KMR Kawasaki to run Johnston and Kennaugh in 2017

KMR Kawasaki will again have a strong presence at the International road races in 2017 with Ryan Farquhar’s team running Lee Johnston and Hudson Kennaugh at both the International North West 200 and Isle of Man TT.

The duo will campaign a pair of ER6 650cc Kawasaki’s in the Lightweight races at both events, which take place in May and June respectively, with Johnston expected to be challenging for the race wins. The Northern Irishman’s machine will run in the vivid red colours of the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance with Kennaugh’s carrying the branding and colours of the International Energy Group (IEG).

Johnston is a three-time winner at the North West 200, including a brace of Lightweight victories in 2014, whilst he has previous experience of teaming up with Farquhar having previously ridden for him in the 2015 Lightweight TT race. Having lapped at close to 119mph, he was holding onto a podium position before being forced to retire on the final lap.

With Farquhar recovering from his injuries sustained at last year’s North West 200, 27-year old Johnston will spearhead the team’s assault at the TT as he seeks his first win around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course.

Kennaugh, meanwhile, will make his debut for the team at May’s North West 200, which will also be the South African’s first appearance at the 8.9-mile Triangle circuit. As well as competing in both Lightweight races there, he’ll also contest the same race at the TT where he should be firmly pushing for a top ten finish.

Now based at Ashby de la Zouch in the Midlands, 2017 will be the 36-year olds fifth time on the island with his best finish, 24th, coming in last year’s Superstock race when he also set a new personal best lap in excess of 123mph. A former race winner in the British Supersport and Superstock Championships, Kennaugh lapped at close to 114mph and was running on the edge of the top ten in the 2015 Lightweight race before going out on the final lap.

Team boss Farquhar is also hoping to run Kennaugh on a Superstock BMW at the North West 200 and although no longer racing himself, he’s excited about his team’s chances for success in 2017 and is eagerly looking forward to the season getting underway.

Ryan Farquhar: “It’s great to be back in a position running a team once more and from where I was at the North West 200 last year to where I am now is a big bonus. Lee’s perfectly suited to the bike and has done a good job for me in the past whilst Hudson is a fantastic short circuit rider and more than capable of getting some good results on the roads.”

“The majority of my trade sponsors have stayed with me, which is terrific news, and whilst it will be different for me this year with not riding, I’m really pleased to have two great riders on board. I’m looking forward to seeing the boys out on track and with a competitive package, I’m confident we’ll be there or thereabouts come race day.”

SOLID START FOR EHA RACING AT DONINGTON PARK

It was a busy weekend for EHA Racing at the opening round of the British championship, but hard work and determination again proved a worthy winner for the team with some pleasing results in both the Supersport and Superstock 1000 classes.

David Allingham came from P12 on the grid to finish fourth in the British Supersport class with Rosss Twyman seventh. New boy in the team Luke Hedger did a solid job on his debut in the National 1000cc Superstock class aboard the EHA Racing Aprilia, with a brace of top ten finishes a decent platform to build on for the year ahead.

David Allingham [Supersport]:
“I had a tough start to the weekend, as qualifying didn't go to plan and we made a lot of changes. Sunday’s race was always going to be tough starting from 12th but we didn't give up, and from being four seconds down on the leading bunch, it was great to bridge the gap and finish in fourth place. A couple more laps and I think I could have pushed past the few in front of me, but all in all a great start to the season for both my team and I. Bring on Brands Hatch! Big thanks to all my sponsors and the team.”

Ross Twyman [Supersport]:
The team worked so hard to get me a good feeling with the new suspension this weekend. Qualifying was wet and I stayed out in all session to get a good feel and ended up P7. Saturday’s race was cancelled due to track contamination, but in Sunday’s race, I got a half decent jump off the line, then got boxed in which left me with a bit of work to do. I settled into a good rhythm and started to come through and with three laps to go I was almost onto the back of the lead group. On the last lap I was right on them and managed to finish in 7th place. I had a good feeling with the bike and just unfortunately ran out of laps to mix it with the front boys. Overall a great weekend and something to build on at round 2. I can't thank my team and sponsors enough especially Ed, Gail, Adrian, Mark and Harry.”

Luke Hedger [Superstock 1000]:
“It was a good weekend overall, but we had to find a set up quickly as I’ve never been there before on a Stock 1000. I finished top 15 in both session and was looking forward to Q1. It was wet so we got some good laps in and finished ninth, then the first 100 miles race: the first part was hard conditions and I got caught out with tyre choice, but the second part was much better and I came from 22nd to 10th, so I was really happy. Race two on Sunday was really good and I ended up finishing ninth. I’m really happy for my first weekend on the bike and would like to thank EHA Racing and Ian and James for their hard work. More to come from me at Brands.”

Gail Allingham – Team Manager
“We are really pleased to come out of the first round with top ten finishes from all the boys; it's a solid start to our championships. Luke did very well for his first race weekend with the team riding the Aprilia: he improved every time he went out and is loving riding the bike and can't wait to develop it further. David and Ross rode great and fought hard to catch the leading group in the Supersport class, and a podium finish was a strong possibility. This will be a tight championship and our boys should be in with a shout. Thank you to all our team for their hard work this weekend, they all did a great job and also a big thank you to all our sponsors for their support this season, it's really appreciated.”

Four-pronged attack in Lightweight TT for KMR Kawasaki

KMR Kawasaki will have a four-pronged attack on the Bennetts Lightweight TT race with Peter Hickman and Danny Webb joining Lee Johnston and Hudson Kennaugh in Ryan Farquhar’s team.

The quartet will all ride identically-prepared ER6 650cc Kawasaki’s in the four-lap race as triple TT winner Farquhar goes all out to claim victory in the race he won himself back in 2012.

Hickman will be making his debut in the race having withdrawn last year after being scheduled to ride the BE Cookstown Kawasaki of John Burrows and will be amongst the favourites for success as will team-mate Johnston. He previously rode for Farquhar’s team at the 2015 TT and, after lapping at close to 119mph, was lying in a podium position before retiring on the final lap.

Webb, meanwhile, will be making his fourth successive appearance in the race, all of which have been for Farquhar’s team. His debut in 2014 saw him finish in a fine 13th place and he went quicker still in 2015, lapping in excess of 115mph on his way to claiming an excellent tenth place and a second silver replica.

South African Kennaugh competed in the Bennetts Lightweight TT race in 2015 where he was running on the edge of the top ten before a spill at Braddan Bridge in the closing stages ended his charge.

With Johnston and Hickman expected to be challenging for the race win and Webb and Kennaugh strong candidates for top ten positions, it promises to be an exciting race for KMR Kawasaki and whilst Farquhar is naturally disappointed himself not to be riding, he’s excited about his team’s prospects.

Dafabet to sponsor RC Express Racing in 2017

On-line betting company Dafabet will make their first major move into motorcycle racing in 2017 with the sponsorship of the RC Express Racing Team.

The move will see the team, which will compete under the Dafabet Devitt Racing banner, sport a striking new livery for the 2017 International road races with riders Ivan Lintin and Steve Mercer contesting all classes at the Isle of Man TT, North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix.

Dafabet have offices around the world, including the Isle of Man and the Philippines, specialising in online sports betting and gaming and rank amongst the world’s top e-gaming operators.

The company have a high profile involvement in other sports and are main club sponsors for Celtic, Sunderland and Burnley football clubs together with title sponsorship of some of professional snookers biggest tournaments, notably the Masters.

Roy and Ben Constable, Team Co-owners said on the completion of the Dafabet sponsorship; “The support of an international business with such a strong sporting profile is not just great for the team, but great for the sport. We’re over the moon to welcome Dafabet to the racing family and we’re looking forward to developing the relationship over the next few years.”

“Having tasted success in the Lightweight class, with three successive Isle of Man TT wins and victories at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix too, the aim now is to make our mark in the Superbike and Supersport categories. Winning a Senior TT is the team’s goal and with the support we now have from Dafabet, Devitt, and our other loyal sponsors, this is a fantastic opportunity for us.”

John Cruces, Head of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Dafabet added; “In recent months we’ve been looking at diversification in terms of the sports we’re involved with sponsorship wise and motorsport ticks a lot of the right boxes for the demographic of player we want to put our brand in front of. The RC Express team impressed us with their forward thinking ideas of how best the partnership could work. Plus in riders Ivan and Steve, the engineering team and the bikes, we believe we could be looking at a successful season in world renowned road races such as the Isle of Man TT, the North West 200 and the Macau Grand Prix. We’re looking forward to the season and being involved with the team and the sport.”

The team has made significant efforts over the last 12 months to expand its commercial opportunities, with sponsors and partners that are new to the world of road racing and to build on the platform that prepares them for future success. Ian Ayre, the teams Sporting Chairman said, “We could not be happier. The team has done a fantastic job at securing the support of Dafabet and we look forward to a long and successful future with them, but to maintain the ongoing relationship with Devitt Insurance at the same time is fantastic. Devitt have been a loyal supporter of the team and we are all thrilled by the opportunity that 2017 brings for Dafabet Devitt Racing.”

William Hughes, Managing Director of Devitt Insurance added, “We’re delighted by the progress the team has made over the last year and we’re pleased to continue our involvement in 2017 and beyond. Bringing Dafabet on board is another indication of the huge ambitions of Dafabet Devitt Racing and we’re looking forward to future success.”

Winning start to 2017 for KMR Kawasaki

KMR Kawasaki got their 2017 road racing season off to a winning start on Easter Saturday with Hudson Kennaugh taking victory on the team’s Kawasaki ZX-10R in the second Superbike race at Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland.

venue, and his first since 2008, but as the day wore on he got more and more dialled in to both the bike, which hadn’t turned a wheel since 2015, and the circuit culminating in a excellent win in the second leg of the Enkalon Trophy Superbike race.

Having taken a solid fourth in the first leg, the team made a number of changes to the set-up of the machine for the second race, which was held over just four laps. Locked in battle throughout with Dan Kneen and Gerard Kinghan, there was little to choose between the trio but Hudson was in front when it mattered most and he got the verdict at the chequered flag from Kneen by 0.204s. With the earlier fourth place, it gave him second overall to Kneen.

It was a busy day for the 36-year old and he was also in action on the ER6 650cc Kawasaki Supertwin, taking second and fourth place finishes in the two Supertwin races, and also the team’s 450cc Kawasaki. Competing in the Lightweight races, Hudson claimed two more podiums, to make it four for the day, with second and third in the two 7-lap encounters.

There was further joy for the KMR kawasaki team on Easter Monday when Cameron Dawson took victory in the Young Guns Challenge race at Kirkistown. Riding a 125cc Aprilia, the youngster was having his very first outing and scored a great 0.223s win over Jonny Campbell.

Ryan Farquhar, Team Owner: “It’s been a great start to 2017 and Hudson’s win in the second Superbike race was the icing on the cake. I only used the bike a bit in 2015 and it’s been sat in the garage since then but Maxton had worked a lot on the shock and after a run out at Kirkistown on Wednesday, the bike was working really well. Hudson got quicker and quicker as the day wore on and, after a good battle with Dan Kneen, it was a great win.”

“The development work I’d done with the Supertwin had shown up well on the dyno but the noise limits meant we couldn’t run the exhaust set-up we wanted and it was a bit of a struggle on race day. Nevertheless, it was still good for Hudson to get a run out on the bike and he was able to get really familiar with the ER6 and get two solid results. He also had a wee spin on my little 450cc bike to pick up two more podiums and with the whole weekend designed to get the big bike and twin dialled in for the North West 200 and TT, it was certainly a case of ‘mission accomplished’.”

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR ALLINGHAM AND STRONG EASTER MEETING FOR HEDGER & TWYMAN

A double British Supersport podium from David Allingham and two fourth placed finishes for Luke Hedger in the National 1000cc Superstock class topped off a superb weekend of action for EHA Racing over the Easter period in the British championship during round two at Brands Hatch in Kent.

Ross Twyman was also flying the EHA flag at the sharp end in the British Supersport Championship and like his team-mates, was doing the recently revamped EHA livery proud, taking a front row start in Monday’s feature race; narrowly missing out on a debut podium in the class, with another strong fourth placed finish for the team.

David Allingham – Supersport [6th, 3rd, 2nd]
“It was a great weekend of racing at Brands Hatch, I was very pleased to get on the podium twice this weekend, especially in third race of the weekend as I had been a little disappointed with my performance in race two. Massive thanks to my awesome team, I couldn't do it without those guys. I also want to thank my personal sponsors; my dad, Gail, and my mum for coming over this weekend; my girlfriend, two brothers and everyone else who supports me. I like the longer flowing tracks so I’m now really looking forward to Oulton Park.”

Luke Hedger – Superstock 1000 [4th, 4th]
“The weekend was perfect from start to finish as we was in the top six in all sessions. The two races were amazing to be part of: the first race was the 50-miler, which was 38 laps around Brands Indy and I had a mega start and was up to third, but eventually finished fourth, although just 0.2sec off the podium. It was the same in the second race, I got a good start and moved my way into fifth, and with just five laps to go, I was catching the front pack. On the last lap I was on them but only had time to grab fourth – again just 0.2-sec off third again. I am so happy with these results and can't thank the team enough, especially Ian and Jack for all their hard work. A big shout out to my personal sponsors, SRS and Swindon Karting.”

Ross Twyman – Supersport [7th, 6th, 4th]
“The weekend at Brands started good with being inside the top five in practice. We had a good set-up for qualifying and I felt good on the bike. Unfortunately I could only manage twelfth on the grid for race one. I had some work to do from there, but was pleased to get up to seventh, then take sixth in race two. For Monday’s race I had put in a time that put me second on the grid – my first front row start in Supersport. I was so pleased that I had a good shot at the race. I stayed with the front group all race but couldn't quite make it an EHA double podium. I finished fourth and I am very happy with that. I can’t thank my team enough for the work they put in, and big thanks to all my sponsors too for their support. Roll on Oulton Park!”

Gail Allingham – Team Manager:
"What an amazing weekend for EHA Racing. I am so proud of all the riders and all the team personnel – it really was a great effort by everyone over the busy Easter weekend. All three boys had excellent results and it was so nice to get David back on to the podium, with Luke and Ross not far away from getting podiums either. Massive thanks to all our sponsors; it was nice to have some of them with us this weekend. Now we can't wait for the next round at Oulton Park.”

Ducati TriOptions Cup

As with round one at Donington Park, the Ducati Cup had a packed out grid, with 52 riders once again competing for 40 grid spaces. This meant the LCQ race system was in action again for the weekends racing. As before, it was essential for Mike and the team to gain automatic qualification into the main races on Sunday and Monday, and after the positives of Donington Park, the team were looking to progress further up the field in the qualifying session.

Mike qualified an impressive 15th overall, therefore making the automatic qualification both he and the team expected to achieve. After gaining the experience of the first race meeting, the team knew how important it was to get a good qualification spot, and be able to run with the faster riders further up the field.

Race 1 of the weekend was on Sunday afternoon. Good weather made tyre choices and setup easy for the team, however the team had decided to make a drastic suspension setup to help Mike in the first half of the short Brands Hatch Indy circuit. It was a gamble, but the team knew Mike had some more pace to be further up the field, and that the bike setup was a main factor in the quest for more speed. The gamble paid off, and Mikes lap times dropped by over half a second, allowing Mike to finish race one in a respectable 12th position. After the impressive lap times, Mike started Mondays race (race two) in 13th position on the grid, therefore giving the team a better chance of a top 10 finish.

Race 2
With the teams best grid position of the season so far, Mike was confident of a good result for the final race of the weekend. A great getaway off the grid ensured Mike kept his position on the road, and was able to move up to 11th after the first lap. Mike kept a good pace throughout, and maintained his position all through the race, to cross the line just outside the top 10. The teams aim was to be in the top 10 for this race, and although more progress was made, it wasn’t quite the ending they had hoped for. Fortunately, after the compulsory bike ‘Technical Review’ in Parc Ferme, another rider ahead had been caught running ‘illegal’ software on their bike, therefore being disqualified from the result of the final race. This promoted Mike into 10th, therefore entering the top 10 for the first time this season.

Conclusion
It has been another solid weekend racing, with a little bit of good fortune, resulting in TeamMTR being able to meet their pre-meeting expectations. Mike has been able to move forward in every session, and showing the teams commitment to learning the setup of the bike, and what it takes to run at the top end of this fiercely competitive class. Mike has been the first rookie in every race so far, while also beating many riders that have competed in the Ducati Cup for many years prior to this. The level of ability is clear to see, and TeamMTR are consistently working to bridge the gap to the next ‘group’ of on track riders and give Mike the best opportunity to learn more, and therefore move up the field to gain the best possible results.

Winning start to 2017 for Lintin and Dafabet Devitt Racing

Ivan Lintin and the Dafabet Devitt Racing team made a winning start to their 2017 road racing season with the double Lightweight TT race winner producing a barnstorming ride in Sunday’s Supertwins race at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough to take victory despite starting from the back of the grid!

In what was a busy weekend for the whole team, with no less than nine races over the course of the two days, the win came in perfect conditions on Sunday afternoon when Ivan proved overtaking was no problem around the narrow 2.43-mile circuit. Having already moved up from last to fourth by the end of the first lap, that became second a lap later as he hunted down leader James Cowton. The latter then lost his chain on the fourth of eight laps to leave Ivan with an unassailable lead.

It more than made up for the disappointment in Saturday’s race, held in a lot cooler conditions, when the Bardney rider slid off at the Memorial when leading. He also opted to put in some laps on the 2017 ER6 Kawasaki in the two Open races, gaining valuable miles on the new bike as the team continue with their development in preparation for the International road races.

Using the ER6 in the Open races meant Ivan had three outings, instead of five, on the Superstock-spec Kawasaki ZX-10R with his first race, Saturday’s Senior, seeing him take a solid sixth. The sunshine on Sunday saw him improve to fifth whilst sixth was again the outcome in Sunday’s feature Bob Smith Spring Cup race. He was only four seconds adrift of the podium though whilst he also recorded his fastest ever lap around the challenging woodland circuit on a Kawasaki machine.

Ivan’s other two races came on the Kawasaki ZX-6R for the Supersport 600cc encounters with fourth being taken in Saturday’s six lap race. Fourth was also the result in Sunday’s race, again held over six laps, but it was undoubtedly the race of the weekend as just three seconds covered the leading quartet.

Ivan Lintin: “With the damp start at the beginning and cold temperatures during the day, Saturday was certainly challenging particularly with it being my first competitive outing of the year on the 1000 and first time on Dunlop tyres for ten years but I learnt a lot about both the bikes and the tyres. Apart from the little slip off on the Twin, we made a lot of positive steps over the two days and with such good weather on Sunday, it was a pleasing meeting overall. The pace on Sunday was red hot and to put in my fastest ever lap on a Kawasaki around Oliver’s Mount shows just how hard we were all trying so we can now look forward to the North West 200 in a good frame of mind.”

Roy Constable, Team Owner: “We knew this weekend wouldn’t be one of our strongest as it was Ivan’s first competitive outing with the Dunlops and there’s a lot for us all to get used to but the good thing was that he got plenty of laps in on all of the bikes so has a good direction to work in. Coming from last on the grid to winning the Supertwin race was something special whilst his lap in the Superbike race was very positive at such an early stage in the season and the team put in a good shift over the two days. It’s good to get the first meeting of the season out of the way and we expect to make some big strides between now and the North West 200 so a big thanks to Dafabet, Devitt Insurance, Dunlop and all our loyal sponsors plus Dave Stevenson for his continued hard work.”

Challenging North West 200 meeting for Dafabet Devitt Racing

Bristol-based Dafabet Devitt Racing endured a challenging time in Northern Ireland this week, where they were competing in the International North West 200 road races, but a podium from Ivan Lintin in the opening Supertwin race ensured they didn’t go away completely empty-handed.

Qualifying on Tuesday and Thursday saw clear blue skies and warm sunshine all around the 8.9-mile circuit but firstly Ivan’s Supersport 600cc machine expired on Tuesday with a similar fate then befalling team-mate Steve Mercer on Thursday. That put the riders out of both of the Supersport races and there were further problems on Thursday afternoon when Ivan’s big bike blew up meaning the team had already lost three engines.

Three races were on the programme on Thursday and although Steve was forced to retire from the Superstock race, Ivan brought the Kawasaki ZX-10R home in a solid 13th place after the team did a great job to fit a spare engine in just a few hours.

He was then back out on track in the four-lap Supertwin race although a sluggish start saw him drop back on the opening lap. By the time he’d worked his way through the pack, the leaders had escaped but he worked hard throughout the race and successfully saw off the challenge of Dan Cooper to claim third place and give the team another International road race podium.

The conditions for Saturday’s feature race day had, unfortunately, changed considerably, with overnight rain leaving the course damp and grey skies were overhead all day. It led to a number of delays in the schedule with the Superbike race being cut to four laps and not getting underway until 3pm. Ivan was well on course for a top twelve finish until a huge moment coming into the start and finish chicane forced him down pit lane and out of the race.

Despite the scare, he regrouped in time for the Supertwins race only for another engine problem to force him out and that just left Steve’s outing in the Superstock race to gain another result. That’s exactly what he did when, despite his limited track time, he lapped at 118.310mph to finish in a strong 11th place, only six seconds adrift of sixth place.

Ivan Lintin: “It was a tough meeting for all of us with a combination of engine issues affecting us on Tuesday and Thursday and then iffy weather conditions coming into play on Saturday but on the plus side, it was nice to get another podium in Thursday’s Supertwin race. I made a bit of a poor start as we’d fitted a new gearbox so that’s something I need to improve upon but the race itself went ok and it’s always satisfying to get on the rostrum at an International road race. Conditions on Saturday were never wet or dry and I gave myself a bit of a scare in the Superbike race but we’re all in one piece and I’m looking forward to the TT now.”

Steve Mercer: “There were certainly a few ups and downs for all of the team this week but for me personally, there are a lot of positives to take away. My experience at the North West is quite limited and I didn’t get a lot of track time during the week but when everything went right, I felt really good and comfortable on the ZX-10R. Saturday’s Superstock race was an awful lot of fun and I was running with riders who finished on the podium but when Jamie Coward’s bike blew up on the final lap going into University, I had to back off. It dropped me back to 11th but my speeds were good and we were very competitive so it’s put me in a good frame of mind for the TT.”

Ben Constable, Team Co-owner: “It’s certainly been a tough meeting for the team to have four engine blow ups – three before the races had even started – and it gave us a major headache. It’s a really tough circuit on engines and, unfortunately, it was our turn to suffer this week but it was good to see Ivan get another podium in the Supertwin class. He rode a smart race and with further improvements to the bike, we’re quietly confident with our TT chances.”

“On Saturday, the conditions were very mixed and that makes it difficult for everyone particularly with tyre choice and then with an oil spill as well, it’s hard for the riders to go out in those conditions. Wet roads and 200mph Superbikes isn’t a good mix and we’re not a team to go and force our riders to go out and ride so we respected their decisions and supported them all the way. Steve had a good ride in the Superstock race so that, along with Ivan’s rostrum, made up for the problems so we’ve now got a busy two weeks ahead of us to get everything ready for the TT.”

Superb NW200 win for Rutter and KMR Kawasaki

Michael Rutter ensured Ryan Farquhar and his KMR Kawasaki team’s return to the International North West 200 was a successful one when he followed up his runner-up spot in Thursday’s Supertwin race with a brilliant win on the IEG/KMR Kawasaki in Saturday’s corresponding four-lap encounter.

The sun and blue skies of Thursday evening had been replaced by grey clouds and rain on Saturday morning but by the time the Supertwins came under starters orders just before 4pm, the roads forming the 8.9-mile circuit had dried out although a number of damp patches did still exist.

A strong start saw Michael take the lead on the opening lap ahead of Dan Cooper, Thursday’s race winner Martin Jessopp and team-mate Lee Johnston. However, unlike Thursday, when Jessopp made a successful break in the early stages, this time the leading three riders were locked in battle throughout.

On lap two, positions at the head of the field changed frequently with Jessopp hitting the front at University, Cooper taking over at Church and then Michael doing the same along the coast road towards Juniper. As they flashed across the line at half race distance, just 0.7s covered the trio.

The race followed a similar pattern on lap three with Michael again leading across the line as they started their final lap. The 45-year old called upon all his experience on the final 8.9-miles and although he lost the lead to Jessopp at University once more, he positioned himself perfectly to reclaim the lead, something he wasn’t to relinquish.

He took the chequered flag for his 14th NW200 victory, and KMR Kawasaki’s first since 2015 when Farquhar and Jeremy McWilliams won the Supertwins races, by 0.697s from Cooper with Jessopp back in third.

Johnston’s race started strongly with the 27-year old running in fourth but on the second lap, the Air Ambulance NI-liveried machine began to experience a gearbox problem and with the bike jumping out of gear, the County Fermanagh rider had to retire.

Ryan Farquhar, Team Owner: “I was over the moon with second place and how Michael rode on Thursday evening but Saturday’s result was even better! You could see from the TV pictures that my bike was a little bit down on top speed, but better in the mid-range and with a chassis that was working well, and Michael was so confident going in and out of the chicanes. I was impressed with him on Thursday but he surpassed that today and I’m so pleased for him.”

“Over the years, I’ve helped many riders and won races, even taking a 1-2-3 here in 2012 with myself, Jeremy and Michael, but this tops that and is undoubtedly the most satisfying win. After everything we’ve been through, to be back on the top step is unbelievable so a massive thanks to my wife Karen, the mechanics and all the sponsors as without them none of this would be possible. We’ve got a lot of work to do now before the TT to get all the bikes prepared but we can certainly go there in a confident frame of mind.”