The Races

Thursday 11th August

Saturday 13th August

John McGuinness, the multi-Isle of Man TT winner and Mountain Circuit lap record holder, will make his only Irish appearance of this season when he takes part in the Dundrod 150 and McKinstry Skip Hire Ulster Grand Prix road races around the 7.4-mile Dundrod Circuit this week.

McGuinness has just recently returned from Japan where he was racing in the Suzuka eight-hour race.

The 39-year-old from Morecambe in Lancashire rides for the TT Honda Legends team at Dundrod in the superbike class and for Padgetts Inda in the supersport and superstock events. McGuinness and the TT Honda Legends team have concentrated their 2011 racing activities around the World Endurance championship, the TT and Ulster Grand Prix.

He is joined in that team by last year’s UGP second supersport race winner Keith Amor and Wilson Craig.

McGuinness, 17-times a TT winner having completed a superbike–Senior double back in June, made his Dundrod debut in 2003.

He finished third in the Production 600cc race, repeating that result a year later, claiming his first UGP victory in 2005 with a tenth of a second victory over Adrian Archibald in the opening supersport race.

He went on to make it a double on the day, his only Ulster Grand Prix wins to date, by claiming victory in the 250GP event.

In 2006 he became the first man to break the Dundrod 130mph barrier unofficially during practice.

Having missed the 2010 meeting due to lack of machinery, McGuinness is looking forward to getting back on track come the first practice session tomorrow.

“It is great being reunited with my TT double-winning superbike and I’m looking for some strong results this week, not only on the TT Legends Honda superbike, but also on Clive’s immaculately prepared machines in the other classes.

“The opposition will be tough, especially with a lot of fast riders, but I’m up for the challenge, as I love riding at the Irish meetings and this is the only time this year we have been able to bring the team across to Ireland to put on a show for supporters.”




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2011 Ulster Grand Prix Practice Day Results

Martin reigns to claim Superbike pole

Guy Martin was the rain master at Dundrod yesterday when he put his Relentless Suzuki by TAS on pole position for tomorrow’s McKinstry Skip Hire Ulster Grand Prix Superbike races.

The Lincolnshire ace was the only rider to break the 120mph lap barrier in the superbike session on a wet Dundrod Circuit yesterday.

Cameron Donald set the early pace from Ryan Farquhar and Martin, but on his sixth lap of nine the Englishman went round the 7.4mile circuit in 3m 41.721secs, a speed of 120.17mph which remained unbeaten as he finished eight-tenths of a second ahead of Donald, Keith Amor and Gary Johnson.

William Dunlop jumped from 21st to fifth with 10 minutes remaining on the Wilson Craig Honda while his brother Michael, languishing in 20th, came into the pits, put on a new rear wet tyre and promptly leapfrogged to seventh position for a second row starting position.

John McGuinness ended the session in eighth while circuit lap record holder Bruce Anstey finished a lowly 20th.

Scotsman Amor snatched pole position from Michael Dunlop in the final moments of supersport qualifying with a last lap speed of 117.285mph, a quarter of a second ahead of Dunlop with Donald and his Wilson Craig Honda team-mate William Dunlop completing the front row. Michael Dunlop got his pole position in the final qualifying session for Superstock machines leaping ahead of Martin in the final three minutes with a speed of 120.869mph, the only rider to top the 120mph mark in this particular session on a wet track.

Ian Lougher topped the 250GP class, almost 10 seconds ahead of Seamus Elliott, while in the concurrently ran supertwin class Wayne Hamilton was 4.2secs ahead of race favourite Ryan Farquhar.


Ulster Grand Prix qualifying times:

Superbike: 1st G. Martin 120.169mph, 2nd C. Donald 119.695, 3rd K. Amor 117.838, 4th G. Johnson 116.967, 5th W. Dunlop 116.925, 6th R. Farquhar 116.502.

Supersport: 1st K. Amor 117.286mph, 2nd M. Dunlop 117.155, 3rd C. Donald 116.595, 4th W. Dunlop 116.200, 5th G. Martin 115.986, 6th B. Anstey 114.743.

250GP: 1st I. Lougher 110.307mph, 2nd S. Elliott 106.099, 3rd O. Linsdell 105.932, 4th P. Robinson 104.889, 5th D. Robb 104.013, 6th L. Vernon 101.727.

Supertwin: 1st W. Hamilton110.232mph, 2nd R. Farquhar 108.306, 3rd J. Burrows 105.702, 4th A. Archibald 104.482, 5th M. Sweeney 103.091, 6th J. McCann 101.611.

Superstock: 1st M. Dunlop 120.870mph, 2nd G. Martin 119.986, 3rd W. Dunlop 119.335, 4th B. Anstey 119.073, 5th M. Pearson 118.962, 6th G. Johnson 118.117.

Coward so slick in Dundrod downpour

On an afternoon of stop-start action due to accidents and changeable weather only three races were completed at Dundrod yesterday and one of those, the concurrently ran 125GP, Supersport 400 and Supertwin, saw a result declared on just two laps.

The Dundrod 150 Superbike race started in confusion with riders holding a meeting on the grid prior to the start.

Keith Amor was the only one to pull off the line prior to the start of the scheduled six-lap race saying: “Conditions are just too patchy and visibility is not great up the back of the circuit; it’s just not worth it.”

The rest of the grid, mostly on intermediate tyres, started the race, but before the first lap was completed the rain was falling and with Guy Martin flashing through at the end of lap one, nine seconds ahead of Ryan Farquhar, Gary Johnson, John Burrows, James McBride and Dan Kneen, a train of riders came into the pits including the Dunlops, Michael Pearson, Bruce Anstey, John McGuinness and Cameron Donald, who said: “It’s raining heavily from Leathemstown and just far too dangerous.”

In the deteriorating conditions the race was stopped and because of uncertainty of the conditions racing was then abandoned with the Dundrod Challenge and Superbike race abandoned.

The opening Dundrod National race was red flagged on the final lap when Derek Costello from Skerries, Co. Dublin, lying in third position at the time, crashed heavily at Flow Bog Cross Roads and was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital with injuries described last night as ‘serious’.

The race result was a 1-2-3 for newcomers to the circuit with Jamie Coward from Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire overhauling Czech Republic rider Michal Jiros on the last lap to win by four seconds with Michael Niblett from Leicestershire inheriting third after Costello crashed out.

Jiros had been in the lead for the opening four laps with Coward in hot pursuit, but with the fastest lap of the race on the fifth and final lap Coward overcame a 0.6sec deficit to pass his rival as they encountered slower riders to gain the victory.

Coward said: “I surprised myself as we had a few teething problems earlier in practice. I am absolutely delighted to win a race on such a famous circuit.”

Low cloud engulfed the high parts of the circuit shortly afterwards and after a 40-minute delay the concurrently ran 125GP/Supertwin race came under starters orders.

With Wayne Hamilton leading Ryan Farquhar by 0.2 seconds in the Supertwin class on lap three the race was stopped after an incident at Tornagrough. The race results were declared on two laps with wins for Ian Lougher in the 125cc class, Wayne Hamilton in the Supertwin and Andy Farrell in the Supersport 400.

In the classic race Ollie Linsdell emerged through the low cloud on his Royal Enfield to win his first road race since a serious accident at the Manx Grand Prix and Royal Enfield’s first win at Dundrod since 1925.

Linsdell was almost a minute ahead of Mark McGaw who edged Paul Coward to the chequered flag by a tenth of a second.

Dundrod 150 National Race result: 1st J. Coward, 2nd M. Jiros, 3rd M. Niblett, 4th S. Holz, 5th R. McPhee, 6th M. McCullough

Classic Race: 1st O. Linsdell, 2nd M. McGaw, 3rd P. Coward, 4th A. Brew, 5th D. Morgan, 6th P. Wakefield

125GP: 1st I. Lougher, 2nd P. Robinson, 3rd S. Dunlop, 4th N. Moore, 5th W. Cowden, 6th P. Wakefield

Supertwin: 1st W. Hamilton, 2nd R. Farquhar, 3rd J. Burrows, 4th J. Hamilton, 5th M. Sweeney, 6th A. Archibald.

2011 Ulster Grand Prix Race Day (Saturday) Results

Dundrod crash racer Costello stable in hospital

Motorbike rider Derek Costello was stable in hospital last night after crashing at the Dundrod 150 road races on Thursday.

The 34-year-old, from the small fishing town of Skerries, Co Dublin, crashed on the final lap of the opening National Race at the Co Antrim circuit.

The Irish rider had been lying in third position when he crashed heavily at Flow Bog Cross Roads.

He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and treated for trauma to the head.

Race organisers said yesterday he was critically ill, but his condition stabilised last night.

Racing at the Dundrod 150 meeting was called off later on Thursday because of the conditions on the 7.4-mile circuit.

The Superbike event was also abandoned after one lap.

Ian Lougher was declared the 125cc winner after just two laps.

Wayne Hamilton was the Supertwin winner with Andy Farrell topping the Supersport 400 timings.

In a statement yesterday from Noel Johnston, clerk of the course at the Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club, he said the thoughts and prayers of the club are with Derek and his family.

“It’s too early in the investigation to deliberate on the cause of the incident. The racing conditions at the time were very good. The Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club is co-operating fully with the PSNI and the MCUI in this matter.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Derek and his family at this difficult time. We have offered them our full support and will do all we can to assist.”