By Michael Browne’s proficient return to national road racing this month, continued at the past weekend’s Walderstown Road Races.
The ideal conditions for qualifying remained for race-day which began with a solid third place finish for Browne, in the Open Championship encounter.
Following Supersport race proceedings saw the quietly spoken Irishman, run close 21 times TT winner Michael Dunlop.
Providing stern pressure throughout, final race stages would see Ballymoney’s Dunlop set a new Supersport lap record, as he gradually broke the resistance of Browne, who went onto finish second, just over three seconds behind.
Browne’s latest national roads tenure ended with another 1000cc rostrum finish in the showpiece Grand Final, which he led early on before dropping back to third.
Reflecting on an overall positive ‘Race of The South’ plus the battles with three times Senior TT victor Dunlop, Duke Road Race Rankings leader Michael Sweeney, the Skerries Moto 3 lap record holder stated:
“I was happy enough with my riding this weekend and we have the bikes where we want them set up wise but I am still craving that second big bike win.
The 600 race I enjoyed because I felt comfortable sitting with Michael for the first few laps, the only place I could pass was down the straight but, in the slipstream, I just ran out of gearing.
The Grand Final went okay, it was maybe a bit of a rookie move to lead early in the race because we were warned about the conditions.
So, when the boys behind saw me avoid the cement dust they went for it, in the end I thought I would settle for third and bring the bike home safe and to round out another good day for me and the team.”
BE (Burrows Engineering) Racing/RK (Richardson Kelly) Racing Team Owner, John Burrows added:
“Walderstown has been another good meeting for Mike and us. Mike is sometimes hard on himself but his pace has been good all weekend.
He held onto Michael Dunlop comfortably in the 600 race which impressed me, until Michael pulled two lap records out of the bag to break away, but that is a 21-time TT winner and a class act we are talking about.
We have been having a few issues with the brakes on the Superbike so after race 1 we changed to stock callipers which helped the fading for the Grand Final.
The two big bike races gave us two third places, however, Mike was there right to the end and proved he can run at the front. It was a brilliant weekend between the weather and the results and now we will look ahead to Faugheen next week.”
As stated by former racer now teamed Team Owner Burrows, the BE Racing/RK Racing squad’s next roads outing sees them Faugheen 50 bound this week.
The Tipperary based event which hosts the sixth round of the 2022 Irish Road Race Championships, runs from the 16th-17th July.
Photo credit: Derek Wilson
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
