Senior Support:
Putting to one side blustery winds, overcast clouds, conditions overall for the opening race of the day, the six-lap Senior Support encounter were pretty adequate.
Lightweight 250/400 pole sitter Keelim Ryan led proceedings post the conclusion of lap one, by lap three though 222 plate holder Michael Gahan had taken P1.
Ryan wasn’t giving up though same as Pre-TT Classic rostrum finisher Marcus Simpson, as just 0.607 covered the top three as closing race stages commenced.
Lap five saw Ryan re-take the lead from Gahan, who he now led by 0.495 of a second.
Ryan went onto take Alan Bonner Memorial race spoils by 1.37 seconds over Simpson, with Gahan dropping back to third on the sixth, final lap.
Junior Support:
My immediate response to the Junior Support race conclusion, was just, just as Eoin O’Siochru edged out Jack Oliver.
Evenly matched throughout, O’Siochru and Oliver, established amongst Irish road racing’s brightest new talents, were separated at the chequered flag by only 0.302 of a second.
Anthony O’Carroll took third in front of aforementioned Senior Support podium finisher Michael Gahan.
Michael Gillan was fifth as Jonathan Watt rounded out the first six finishers.
Junior Classics:
4.347 seconds in front post the finalisation of lap number two, there was no stopping John Leigh Pemberton in the early afternoon Junior Classic race.
Despite gritty resistance from top chaser Michael Brady, Leigh Pemberton went onto claim in relatively comfortable fashion overall Junior Classics/Junior 350 Classics race spoils, winning by nigh on 2.9 seconds.
Leon Murphy completed the rostrum finishers whilst top 250 Junior Classics exponent was Brian Mateer.
Respective second, third best 250 Junior Classics pilots behind Mateer were RJ Woolsey and Kyle Parkes.
Lightweight 250/400:
Faraldo Racing’s Keelim Ryan had the magic touch in the Lightweight 250/400 combined race.
Further bolstering his reputation as a ‘Star of The Future’, Ryan took in brilliant fashion race honours.
7.910 seconds was Ryan’s race winning margin over respected 400cc machinery exponent David Howard.
Alan Johnston took third whilst others enjoying good rides included respective 4th-7th place finishers Jonathan Watt, Kelly Carruthers, Michael Hoey and Aidan Cleary.
Supersport:
Following a dominant Open Championship race display, could anyone take the fight to Michael Sweeney in the showpiece Supersport race.
The answer was yes, as Wilson Craig Racing’s Darryl Tweed stepped up his pace, confidence around the 2.2 miles long Crossakiel circuit, to provide stiff opposition to Skerries Sweeney.
During opening laps, just narrow margins separated Sweeney, Tweed.
As lap four completed, Sweeney led Tweed by just over 1.1 seconds with Graham Kennedy holding third in front of Matt Rees. Unfortunately, soon after lap four’s conclusion red flags arose.
Photo credit: Tommy Vennard
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou