By With the Cock of the north road races coming up soon who will be in contention to win the prestigious annual meeting at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough. Favourite for the main race at the Cock of the north road races will be Ryan Farquhar on the KMR Kawasaki. Ryan who is having another good season on the Irish nationals is the reigning winner of the Cock of the north and will be keen to retain the title in just over 5 days time. Ryan’s team mate and rising road racing star Jamie Hamilton must not ruled out of contention for the main race but watch out for him in the mini-twins 650 race a class in which Jamie this season has taken a top 10 finish at the TT this year along with wins at the Southern 100 and at the Walderstown road races.
Winner of the Ian Watson spring cup this year Steve Mercer returns to road racing action at the Cock of the north road races on-board his WA corless joinery/Jackson racing Honda Fireblade and will start as one of the favourites for victory in the main race and in the other two superbike races as well. Oliver’s Mount circuit specialist and recent winner at the Southern 100 Keith Pringle will be aiming for podium finishes on his BMW sr1000. Another BMW rider to look out for will be Ben Wylie on the Per cup coffee company BMW sr1000 along with his Yamaha R6 with which he will also be aiming for podium finishes on.
Rising road racing star Dean Harrison will be aiming to continue his excellent season so far on the roads on his RC express racing Kawasaki zx-10 along with his Ian Bell motorcycles Yamaha R6. Another rising star on the roads is Ivan Lintin, Ivan who took four wins in a day at the Barry Sheene race festival took a race win at the Southern 100 and a top 10 finish at the TT on his R&D sheet metal Kawasaki zx-6 the same bike as to which he will race at the Cock of the north road races. Ivan will be confident of a podium finish in the 600 races but expect his main chance of victory to be in the now ultra competitive mini-twins 650 class.
One of the stars of the recent Southern 100 was James Coward. James who finished 3rd in the second 600 race only behind Michael Dunlop and Conor Cummins has already had podium finishes this year at the Barry Sheene race festival and will look for more at the up and coming Cock of the north road races on his Hotties Boilers Suzuki gsx-r 600. Many top Irish national competitors will be in contention as well for top results and they include Davy Morgan on his Strangford Holiday park racing Suzuki gsx-r 1000 superbike and Michael Pearson on his Dawson racing Honda and finally Derek Shiels on the Fagans Bar Honda Fireblade all 3 of these riders are capable of challenging for race victory in the meeting coming up at Oliver’s Mount.
Overall the Cock of the north road races this year looks likely to be a top meeting especially with the mix of TT stars, Manx grand prix stars, Oliver’s Mount stars and up and coming race stars basically as well anyone who does race at Oliver’s Mount has to be a top rider but who will be the biggest star at the Cock of the north?
