By Given that this weekend should have seen the Skerries 100 take centre stage, it’s a good time to look at the quickest event exponents over the past 10 years.
Fastest Skerries competitor in history is none other than 19 times TT winner Michael Dunlop, who on route to Open class honours in 2016 set a new record breaking lap time of 1 minute 34.209 seconds.
Photo by Rod Neill
Nearest pursuer to Dunlop four years ago Derek Sheils, last year came close to bettering the long standing lap record, lapping on his way to a third Skerries Grand Final triumph at 1 minute 34.413 seconds.
Just two more racers within the 2010-2019 period have dipped under the 1 minute 36 second barrier, they are twice Junior Manx GP winner Michael Sweeney (1.35.168) and seven times Duke Road Race Rankings Champion Ryan Farquhar (1.35.486).
Finalising the ten quickest Skerries racers of recent times are as follows:
The much missed William Dunlop (1.36.603), Michael Browne (1.36.711), Keith Amor (1.36.846), Ulster GP Super Twins winner Paul Jordan (1.37.240), 2018 Lightweight TT runner-up Derek McGee (1.37.423) and the late but great Dan Kneen (1.37.855).
In total 22 racers have bettered the 1 minute 40 second mark. Racers not mentioned thus far to have achieved this feat include the following:
Twice Senior TT winner Adrian Archibald (1.38.111), Davey Todd (1.38.186), Jamie Hamilton (1.38.421), Davy Morgan (1.38.706), Michael Pearson (1.38.723).
John Burrows (1.38.805), Czech roads great Michal ‘Indi’ Dokoupil (1.39.406), New Zealand’s Daniel Mettam (1.39.416), Thomas Maxwell (1.39.559) and local event favourite Andy Farrell (1.39.593).
Words by Stevie Rial
