Superbike riders target Championship points & Leinster 200 trophy

When the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship competitors return to action on July 23rd and 24th they will have more to focus on than championship points. The biggest single race award of the season, the Hutchison Trophy, is also up for grabs. The trophy is adorned with many famous Motorcycle Racing names including, Joey Dunlop, Eddie Laycock, Jeremy McWilliams and the only two previous winners on this years entry list, Derek Sheils and Brian McCormack, and will be presented to the winner of the Leinster 200, the final Superbike race of the weekend.

Alongside the prestigious Leinster 200 race the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship reaches another significant junction at its July event. Rounds ten, eleven and twelve will be the last chance for riders to improve their points tally before dropped scores are taken into account in preparation for the 2022 Shoot Out. The Shoot Out will take place over the final two events of the season in August and September with riders counting all of the points scored over the six races.

The Superbike Class has been incredibly close so far this year with two new names, Alan Kenny and Emmett O’Grady making the top step of the podium for the first time. Thomas O’Grady leads the championship chase, following a run of podium finishes, with Kenny and Emmett O’Grady close behind, just ahead of Derek Sheils. Former Leinster 200 winner Sheils, will be one of the favourites to lift the Hutchison Trophy, but alongside the regular championship opposition he will also have fellow TT competitor Brian McCormack to overcome in order to take the win. The Waterford man will ride a BMW for British Superbike Team FHO, as he returns home to compete in the Masters Superbike class for the first time in a number of years.

Just like the headline Superbike class, the Supersport racers will have their own trophy to compete for with the Leinster 100 trophy up for grabs. Having become more competitive as the season has progressed the Supersport class is set to go up another notch, as 2021 Champion Kevin Keyes rejoins the grid. Keyes will join fellow British Superbike paddock refugee Josh Elliott, Emmett O’Grady and Elliott’s AKR Racing team mate A Jay Carey as the favourites to add their name to the Leinster 100 roll of honour.

While all eyes will be on the Supersport and Superbike battles, the Principal Insurance Supertwin class will also benefit from the return to Mondello Park of another Irish Road Racing star, Joseph Loughlin. Loughlin recently became the first Republic of Ireland rider to win at the North West 200 since Raymond Porter in 2005, and only the eighth in the history of the event, joins the grid. The Monaghan based rider and former Masters Supersport race winner will join the Masters Supertwin grid at Mondello Park looking to end the Supertwin domination of the Aprilia’s with his Kawasaki machine.

With the July Masters event taking place on the full International Track, the Megabikes Superstore Ballymount big screen will be back. The screen, opposite the main straight grandstand, will be available on Sunday, showing all of the Maxus and Harris Group livestream footage, allowing spectators to follow all of the action from the full 3.5 kilometre International Circuit from the comfort of the stand.

Tickets for the July Masters event can be purchased in advance from HERE or by scanning our QR code at the entrance gate and paying electronically.

For information on the July Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship event see HERE.

 

2022 Calendar

The Shoot Out
August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track
September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

O’Grady’s to the fore in Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship at Mondello Park

Two riders sharing the same surname were the top performers at rounds seven, eight and nine of the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship at Mondello Park last weekend, June 25th and 26th. Thomas O’Grady from Dublin picked up two second place finishes from the three Superbike races to move into the Championship lead, while Tralee’s Emmett O’Grady took his maiden Superbike win in the final race of the weekend. The Kerry rider also took another Supersport win along with two second places, while his Dublin rival took a Supertwin hat-trick.

The latest rounds of the Masters were boosted by the return to the Superbike class of Derek Sheils, who was expected to be the man to beat on his Roadhouse Macau BMW. The Wicklow rider took victories in the first two Superbike races but had to come from behind to win both.

In race one championship leader Alan Kenny from Cavan was first to run at the front but by the end of lap three he was under pressure from Thomas O’Grady and Sheils. O’Grady was first to make a move and by the time Sheils had also passed Kenny, O’Grady was a couple of seconds ahead. Sheils gradually clawed his way back and on the final lap made the most of a slight error by the leader to take his third win of the season by two tenths of a second. The Cup battle was once again between Meath man Andrew Whearty’s BMW and the Suzuki of Jamie Collins from Cork, with first time Masters Superbike competitor Jacque Foley third.

Kenny got another good start in race two but was once again overhauled by O’Grady and Sheils. The significant point of the race came at half distance as Sheils got by O’Grady just as Kenny dropped his Yamaha at Maxus corner. This time Sheils was able to pull away to take a four second victory, followed by Thomas and then Emmett O’Grady. The Cup race produced an identical result to race one.

The final race took place on a wet track, such an unusual occurrence at the Masters that many of the competitors had never raced on wet tyres or with a wet set up. Sheils got away best from the start, while Kenny was visibly struggling with the handling of his Yamaha before dropping back and eventually calling it a day at half distance. Thomas O’Grady was also not on his usual form, so it was Emmett O’Grady on the sole Honda in the field who took the fight to Sheils.

Six laps in he was right on the former champions tale with both riders struggling to stay upright in the difficult conditions. On lap nine of twelve Sheils mad an uncharacteristic error and crashed, leaving O’Grady to cruise to victory ahead of a titanic battle for second between Cork’s Ray Casey and Ulster rider Daniel Matheson. Matheson just got the better of his former Motocross sparring partner to finish as runner-up, taking his first Cup class win and best ever overall result. Alan Smith and Seanie Smith also took their first Cup podiums as they cam home second and third in the class.

Former British Superbike race winner Josh Elliott was the star attraction in the Supersport class and he duly took the opening two victories. In race one he passed Oisin Maher for the win with Maher then dropping back behind Emmett O’Grady and Elliott’s AKR/Thomas Bourne Racing team mate A Jay Carey. Carey took another Cup class win ahead of Jack O’Grady and Jason Floody.

Elliott led from lights to flag in race two with the Fermanagh rider finishing a second ahead of O’Grady, with Ulster teenager Carey again third as the Cup class produced the same finishing order as race one. The third race looked like going the same way as the opening two, until a mid race charge by O’Grady saw him close in on Elliott. Following a couple of attempts to pass the AKR Honda, O’Grady eventually made it stick at Southside Motor Factors corner at the end of lap nine, before holding Elliott off to win by a tenth of a second. Jack O’Grady took the Cup victory ahead of Floody and Carey, who was penalised for a jump start.

The Principal Insurance Twins races all went the way of Thomas O’Grady with his Aprilia 660. Darragh Crean on the Nedar Heat Aprilia took the runner up spot each time with Jacque Foley, Stephen Tobin and Mark Quilligan sharing the third place finishes. The production class was much tighter as for the second event in a row, Brandon Kavanagh got the better of a photo finish with Nathan McGauran to take race two. Earlier McGauran had won the opening race and would go on to take the wet race three, as Kavanagh struggled with the conditions, to open up a championship advantage over his rival for the first time this season.

The DM Groundworks and FJS Plant junior classes continued to thrive as the two divisions attracted their biggest ever entry, with nine Junior Supersport machines and seven Moto1’s on the grid. Championship leader Jack Whearty blew his engine early in the weekend leaving Adam Brown and Rossi Dobson to share the Junior Supersport wins. Brown took the opener, with Dobson winning the next two. Nicky Burns had a steady weekend, taking three podiums to move into the championship lead. Reuben Sherman Boyd again won all three Moto1 races with Bailey Dobson second each time. Jack Kelly, in his first ever circuit race, took the remaining podium spot in race one, before Harry Phayres got ton grips with his new Tianda machine to finish third in races two and three.

In Pre-Injection Noel Dunne Jnr. Consolidated his championship lead with two wins to Terry Bradley’s one. Derek Wilson won the first two Classic Superbike encounters before sitting out the final wet race, allowing Alan Tierney to take a maiden win. The Moto 400 races saw another hat-trick of wins for Damien Horgan with former Superbike racer Andrew Murphy second each time while Dylan Lynch and Aaron Galligan took two wins in sidecars with Darren O’Dwyer and Mark Gash lifting the final victory.

The Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship returns to the full International Track layout at Mondello Park on July 23rd & 24th.

For information on the June Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship event see HERE.

 

2022 Calendar

The Build Up
July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out
August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track
September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

TT Star and Spanish Superbike racer bolster Masters Superbike entry

As the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship heads towards its half way point this weekend (June 25th & 26th), on the Mondello Park National Track, the Superbike and Supersport grids will be bolstered by some interesting entries. Returning Isle of Man TT Star Derek Sheils, will be joined in the Superbike class by Spanish Superbike Championship competitor, Jacque Foley, who will also race in Supertwins, while the Supersport class will see former British Superbike race winner Josh Elliott join the grid.

The Masters events always serve up the best of Motorcycle race action for fans, both at the track and through the Championships live streaming coverage, which is sponsored by Maxus and the Harris Group. With the additional entries and the strength in depth across all classes, this weekends racing should be even closer and could result in some major changes in the championship standings.

Sheils was one of a number of local riders who set their fastest ever laps around the Mountain course during 2022 TT qualifying and the Wicklow resident finished race week with fifteenth in the blue riband Senior TT, where he was best of the Republic of Ireland riders. With his focus now away from the TT for another year, the former Masters champion will head for Mondello Park looking to kick-start his Short Circuit Racing season.

Having only competed in one Masters round so far, back in April, Sheils currently trails championship leader Alan Kenny by forty one points. However, with each rider allowed to drop his worst weekend from the opening four, the Road House Macau backed rider remains well in contention to add to his two previous Superbike titles, having taken two wins and a second place at event one.

A one hundred and sixty strong entry list will line up across all of the Masters classes this weekend with both the Superbike and Supersport categories having thirty five plus entries. All of the Superbike Championship contenders will be on the grid, including series leader Alan Kenny from Cavan, Kilkenny’s Richie Ryan and the O’Gradys, Thomas from Dublin and Emmett from Kerry. The Superbike Cup class, which has been dominated by Jamie Collins and Andrew Whearty so far this year, will also have a new addition this weekend as former Thundersport UK champion and Ducati Tri Options Cup campaigner, Jacque Foley joins the grid. The Clare based rider will take a break from his European Superbike season as he brings his Suzuki Superbike to Mondello Park for the first time and should be an immediate front runner.

Alongside taking another Superbike podium Emmett O’Grady was a double Supersport race winner in May, on his debut with the new Harris Group Yamaha R6 and will be one of the favourites in that class this weekend. To repeat his feat the Kerryman will have to contend with the arrival in the Masters of former British Superbike race winner Josh Elliott, who joins the AKR Thomas Bourne Racing team for the remainder of the season.

The supporting classes will be headlined by the Principal Insurance Twins classes which will have the biggest grid of the weekend. Also racing will be the Classic Superbikes and Pre-Injection, Moto 400, Sidecars and the up and coming stars of the DM Groundworks and FJS Plant Junior Championship.

Tickets for the Masters are now on sale from the championship web site and must be purchased in advance.

For information on the June Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship event see HERE.

 

2022 Calendar

The Build Up
July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out
August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track
September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

British Superbike Race winner set to join the Masters Championship

Former British Superbike race winner and 2015 Superstock 1000 British Champion, Josh Elliott, is set for a full time return to the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship with AKR Thomas Bourne Racing. Having previously taken two Supersport race wins back in 2011, Elliott will return to the class on board a Honda for the remaining four events of the 2022 Championship.

AKR Racing joined the Masters series for the first time in 2022 with a two bike team for Chris Burns and A Jay Carey. The new team have already made a big impression with Carey currently leading both the Cup class, for rookie racers, and the overall Championship, following a string of podium finishes and Cup class wins.

As the Masters season heads for its third event Carey will now have a new team mate as former Masters race winner Josh Elliott joins the team. The Ulster rider’s two wins came on his only previous weekend in the series, eleven years ago. On that occasion he battled all weekend with his future British Superstock rival Keith Farmer as he took two wins and a second place.

In between his Mondello Park visits, Elliott won the British Superstock 1000 championship before progressing into British Superbikes in 2019. A maiden Superbike win at Silverstone at the start of the year was the highlight of his season but the unfortunate Ulsterman was unable to sustain his progress through the Covid effected 2020 and 2021 seasons and is now delighted to get an opportunity to get back racing.

“I have to thank AKR Thomas Bourne Racing for giving me this opportunity” said Josh “I was surprised when I got the call and now I intend to make the most of my return to the track. I’m really looking forward to racing at the Masters, as it is such a well run series. I’m also looking forward to being back in a racing paddock again, enjoying my racing and seeing a few old faces, as well as getting back to the serious business of trying to get some decent results and hopefully repaying the team with race wins.”

The team management also gave us their thoughts on their new signing. “AKR/Thomas Bourne racing are delighted to welcome Josh Elliott to our team, riding one of our Honda CBR600RR machines in the Supersport class. Josh comes with a wealth of experience and we are excited to have him on board for the remainder of the season at the Dunlop Masters series.”

Elliott will have his first outing for the team at Mondello Park on June 25th & 26th and with riders allowed to drop scores from one weekend, Josh will have effectively missed just one event and could still be a contender for the championship.

For information on the June Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship event see HERE.

 

2022 Calendar

The Build Up
June 25-26 Round 3 – National Track
July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out
August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track
September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

Alan Kenny takes maiden Masters Superbike Championship wins at Mondello Park

The Mondello Park International Track was the venue for the second event of the 2022 Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship as both the Superbike and Supersport Series finished the weekend with new winners and first time Championship leaders.

Cavan’s Alan Kenny and County Down teenager A Jay Carey both moved to the top of their respective classes, with Kenny taking his maiden Superbike victories, while Carey took two wins in the Supersport Cup class on his way to a pair of overall podium finishes.

A rain shower just before the start of Superbike race one meant that the riders started on dry weather tyres on a damp track. Kenny, on the outside of the front row and off the racing line, had to deal with the wettest part of the track and dropped back to fourth by Maxus corner. The Cavan rider was quickly on the move however as he passed Richie Ryan on lap one before getting by Thomas and then Emmet O’Grady to take a popular maiden Superbike win. Emmet came home second with Thomas third, while the Cup win went to Liam Kane on his return to racing after almost a decade away.

Kenny lead away from the lights in Race two from Thomas O’Grady, but Kilkenny’s Richie Ryan moved his way into the lead by half distance. Kenny fought back, bringing both of the O’Gradys with him as the top four crossed the finish line less than a second apart. Ryan took the win from Kenny and Thomas O’Grady, as behind the lead group Andrew Whearty took the Cup win from Jamie Collins.

The third race was again damp and Kenny mastered the conditions to move into the lead just before the race was stopped as the rain got heavier. Emmet O’Grady crashed out and Ryan did not start, leaving Jamie Collins to take the last podium spot and the Cup class victory. Kenny now leads the championship from Ryan and the two O’Grady’s.

As in the Superbike class Emmet O’Grady took pole position on his brand new Harris Group Yamaha R6 as one of the biggest Supersport grids for years lined up. The Kerryman then rode a steady race in the tricky damp conditions as behind him English rider Chris Burns battled his way from sixth to second, ahead of Ulster teenager Scott McCrory and Cavan man Shane Connolly. Burns team mate A Jay Carey took the Cup spoils in fifth place beating Dean Lacey and Jack O’Grady.

Race two again saw O’Grady on pole ahead of Burns, McCrory and the impressive Jonny Campbell. O’Grady led all the way but behind him Cup rider Carey kept a trio of pro riders at bay as he took second overall. The third place battle went right to the flag with Connolly nipping past Campbell on the final corner to take the place. In the Cup Dean Lacey again came home second behind Carey, with Jack O’Grady third.

In race three O’Grady was once again at the front but at the end of lap two his quest for a hat-trick came to an end as a collision between himself and Connolly put both riders out. Campbell emerged to take his first Masters win ahead of the Cup top three, Jack O’Grady, Carey and Gary Scott. Carey’s result were good enough for him to become the first rider to simultaneously lead both the overall championship and the Cup class.

The Principal Insurance Twins class produced the closest finish of the day in race three as the Production Twin top two required the help of the photo finish camera to separate them. Championship leader Nathan McGauran almost took the win at the line but was beaten by millimetres by Brandon Kavanagh. The Production class had three different winners as Tom Greenwood took race one and Gareth Morrell race two. In Supertwins the dominance of the new Aprilia 660 continued as Thomas O’Grady took races one and three with Darragh Crean winning the second one.

The DM Groundworks and FJS Junior classes also produced a new winner as Adam Brown took his first Junior Supersport win in race two after Jack Whearty had won the opener. In Moto1, Reuben Sherman Boyd continued his dominance with two more impressive victories. Pre-Injection saw Noel Dunne move into the series lead with two wins to, Ian Prendergast’s one. Jamie Nugent took his first two Classic Superbike wins to move into the championship lead while Damien Horgan took a treble to do the same in Moto 400. The Sidecar class wins and runner-up spots were shared by Dylan Lynch and Darren O’Dwyer while Derek Lynch took a trio of third places.

 

2022 Calendar

The Build Up
June 25-26 Round 3 – National Track
July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out
August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track
September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

Dunlop Masters fan experience to be enhanced by addition of Large Screen

Ireland’s biggest Motorcycle Race Series, the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship recommences its 2022 title fight this coming weekend (May 21st & 22nd) with its first visit of the season to the full Mondello Park International Track with fans now able to follow all the action on a Large Screen.

The two days of racing will see rounds four, five and six of the growing championship completed with the Superbike and Supersport classes heading the twenty seven race programme. Saturday’s timetable also includes the first 2022 visit to Mondello Park by the FIM MiniGP Ireland Series, the Irish portion of the FIM’s World Championship for ten to fourteen year olds.

The Dunlop backed series had a fantastic start to its season back in April, attracting increased competitor and spectator numbers and seeing the re-introduction of the series’ livestream, sponsored by Maxus and the Harris Group. With interest continuing to grow, this weekends’ event is shaping up to match the season opener.

The availability of race coverage on the Sunday of the event has enabled a new innovation for this coming weekend. For the first time the series will offer spectators the opportunity to follow the racing around the entire 3.5 kilometre International Track, from the comfort of the main straight grandstand, as a large screen will be in place, sponsored by Megabikes Superstore Ballymount. The double sided screen will be visible from the stand and the spectating areas at turn one, as well as from the Mondello Park paddock and should make the fan experience the best it has ever been at the Masters.

The battle for Superbike honours could not be any closer than it is heading into the second weekend of the season. Derek Sheils leads quadruple champion Richie Ryan at the head of the Superbike standings with the pair having shared the three wins in April, Sheils taking two to Ryan’s one. Caolán Irwin leads the Supersport standings but with him and Oisin Maher away on British Championship duty the way is open for Supersport Cup stars AJ Carey and Jack O’Grady to improve on their second and third places. UK visitor Chris Burns will also be out to make up lost ground after a race two accident in April put him out of the rest of that weekend.

With more than 180 entries across the Masters classes and the addition of the FIM MiniGP riders, the paddock will be extremely busy, as will the timetable. Following Saturday morning qualifying for all classes, the MiniGP riders will race three times on Saturday, with all other classes racing at least once. For Sunday the DM Groundworks and FJS sponsored Junior Classes will join in with their qualifying and three races, while the remaining two races for all other classes take place.

Tickets for the Masters Superbike Championship can only be purchased on-line and this can be done through the championship web site, www.masterssuperbike.ie, where all of the event information and links to the event timetable and on-line event programme can be found.

2022 Calendar

May 21-22 Round 2 – International Track
June 25-26 Round 3 – National Track
July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out
August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track
September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

Shiels and Ryan share Masters Superbike wins as lap records tumble

Derek Sheils and Richie Ryan got their 2022 Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship campaigns off to winning starts at Mondello Park on April 23rd and 24th as they shared the top two spots across the opening three rounds of the series. In front of a packed house the Superbike stars traded wins and fastest laps on a weekend where a number of records were broken.

Sheils took pole for race one on his brand new Roadhouse Macau BMW ahead of UK visitor John Ingram with his Fleetwood BMW and reigning four time champion Richie Ryan from Kilkenny with his Mobil-1 Yamaha. Shiels got away brilliantly in race one and had built a sizeable lead by the end of lap two when the race was stopped due to a crash for Ingram which unfortunately put him out for the rest of the weekend.

On the restart Sheils again led, with pressure coming from behind from Ryan while Dubliner Thomas O’Grady on his EICL Yamaha and the unrelated Emmett O’Grady from Kerry, on his TAG VTL Honda, fought over third. As Sheils cruised to the opening win of the season ahead of Ryan, the O’Grady’s swapped places right to the flag. On the final lap Thomas tried to ride right around the outside of Emmett at Southside Corner but just lost out on the podium by two thousandths of a second.

Sheils mad a slow start in race two which left him third in the early laps behind surprise performer of the weekend Alan Kenny. The Cavan man, on his Yamaha R1, had finished seventh in race one but made a huge leap forward in race two to run second early on. By the end of lap two Sheils was by Kenny and began to close on Ryan, setting the fastest race lap on the way. In the end he ran out of laps as Ryan opened his 2022 account. Kenny held on for third ahead of Thomas and Emmett O’Grady.

Race three was more straightforward for Sheils who got away ahead of Ryan and Thomas O’Grady with Kenny close behind. On lap two Kenny moved up into third and held on to complete and excellent weekend by taking his second podium behind Sheils and Ryan.

The Superbike Cup class was the fastest it has ever been with Jamie Collins setting a new class lap record. Corkman Collins with his Suzuki and the BMW of Andrew Whearty from Meath traded the lap record all weekend as they battled for top spot in the Cup with the verdict eventually going to Collins. Collins took two victories to Whearty’s one while Ulster rider Stephen Magill took all three third places on his return to the series.

In Supersport Donegal’s Caolán Irwin and Oisin Maher from Tipperary, took the top two spots just ahead of former MotoGP and BSB rider, Chris Burns. Maher led the opening lap before Irwin moved by, but he could not shake off his younger rival as they finished less than a second apart. Burns came home third but that would be the best his weekend would get as a crash in race two put him out for the weekend. The first Cup race of the year went to Tralee’s Jack O’Grady from Burns teammate A Jay Carey and fellow Ulster rider Gary Scott.

In race two Irwin led away but Maher got by on lap four before a small mistake saw him crash out and miss the third race of the weekend. Irwin again took the win, ahead of the top two in the Supersport Cup, Carey and O’Grady. Race three saw Irwin took an unexpected hat-trick from Supersport debutant, Cavan’s Shane Connolly and first time Cup winner Dean Lacey, from Wicklow. Scott took second in the Cup from Carey to leave the top four in the Cup championship, Carey, O’Grady, Lacey and Scott separated by just twelve points.

In the Principal Insurance Twins race, Waterford’s Brian McCormack took the first Irish win for the new Aprilia RS660. McCormack’s Tramore neighbour, teenager Reece Coyne, took second on his twins debut but a crashed out of the event in race two. Thomas O’Grady made it three Aprilia’s on the podium in race one and then followed McCormack home in the next two races to cap off a busy weekend for the Dubliner, while McCormack also added a new Supertwin lap record to his achievements. William Roberts and Mark Quilligan each filled the third podium slot once. The Production class saw Brandon Kavanagh take the first win, before Nathan McGauran took over to win the next two, with Robert O’Connell and Gareth Morrell also making the podium.

An increased grid for the DM Groundworks and FJS Plant Junior Championships saw six Meath’s Jack Whearty emerge as the class of the field as he took his first wins in the class. Whearty took all three victories ahead of Antrim’s Nicky Burns with Callum Clint taking two third places and Tom Pierce one. The concurrent Moto1 races all went the way of Reuben Sherman-Boyd who was another to also take home a lap record. Sherman-Boyd was followed home by Bailey Dobson and Robert O’Neill in all three races.

The new for 2022 Future Stars Championship got off to a very competitive start with a number of riders securing large point hauls. Nathan McGauran leads the way following two wins and a third, followed by Supersport racers A Jay Carey and Gary Scott and Moto400 rider Jeff Quilter. The Future Stars are competing for an end of season prize fund provided by Junior class sponsors, DM Groundworks and FJS, along with Sorcon Plant and additional funding from the Irish Motorcycle Supporters Club.

2022 Calendar

May 21-22 Round 2 – International Track
June 25-26 Round 3 – National Track
July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out
August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track
September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

Huge 180 bike entry for 2022 Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship opener

The new Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship season kicks off at Mondello Park this weekend, April 23rd and 24th, with a massive 180 bike entry. The championship gets underway on the Mondello Park National Track with the County Kildare venue also hosting the Masters Motorcycle Show for the first time since 2019.

The season opener will not only feature some top class race action but also plenty to see off track. With classic race bikes joining the Martin Birrane Car collection in the circuit’s Motorsport Museum, Trade Stands, Classic Race Bike demonstration laps and stunt performances in the paddock, the event will offer a fantastic mix of racing and family entertainment.

On track the main event will once again be the Dunlop backed Superbike class where the battle at the front of the field will take up where it left off at the end of last season, but with a few extra riders thrown into the mix. The front runners were more closely matched than ever last year, with four time champion Richie Ryan having a titanic battle on his hands to retain the title on his Mobil1 Yamaha. By the end of the year the BMW mounted Derek Sheils and Michael Sweeney, Thomas O’Grady’s on a Yamaha and Emmett O’Grady on the unique Honda Fireblade, were the top riders and all five are ready to go again as the new season commences.

Having missed out on all of last season, Peter Moloney will be looking to get back into the victory mix as he goes up against the established top five on his Suzuki. Moloney will not be the only one looking to bridge the gap as Ross Irwin brings another of the latest Honda machines to the grid, alongside a serious title tilt by Alan Kenny on another R1 and top Superbike Cup graduate Shane Connolly.

Adding a little intrigue into the battle will be the unknown quantity that is UK visitor John Ingram on his Fleetwood BMW. Ingram’s pedigree speaks for itself as a former race and championship winner in the UK with plenty of BSB and Road Racing experience to boot, but he will be on a steep learning curve as he tackles the Mondello Park National Track for the first time and he may not be in the mix straight away. With Superbike Cup graduates Evan O’Grady, Dean O’Grady and 2020 ‘Cup’ champion Joe Grant having their first season in the top class, the Pro race will be as strong as it has ever been.

Picking a winner in the Cup class could be just as hard, as Andrew Whearty and Declan Madden both bring current generation BMW machines to the battle, where they could face some serious opposition from reigning Supersport Cup champion Jamie Collins on a Michael Dunlop built Suzuki. With many of the 2021 Cup front runners moving on, the class will be open for some new winners to step up.

Of the supporting cast the Supersport Cup has seen a deluge of newcomers entering, bringing the class to over thirty riders. The smaller Pro class will benefit from the arrival of UK team AKR who will bring former MotoGP and BSB rider Chris Burns to the series with the aim of winning the title as well as mentoring their up and coming young rider AJ Carey.

The oversubscribed Principal Insurance Twins class will be contested for the first time in many years by some brand new machines, as the Aprilia 660 is included for the first time. Five of the new machines will take to the grid and it remains to be seen how these Mini Superbikes will fare in standard trim against the heavily modified Kawasaki’s and Suzuki’s.

A new cohort of young racers will contest the DM Groundworks and FJS Junior Championship as they begin their careers. The success of Aoife Griffin in 2021 seems to have ushered in a new era in Irish Motorcycle Racing as three female racers will take to the grid this season. The remainder of the supporting cast will be made up of Classic Superbikes, Pre-Injection and Sidecars with all classes racing three times over the busy two days.

Tickets to rounds one to three of the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship, including the Masters Motorcycle Show, can only be purchased on-line from www.mondellopark.ie.

2022 Calendar

April 23-24 Round 1 – National Track including the Masters Motorcycle Show

May 21-22 Round 2 – International Track

June 25-26 Round 3 – National Track

July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out

August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track

September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

The Countdown is on to the 2022 Dunlop Masters Superbike season

The countdown is on to the opening weekend of the 2022 Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship as it prepares to burst into action on April 23rd and 24th at Mondello Park.

Ireland’s biggest motorcycle racing championship kicks off its twelfth season with a host of new sponsors, a new points scoring system, an impressive line-up of twenty five riders eligible for the new Future Stars Championship and the promise of an exciting start to the year as the Masters Motorcycle Show returns.

The Dunlop Masters continues to attract Ireland’s top short circuit racers and Road Racing stars but this season it will also benefit from the addition of new teams and riders including former MotoGP and BSB rider Chris Burns who will ride for AKR Racing in Supersport and British Superstock regular and former Thundersport Superbike Champion John Ingram, who will tackle the Superbike class.

The success of the 2021 series, despite the restrictions caused by the global pandemic, has seen most of the championship sponsors retained and new ones joining in. Dunlop continue as the title sponsor, as well as being the sole tyre supplier for the Superbike and Supersport classes. Principal Insurance Ireland have swapped their support to the growing Twins class, which will be bolstered by the arrival of a number of brand new Aprilia RS660’s. Progressive on-line race parts and equipment suppliers, superbikes.ie, are also back for another season.

DM Groundworks, FJS Plant and Sorcon will join forces to support the new Future Stars award which has a unique scoring system that allows riders to compete for the same championship despite riding in different classes. The award sponsors and other supporters have put together a €5,000 prize fund which will be contested by all riders who are twenty years old or younger at the start of the opening race weekend. With Daracore continuing their involvement as both a race team and championship sponsors and Nedar Heat also coming on board, the championship will have its strongest line-up of supporters in its history, allowing a major increase in investment in the championship.

For the first time in 2022 the Masters will have a two part season, with the first four rounds counting as part one, where riders will only count their best three weekends from the four. The second part will be made up of the final two weekends and will also count as the MCI Southern Star Championship. The aim of the changes is to allow riders who have other commitments or who suffered an accident or mechanical failure in the early part of the season to still have something to compete for.

Visitors to the opening event of the season will get a bonus for their admission money with the Masters Motorcycle Show back on the menu after a two year absence. The show will see the Martin Birrane collection in the Mondello Park Motorsport Museum joined by a number of historic racing bikes, some of which will be on track for a demo on Sunday afternoon. Mattie Griffin will perform his stunt show in the paddock alongside the trade stands and there will be a chance for spectators to get up close to the bikes and some of our local racing stars during the open pit lane at lunchtime on Sunday.

Tickets to rounds one to three of the Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship, including the Masters Motorcycle Show, can only be purchased on-line from www.masterssuperbike.ie.

2022 Calendar

April 23-24 Round 1 – National Track including the Masters Motorcycle Show

May 21-22 Round 2 – International Track

June 25-26 Round 3 – National Track

July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out

August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track

September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track

Principal Insurance return to The Masters as Twins Championship sponsor

The Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship is delighted to welcome Ireland’s leading Motorcycle Insurance Provider, Principal Insurance, back to the series, as they renew their sponsorship for a seventh season.

Principal Insurance have operated in Ireland since 2015 and currently insures a large proportion of Ireland’s road motorcyclists as well as offering Car, Van and Home insurance to its customers. Principal is also heavily involved in other areas of Motorcycling through their backing of British Supersport racer Caolán Irwin, their support of a number of Irish Road Race events and their presence at smaller ride-out’s and bike festivals all around the country.

Principal Insurance are one of the longest standing supporters of the Masters Superbike Championship having joined the series in 2016 as title sponsor of the Pre-Injection championship, the main support class to the headline Superbike and Supersport categories. As Motorcycle Racing continues to evolve recent seasons have seen the Twins class take over as the premier Masters support series and this has led to the championship promoters switching Principal’s backing to this category.

Having already become the largest and most competitive support championship at the Masters the Twins class will see changes to its regulations for 2022 that will allow a range of new machines join the championship. With an influx of brand new Aprilia RS660 bikes expected to add to the already bulging grids the competition in the class should be more exciting than ever.

Masters Superbike Championship Manager Fergus Brennan commented on the announcement saying. “Its great to have Principal Insurance back on board with us for another year as they become the longest standing championship partner we have ever had. Principal have always been actively involved in the Masters events through ticket giveaways to their customers, attendance at our events and provision of additional awards to their supported class and we look forward to that continuing into 2022 with the Twins category.”

“We’re happy to be able to continue with the Masters for another year and we are also looking forward to working with the Twins class.” said Principal Insurance Ireland Chief Executive Officer Aly Dixon. commented, “With the Twins class evolving and newer bikes and younger riders coming into the series we feel that moving our backing into this progressive class is the right move. We see ourselves as a major part of the Irish Motorcycling Community and this sponsorship along with our involvement in National and Grass Root events helps us to connect with our customers and give something back to the through the sport that many of them are so passionate about.”

The Principal Insurance Twins Championship will run over eighteen races at six Mondello Park events during 2022. The season kicks off on April 23rd and 24th with the Masters Motorcycle Show running alongside the race action. In addition the Sunday action from all 2022 Masters Superbike Championship events will be livestreamed on facebook and YouTube.

Further information on the series is available from www.masterssuperbike.ie and championships’ social media pages while Principal Insurance can be contacted through www.principalinsurance.ie.

2022 Calendar

April 23-24 Round 1 – National Track including the Masters Motorcycle Show

May 21-22 Round 2 – International Track

June 25-26 Round 3 – National Track

July 23-24 Round 4 – International Track

The Shoot Out

August 27-28 Round 5 – National Track

September 24-25 Round 6 – International Track