Ulster Grand Prix race preview
With it only being 12 days to go before the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod starts who will be the race favorites and who will be challenging for race wins as well. With the date clash with the World endurance championship event in Germany it has meant there is a few well known non starters for this years Ulster grand prix in particular the Honda TT legends squad of John Mcguinness and Simon Andrews. The remaining members of the TT legends world endurance team and TT winners Cameron Donald and Gary Johnson are also non starters again due to the date clash of events.
So with a few of the big names missing it could be a golden opportunity for Tyco Suzuki by TAS to make up for what was a disappointing Isle of Man TT. Guy Martin and Conor Cummins both have decent records around the Dundrod based circuit and will be looking to add to their wins total at the Ulster Grand Prix this year. But pushing them both will be the one and only Bruce Anstey from New Zealand. Bruce who took another TT win this year with Padgetts racing is in good form this season and will be looking to repeat his feature race win from a couple of years ago when he broke the lap record as well.
Having won a hat-trick of wins at the Ulster Grand Prix last year and this season having recently secured wins at the TT, Southern 100 and Armoy road races Michael Dunlop will go into this years Ulster Grand Prix full of confidence. Riding for his own team with assistance from Mcadoo racing Michael is having another great season on the roads and most of all this year at the Ulster Grand Prix will look for superbike race successes on his Honda Fireblade. Also Honda mounted again this season for the Wilson Craig racing Honda team is Michael’s brother William Dunlop.
William so far this season has being one of the men to beat in the supersport 600 class having taken a race win at the North West 200 and a debut podium finish at the TT this year in the opening supersport TT race. But don’t rule him out from being at the front in the superbike and superstock races as well in particular on the superbike which this season he has taken to race victory at the Skerries road races. Kawasaki’s presence at this years Ulster Grand Prix is led by Ireland’s all time most successful national roads rider Ryan Farquhar on the KMR Kawasaki’s.
Ryan who once again is having a great season has in particular again dominated the mini-twins 650 class of racing taking race wins at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and the Southern 100 in this class. This season as well has seen Ryan on good form in the superstock and supersport categories as well having taken podium finishes in both at this years TT races. Ryan’s team mate and protégé Jamie Hamilton has had a successful first full year racing on the roads in particular in the mini-twins 650 class. Jamie at the Southern 100 won his first international road race and broke the lap record as well.
Alongside this he has taken a win this class at the Walderstown road races as well alongside multiple podium finishes at the Irish national road race circuits. So despite still being an up and coming star on the roads Jamie Hamilton must start as one of the favorites for the mini-twins 650 Ulster Grand Prix race. Former Isle of Man TT winners Adrian Archibald and Ian Lougher both Kawasaki mounted again in the superbike races are still going as good as ever on the roads circuits and will be looking for top results at this years Ulster Grand Prix.
One of the leading newcomers at this years Ulster Grand Prix is rising road racing star Dean Harrison. Dean so far this year has produced some incredible performances in particular at the TT where he took a 9th place finish in the superbike TT race and lapped at over 126 mph. Now with the newly formed RC Express racing Kawasaki team Dean has being in good form at the Southern 100 and at the Cock of the North road races at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough. Dean will be aiming to be best newcomer at this years Ulster Grand Prix and to make a big impression on the fans who will be for the first time watching him around the Dundrod based Ulster Grand Prix circuit.
Some of the other leading newcomers at this years Ulster Grand Prix include rising Isle of Man TT and road racing stars Dan Cooper and Russell Mountford. Dan and Russell have being top 10 finishers at the TT races this year and will be in contention to be best newcomer at this years Ulster Grand Prix. Top Irish national riders Derek Shiels, Davy Morgan, John Burrows and Michael Pearson will all be looking to mix it with the works teams and gain some top international road race results. In all a great Ulster Grand Prix is upon us in spite of the fact that we are missing some of road racing’s biggest stars we still have TT winners, Irish national road racing stars and up and coming road racing stars going all out for race victories.