Scintillating action, fantastic weather throughout, an extremely appreciative crowd combined with a top draw atmosphere made today’s race day at Faugheen, unquestionably one to remember.
Runner up within the Open Championship, Grand Final races, Derek McGee proved peerless, untouchable in the 125/Moto 3 race, finishing victorious by over 13 seconds.
Melissa Kennedy led the challenge to Faraldo Racing Honda mounted McGee, as brother Wayne Kennedy finalised the podium finishers.
Photo by Tommy Vennard
Ran alongside the 125/Moto 3 race, the 250/400 class encounter would see pole sitter David Howard edge out Stephen Tobin for victory spoils by only 0.134 of a second! Rounding out the rostrum finishers behind the evenly matched duo of Howard and Tobin, was popular paddock favourite Stephen Morrison.
Looking back on this afternoon’s Super Twins action, with KMR Kawasaki’s Derek McGee retiring out of contention on the fourth lap of the six lap Twins race, this paved the way for Skerries Michael Sweeney to claim the class honours, ultimately emerging victorious by 6.78 seconds over Paton mounted James Chawke.
Dermot Cleary, Tommy Henry shared the Senior Support Championship, Senior Support Non Championship victories, whilst overall Junior Classic/Junior 350 Classics, Senior Classic/Senior 1000 Classics victories were banked by yesteryear racing stalwarts Ed Manly and Richard Ford.
Brian Mateer headed the just four strong Junior 250 Classics entry, whilst the Senior 500 Classics race win was clinched by another respected, top calibre yesteryear racing exponent, John Leigh Pemberton.
Junior Support class wise, the Championship encounter for the Junior Support exponents unfortunately didn’t go to plan, with the race twice been red flagged.
Organisers went onto make the decision to not re start for a third time, the Junior Support Championship race.
Racers not mentioned yet to have secured rostrum finishes today at Faugheen, are as follows:
Darragh Trape (3rd Senior Support Championship / 3rd Senior Support Non Championship), Philip Shaw (3rd Junior 250 Classics / 3rd Senior 1000 Classics), Mick Brady (2nd Junior 350 Classics), Ian Thompson (3rd Junior 350 Classics / 2nd Senior 1000 Classics).
Darryl Tweed (3rd Super Twins), Freddie Stewart (2nd Senior 500 Classics), Andy Kildea (3rd Senior 500 Classics), Andy McAllister (2nd Senior Support Non Championship).
Overall results per class from the morning, afternoon’s competition at the 2019 Faugheen 50 Road Races, are as follows:
Senior Support:
1 Dermot Cleary
2 Tommy Henry
3 Darragh Trape
4 Andy McAllister
5 John Ella
6 Noel Smith
7 Niall Power
8 John Cahill
9 Martin Currams
10 Stuart McCann
11 Adrian Heraty
12 Brian Keohane
13 Alan Fisher
14 Eugene Morahan
125/Moto 3:
1 Derek McGee
2 Melissa Kennedy
3 Wayne Kennedy
4 Gary Dunlop
5 Sam Grief
6 Nigel Moore
7 Sean Leonard
250/400:
1 David Howard
2 Stephen Tobin
3 Stephen Morrison
4 Michael Hoey
5 Brian Loughlin
6 David Broderick
Junior 250 Classics:
1 Brian Mateer
2 Richard Ford
3 Philip Shaw
4 Trevor Stewart
Junior 350 Classics:
1 Ed Manly
2 Mick Brady
3 Ian Thompson
4 Sean Leonard
5 Sam Kinkead
6 Gary Hutton
7 Freddie Stewart
8 Andy Kildea
9 Herbie Ronan
10 Gearoid Hoare
11 Kevin Callan
12 Paul McMahon
13 William Wilson
Super Twins:
1 Michael Sweeney
2 James Chawke
3 Darryl Tweed
4 Tommy Henry
5 Des Butler
6 Stephen Tobin
7 Ben Mullane
8 Liam Chawke
9 Martin Currams
10 Mark Shiels
Senior 1000 Classics:
1 Richard Ford
2 Ian Thompson
3 Philip Shaw
4 Trevor Stewart
Senior 500 Classics:
1 John Leigh Pemberton
2 Freddie Stewart
3 Andy Kildea
4 Sam Kinkead
5 Pat Murray
6 Kevin Callan
7 Sean Henry
Senior Support Non Championship:
1 Tommy Henry
2 Andy McAllister
3 Darragh Trape
4 Niall Power
5 Martin Currams
6 Stuart McCann
7 John Ella
8 Brian Keohane
9 Adrian Heraty
10 Alan Fisher
Words by Stevie Rial