This week at Bishopscourt it was pay back time for Charles Stuart, after having to settle for two runner up finishes a fortnight ago to Gerard Kinghan at the Enkalon Trophy races he turned the tables with a double victory.
After the horrendous weather conditions of the Easter weekend when we saw races canceled at Bishopscourt and the complete round 2 meeting called off at Kirkistown conditions this week couldn’t have been a greater contrast. The cool but sun drenched Bishopscourt Racing Circuit produced some great racing.
Pole man Charles Stuart led the opening Superbike race from the start, keen to make up for his double runner up finishes two weeks ago was in determined mood. Thomas O’Grady put in a great performance starting from 5th on the grid he moved into second place off the line a position he held for the majority of the race until on lap 4 Gerard Kinghan passed him. Kinghan closed up to the back wheel of Stuart but a red flag incident on lap 6 of the 8 lap race put an end to his late charge, the race being declared . Thomas O’Grady was third, Ross Patterson 4th and David Haire not quite finding his previous form finished in 5th.
Race two Stuart again led from start to finish, this time it was first race retiree Ali Kirk who moved into second place off the line, but Kinghan was having none of it and on the second lap passed him and was quickly up the exhaust pipe of race one winner Stuart. The pair going head to head eventually opened a slight gap from Kirk, taking the flag with only 0.231 seconds between them, Kirk was 3rd O’grady 4th and Haire 5th again.
After the opening two rounds Kinghan and Stuart are tying on points in the championship.
William Dunlop on his maiden home event on the Temple Golf Club finished 7th and 6th in his preparation for the road racing season which starts next week with the Cookstown 100.
As usual it was the supersport races that produced the closest racing of the day. Korie McGreevy and Ross Patterson fighting it out in both encounters. McGreevy taking the first race by 0.294 seconds from Patterson and younger of the McGreevy brothers in 3rd just over 7 seconds behind.
Race 2 McGreevy led from the start holding the lead until the final lap when a mistake going into the Fairways Chicane gifting Patterson the lead and the win by 0.55 seconds, McGreevy junior again finishing in third place.
Andy McAllister took wins in both the Superbike Cup Races, Kyle Walsh and Dylan Leonard had a win each in the Supersport Cup.
Marty Lennon and Sean O’Neill had a win apiece in the Supertwin races, Kevin Lavery won both the production twin races.
Alvin Griffin won the first lightweight supersport race and Sean O’Neill the second.
Both the Moto 3 races were won by Scott Swan.
Jonny Campbell won both the Junior Cup races with Joshua R doing the double in the Young Guns.
