By Finishing second in Road Racing News top ten road racers of 2017, is MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix hat trick hero Peter Hickman.
Back piloting S1000RR BMW’s this year alongside a previous TT winning Triumph courtesy of Smiths Racing, the great all rounder of circuits and roads is for many the number 1 international road racer of 2017.
After a challenging North West 200, his fourth TT Races campaign proved without a doubt his most tumultuous and prodigious Mountain Course voyage thus far.
Five podium finishes including finishing runner up in the RST Superbike, Royal London 360 Quantum Superstock and Pokerstars Senior races, was more than enough to wrap up the prestigious Joey Dunlop Championship title.
Another significant factor of TT 2017 was that he recorded more 130 mph laps than any other rider, surpassing the magical lap speed mark on nine occasions.
Next international meeting on the horizon for Hicky was the MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix.
Photo by Rod Neill
Looking at one around Dundrod, he absolutely dominated Supersport, Superstock and Superbike practice and qualifying sessions, prior to winning the Dundrod 150 feature race which saw him set a new lap record of 134.210 mph, making him at the time the world’s fastest road racer.
Onto Ulster GP race day and his quite majestic form continued sealing a hat trick of wins, via Superstock and hard fought Supersport successes.
Additionally runner up in the feature Superbike race, it was clearly no surprise to see the popular racer awarded the Rider of the Meeting award.
Most recently runner up of the 51st Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, which made it ten international rostrum finishes this year, the BSB front runner has proved this year why he is the real deal at road racing’s premier meets.
All signed up with Smiths Racing for 2018, many predict maiden TT wins will be on the horizon next year for a rider who since moving into roads competition in 2014 has steadily developed into one of the world’s best real roads exponents.
Words by Stevie Rial
