The first leg of the Darran Lindsay trophy superbike races started in bright and breezy conditions but perfect for some high quality road racing action. Dean Harrison got the holeshot into Mere Hairpin on lap 1 with Jamie Hamilton in second place and Guy Martin slotting into third place on the Tyco Suzuki by TAS superbike. Mid way through lap 1 saw Martin move into second place and was mounting the pressure on Dean Harrison riding the RC Express racing Kawasaki. By lap 2 Martin hit the front and began to ease away from Harrison who was in tern moving away from Hamilton in third place with Bruce Anstey and Michael Dunlop battling it out for fourth position.
Lap 3 saw that man again Guy Martin pull away further from Dean Harrison in second place whilst Jamie Hamilton was still in third position with Michael Dunlop now moving up to fourth place ahead of Bruce Anstey. Lap 4 & 5 saw positions stay the same at the front although Michael Dunlop was now reeling in Jamie Hamilton in third place. By lap 6 Martin was over 4 seconds in front of Harrison in second place who was also now over 5 and a half seconds in front of Hamilton who was still holding off Michael Dunlop in fourth place. Meanwhile further down the field Craig Shirlaw, Mark Goodings, Callum Laidlaw and Gary Graves where all fighting it out for places in the top 10.
On the seventh lap Martin was still controlling proceedings at the front, Harrison now into the 1:47 lap times was still in second place but was impressing with his never give up attitude of catching Martin for the lead. Jamie Hamilton and Michael Dunlop where now close together by the end of lap 7 with around only 1 second between them there was definitely a good race developing between them. Bruce Anstey was still in fifth position on the Padgetts Honda CBR 1000 bike and whilst perhaps not being in a position which most race fans might expect him to be it was a ride to me that was better than it seemed as it was the first time Bruce had to been to Oliver’s Mount in over ten years! so his ride here was superb given it was only the second time he had been to Oliver’s Mount.
As lap 8 started Martin was comfortably in front riding within himself and doing what he had to do to win the opening Darran Lindsay Trophy superbike race. Harrison still occupied second place on the superstock spec RC Express racing Kawasaki the team in which he will ride for next season and at the TT next year with works Kawasaki backing. Hamilton and Dunlop where each giving it everything in the pursuit of third place whilst Anstey still held fifth position ahead of Mick Goodings who was getting faster as the race went on. At the line Martin took another win at Oliver’s Mount and the first TAS racing win at the Scarborough gold cup on the Tyco Suzuki by TAS superbike.
Dean Harrison crossed the line in second place to add another podium finish to his ever growing status as a rising star on roads circuits. At the line Jamie Hamilton held off Michael Dunlop to claim a quite superb third place finish on the KMR Kawasaki superstocker. Dunlop finished in 4th position with Bruce Anstey taking fifth position on the Padgetts Honda whilst Mick Goodings completed the top six. Jules Croft, David Hewson, Craig Shirlaw and Mark Goodings completed the top 10. In all a good clean superbike race which saw Guy Martin show the kind of dominance around Oliver’s Mount that has won him seven Scarborough Gold Cups from 2003 to 2009.