paddock with machine problems.

Lap two and the gap was now 5.5 seconds Lougher from Pearson with Archie now third.

Lap three it was Lougher, Pearson and Dean Harrison now third as Archibald retired with machine trouble.

Half distance and Lougher’s advantage was up to 8.5 seconds, with places remaining static.

Ian Lougher retired on the sixth lap handing the lead to Michael Pearson with Dean Harrison now second and Robert Wilson third.

No change to the leader board on lap seven, with Pearson 3.9 seconds in front. A lead he took to the chequered flag ahead of Harrison and Wilson.


The third leg of the Sidecars was the penultimate race of the day, which brought Harrison and Patterson their third win of the day.


The final race of the day was the Open Race Non Qualifiers event over eight laps won by Lee Vernon from Paul Gartland and Adam Child.