After the bright sunshine of Saturday it was overcast and damp after overnight rain that greeted riders as they commenced their Sunday practice for the second day of racing at Oliver’s Mount Scarborough.

After a second session of practice, which included qualifying for the feature race, the ten lap Cock o’the North event and a lunch break the first of today’s eight races got underway at 13.00 in overcast conditions.


The second leg of the National Superbikes saw Keith Pringle in pole position for the eight lap race.

However it was Keith Pringle who got the hole-shot into Mere Hairpin and led by 0.637 of a second at the end of the opening lap. Michael Pearson was second and Kiaran Hankin third. Ian Lougher was down in ninth.

Positions were the same at the conclusion of the second lap, although the gap was down to 0.273 of a second, as Lougher retired to the paddock.

No changes on the third lap, then on the half distance lap Pearson took over at the front by 1.30 seconds from Pringle and Hankin. Steve Mercer moved into fourth ahead of Daniel Frear with Mark Buckley completing the top six.

By the end of the fifth lap the leading distance had increased to 1.675 seconds, with Richard Gibson moving into sixth placed.

A lap later and the gap was up to 2 seconds, with the top six remaining in station.

Lap seven and Pringle put up the fastest lap so far and brought the leaders advantage down to 1.372 seconds. Hankin was still third four seconds adrift of Pringle.

At the flag it was Pearson with his fastest lap of the race to take the winning difference back to 2 seconds, with Hankin third. Buckley regained sixth place.


Second race of the day was the third leg of Sidecars. And as yesterday it was a continuation of the duel between Tony Elmer and Conrad Harrison, with Elmer leading from the start of the six lap race with an initial lead of 0.6 of a second, extending it to 2.260 seconds at the end of the six laps. Tony Thirkell was third for the third time.


Race three of the day the second leg of the combined 125GP and 400cc classes. Daniel Frear got the hole-shot in the 400 class, as Ian Lougher took the initiative in the Ultra Lightweight category.

Frear had a 4.9 seconds lead at the end of the opening lap from Alistair Haworth and Christopher Lee.

Lougher headed Palmer in the smaller class.

Frear’s lead had almost doubled by the end of the second lap to 9.959 seconds. Mick Goodings moved to third. 0.7 of a second was the difference between Lougher and Palmer.

Lap three and the 400cc lead was up to 13.555 seconds. Half distance and gap was 18.942 seconds as Haworth and Goodings battled for second place.

Lougher was up to sixth overall and the leading 125.

Lap five and placings remained unchanged in the top four, as Lougher was fifth on the road, his rival Palmer now 8th overall.

Six laps down and Frear was now 24.338 seconds ahead and by the chequered flag two laps later it was up to 32 seconds. Ian Lougher finished third overall and first 125.



Next up was the re-scheduled Cock o’the North Race over an eight lap distance instead of the scheduled 10.

The race had been brought forward due to the weather forecast being poor later in the day.

Michael Pearson was in pole position, although Ian Lougher and Keith Pringle ‘tangled’ into Mere Hairpin and their race came to an abrupt end.

At the end of the opening lap it was Pearson, Hankin and Mark Buckley who filled the top three places.

Mercer, Frear and Gibson completed the top six.

Lap two and the gap was 6/10th of a second as positions remained unchanged in the freight train that makes up the Superbikes!

The lead had doubled to 1,228 seconds after lap three, as Steve Mercer and Daniel Frear moved into 3rd and 4th spots.

Half distance, and the gap was back a 0.647 of a second. Daniel Frear moved to third and Mark Buckley slotted into fourth place.

Lap five and the gap was halved again to 0.330 of a second. Mercer took over fourth pushing Buckley back to fifth.

Three-quarters distance and Pearson extended his lead to 4/10ths of a second over Hankin with Frear enjoying a three second advantage over fourth placeman Mercer.

At the end of the penultimate lap the head had been halved yet again to 0.203 of a second.

At the chequered flag, Michael Pearson took the Cock o’the North Race, only the second Ulsterman to win the coveted event.

Kiaran Hankin was second 0.755 adrift and Daniel Frear third.

Steve Mercer, Mark Buckley and Richard Gibson completed the top six.



Next up was the second leg of the combined National 250GP and Mini-Twins race, over eight laps.

Chris Palmer got the hole-shot into Mere Hairpin, followed by Ian Lougher and David Guiney.

Dave Bell led the charge in the Mini Twins class.

Lap two and positions remained the same, with Lougher taking a tenth of a second out of his rival’s lead, which came down to 0.208 of a second.

Bell was in front of Pattinson and Lintin.

Lap three and 5/100ths of a second was added to the lead in the 125’s.

Half distance and Lougher was in front Palmer by 0.420 of a second.

David Bell set a new record lap for the Mini-Twins on lap four 74.695mph

The 125 lead had increased to 1.351 seconds at the end of the fifth lap.

Lap six and the lead had widened to 3 seconds with Guiney a further 24 seconds back in third.

Kevin Strowger moved into fourth.

At the chequered flag Ian Lougher took his 123rd race win at Oliver’s Mount, with Chris Palmer second and David Guiney third.

David Bell took the Mini-Twins honours from Ian Pattinson and Ivan Lintin.



The final Sidecar race of the day was once again a repeat of the previous three with a victory for Tony Elmer and Darren Marshall with Conrad Harrison and Lee Patterson second for the fourth time and Tony Thirkell with Nigel Barlow once again third.


The penultimate race of the programme was the second leg of the National 600’s, which was swapped with the feature race.

Daniel Frear was in pole position, but it was Lougher who was first up Sheene’s Rise.

At the end of the lap it was Lougher, Pearson, Frear, Hankin, Buckley and Gibson who led the freight train. The leading gap was 0.234 of a second.

Lap two the first three remained in place. Hankin had retired so Buckley, Gibson moved up a place and Agnew slotted into sixth place.

Lap three, and the placing remained unchanged as was the gap between the leading two.

Lougher had widened the gap on the half-distance lap to four-tenths of a second, but the placing remained the same.

Pearson pulled the distance down to 0.178 of a second on lap five and put in an 81 mph lap.

Three-quarter distance and Lougher’s advantage was back up to 0.533 of a second, as Daniel Frear continued to circulate in a ‘safe’ third place just under a second behind.

Lap seven saw the distance increase to 1.719 seconds and at the chequered flag Ian took his 124th victory from Michael Pearson and Daniel Frear.


The final race on the programme the National Invitation provided Daryl Campling with his maiden victory at Oliver’s Mount with a start to finish victory.

well done michael pearson on the big win. makes up for the disappointing skerries races. keep hold of that little cuddly mechanic trevor
cheers, ade!
ps, trevor used to be darran's mechanic