Reigning Irish Road Race Superbike Champion Derek Sheils has revealed that his 2020 roads campaign, was set to involve competition on Roadhouse Macau, Penz 13 supported BMW’s.
In fine form last season, Sheils who became the inaugural Metzeler ‘King of the Roads’ Champion made the decision this winter to call time on his prodigious four year strong partnership with John Burrows BE (Burrows Engineering) Racing team.
Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic forcing multiple event cancellations, Sheils should have been this weekend opening his 2020 roads season at Cookstown, piloting a newly acquired Roadhouse Macau backed S1000RR BMW, which he also looked likely to compete on at further selected national meetings.
For TT 2020, the Irishman’s 1000cc races challenge would have seen him join forces again with Rico Penzkofer’s Penz 13 team, which he last competed for two seasons ago in 2018.
As with the national events, Sheils seventh two week TT tenure was proposed to involve action on BMW’s fabled S1000RR model.
Philosophical but also clearly disappointed that his enterprising race plans for 2020, haven’t come to fruition, there’s no doubt that Sheils would have showcased over the summer months his proven top class calibre.
Words by Stevie Rial