By Nine years after his first Ulster GP success, Padgetts Racing’s Conor Cummins returned to the winners circle at Dundrod this evening, after a textbook, high quality performance in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Supersport race.
Manx star Cummins, opting unlike most of the field to use intermediate tyres for the tricky mixed wet, dry course conditions, quickly got into the groove holding at the completion of lap 2, an advantage of just over nine tenths of a second, over McAdoo Kawasaki’s Adam McLean.
From here new Superbike qualifying record holder Cummins kept up a consistent, relentless pace to ultimately clinch race honours to the tune of just over eight seconds.
DGH Recovery Services Super Twins victor McLean banked an excellent second, as Silicone Engineering Racing’s Dean Harrison, following a steady start, gradually found the pace to jump up to third, to chalk up another Ulster GP podium finish.
Fourth behind Dundrod lap record holder Harrison, was the ever impressive Davey Todd, whilst TROOPER Triumph mounted Peter Hickman opened his 2018 Dundrod race account, with a respectable fifth place finish.
Team ILR’s Joe Thompson, Christian Elkin, WH Racing’s Dominic Herbertson all impressed in recording respectively sixth, seventh and eighth place finishes.
You couldn’t but not be impressed as well with ninth, tenth place finishers Neil Kernohan, and lead event newcomer Tom Weeden.
Others to impress outside the first ten finishers, included Josh Daley 12th, Scarborough’s James Tadman 13th, Patricia Fernandez 15th and prospective Manx GP debutant Lloyd Collins 16th.
MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix: Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Supersport race results, are as follows:
1 Conor Cummins
2 Adam McLean
3 Dean Harrison
4 Davey Todd
5 Peter Hickman
6 Joe Thompson
7 Christian Elkin
8 Dominic Herbertson
9 Neil Kernohan
10 Tom Weeden
11 Forest Dunn
12 Josh Daley
13 James Tadman
14 Ryan Gibson
15 Patricia Fernandez
16 Lloyd Collins
17 Paul Williams
18 Fabrice Faivre
19 Stefan Wauter
20 Stephen Degnan
21 Don Gilbert
Words by Stevie Rial
