The Ballymoney man won both the Open and Grand Final races on his Milwaukee Yamaha R1 Superbike and broke the outright lap record for the 2 mile circuit. His victory in the 250cc race on his brother Michael’s Honda gave him a hat-trick on the day and also the record as the most successful rider ever at the Walderstown circuit with 11 wins.

“That was a good job today and it was important to do that lap record time as well with Michael not here.” William smiled afterwards. “It shows we were going fast!”

William’s younger brother was listed to start at Walderstown but pulled out on Saturday morning due to illness. But Michael’s absence didn’t give William an easy run as he was pushed all the way in both big bike races by Southern riders Derek McGee and Derek Sheils with McGee taking a brilliant win in the 600cc race on his R6 Yamaha.

“I got a good start in the first race and kept it steady.” William said. “But I was having a few problems with the brakes which still have the smaller TT discs fitted.”

Local favourite McGee was never more than a few yards behind on the ex-Adrian Archibald ZX10 Kawasaki but he could never quite close the gap and Sheils filled the final podium place on the CD Racing Kawasaki at the end of the opening seven lapper.

It was Sheils who posed the biggest threat to Dunlop in the curtain closing Grand Final, taking the fight to the Milwaukee man by passing him at Corr’s Corner twice in the early laps before William forced his way to the front. Crossgar’s Michael Pearson brought his BMW home in third behind Sheils.

“Derek was being a bit of a nuisance in that race.” William joked in the paddock later. “I had told Chris Dowd that I was having trouble with the brakes and I think that he passed that on to Derek who tried to capitalise on it. But once I got in front and some open road in front of me it was OK.”

The 27 year old’s new lap record of 106.556mph proves he has sorted most of the problems he suffered with the Milwaukee Yamaha Superbike’s handling at the TT and he hopes to iron out the last few issues with a test at Cadwell Park on Wednesday.

“I am looking forward to racing the Superbike at my home race at Armoy and getting in some more track time before the Ulster.” he said.

An excursion on to the grass at the end of the main straight on the opening lap of the Supersport event killed off any hopes William had of winning every race he entered on Sunday, leaving it open for ‘Mullingar Missile’ Derek McGee to take the win ahead of Ballyclare’s Jamie Hamilton on the Vauxhall KMR Kawasaki.

“Jamie tried to go round the outside of me at the final corner but I held on to the flag.” McGee smiled afterwards.

Hamilton had the consolation of yet another win in the 650cc race on the Farquhar-built ER6 Kawasaki, giving him a clean sweep in the National Supertwin races so far this season.

The 125-450 race was won by Ballymoney’s Seamus Elliott (Yamaha).


Open Irish Championship race 201cc-1010cc: 1, William Dunlop (Milwaukee Yamaha R1); 2, Derek McGee (Kawasaki ZX10); 3, Derek Sheils (CD Racing Kawasaki ZX10)

Junior 250-400cc Irish Championship race: 1, William Dunlop (Honda); 2, Michael Sweeney (Honda); 3, John Ella (Honda)

600cc Championship race: 1, Derek McGee (Yamaha); 2, Jamie Hamilton (Vauxhall KMR Kawasaki); 3, William Dunlop (CD Racing/Milwaukee Yamaha)

650cc Supertwins Race: 1, Jamie Hamilton (Vauxhall KMR Kawasaki); 2, Michael Sweeney (Keily Heating Kawasaki); 3, Mark Hanna (Kawasaki)

125-Moto 450 Championship race: 1, Seamus Elliot (Yamaha 450); 2, Sam Wilson (Hanna Honda); 3, Sean O’Neill (Honda)

Grand Final: 1, William Dunlop (Milwaukee Yamaha R1); 2, Derek Sheils (CD Racing Kawasaki ZX10); 3, Michael Pearson (Hotties BMW 1000RR).



.