By Finishing seventh in Road Racing News top ten riders of the 2018 roads season is, Ulster GP Superbike qualifying lap record holder Conor Cummins.
Manx hero Cummins producing in my opinion this year, his best International roads form since a stellar 2009 campaign, has excelled and some aboard the immaculately prepared Padgetts Honda’s.
After a solid week of competition at the North West 200, main meeting of the year for Ramsey’s Cummins, TT 2018 proved extremely productive.
Runner up within the drama filled RST Superbike race, along the way the former Duke Road Race Rankings champion set a new personal best lap speed of 132.589 mph.
Photo by Nick Wheeler
Very creditable fifth, fourth place finishers were banked in the Monster Energy Supersport encounters, whilst the showpiece Pokerstars Senior race yielded another trip to the rostrum.
After six gruelling laps of the Mountain Course, a deserved third place finish was secured, as he made it eight TT podium finishes.
Following his TT 2018 exploits, it wasn’t until August till he was back in roads action for the hugely popular MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix.
Ultra impressive throughout the practice, qualifying sessions, the second Superbike qualifying session saw him set a new qualifying lap record, lapping at 134.138 mph.
A quite memorable day of competition at Dundrod, would go onto yield a first Ulster GP, International roads triumph in nine years, as he powered to opening Supersport race spoils.
Race day at Dundrod provided a mix set of results. Third place finishes were recorded from the Superstock, second Supersport races, whilst the showpiece re started feature Superbike race saw him crash out uninjured from the race lead.
After Ulster GP competition, attentions returned to the Mountain Course for Cummins, as he sampled again the growing in popularity Classic TT meet.
Taking his Mountain Course rostrum finishes tally into double figures, the Manxman took the exotic, great sounding Padgetts YZR 500 Yamaha to third on the result sheets.
Back to his best this year, Manx star Cummins has reminded everyone in 2018 about his renowned pace which makes him one of the fastest racers of his generation.
Words by Stevie Rial
