Winning a tight, close fought, clean great battle for open race honours with Michael Sweeney, Cookstown BE Racing’s Derek Sheils added today at the East Coast Racing Festival, a third big bike success to his 2018 roads resume.
There was nothing in it throughout between Sheils and Sweeney, as the respectively GSX-R 1000 Suzuki, S1000RR BMW mounted racers treated the crowds today at the East Coast Racing Festival to world class Superbike roads action.
Come the conclusion of the six lap race, under 0.2 of a second covered Sheils and Sweeney, whilst the battle for third saw Paul Jordan on aggregate timing having started from the second group of racers, hold off Davey Todd to claim the final spot on the podium.
Photo by Rod Neill
Finishing a very creditable fifth behind second quickest newcomer in TT history Todd, was recently crowned Newcomers A Manx GP champion Thomas Maxwell, who more than kept the Cookstown BE Racing rider a touch honest.
Behind the evenly matched Todd, Maxwell, Graham Kennedy as in the opening Supersport race quietly impressed again in finishing sixth.
Wrapping up the top ten finishers were Kevin Fitzpatrick, multi Ultra Lightweight/Lightweight Manx GP victors Darryl Tweed, Andy Farrell and Paul Gartland.
Remaining race finishers were Stephen McKnight, Dennis Booth, event newcomer Noel Williamson Racing’s Darren Cooper and Alan Johnston.
Full re cap of race results:
1 Derek Sheils
2 Michael Sweeney
3 Paul Jordan
4 Davey Todd
5 Thomas Maxwell
6 Graham Kennedy
7 Kevin Fitzpatrick
8 Darryl Tweed
9 Andy Farrell
10 Paul Gartland
11 Stephen McKnight
12 Dennis Booth
13 Darren Cooper
14 Alan Johnston
Words by Stevie Rial