By Kyle White Belfast Newsletter
Alastair Seeley and Eunan McGlinchey were in top form on day one of the Neil and Donny Robinson Memorial races at Bishopscourt in County Down on Saturday, taking six victories between them.
McAdoo Racing Kawasaki rider McGlinchey won both Supersport and Supertwin races, while Seeley was a double winner in the Superbike class on the IFS Yamaha R1, extending his unbeaten run in the Ulster Superbike Championship this season to 10 races.
However, the Carrick man’s winning streak in the Supersport class was ended by McGlinchey, who twice edged out Seeley by just over a tenth of a second in each race.
The 24-year-old, who split from the Gearlink Kawasaki team after the opening round of the British Supersport Championship at Silverstone in April, battled it out with Seeley and Adam McLean in race one, coming from third place to take a hard-earned win.
McGlinchey’s winning margin was 0.150s at the line from Seeley, with McLean – riding his new Yamaha Supersport machine after parting company from the McAdoo team in June – only four tenths further behind in third.
Cookstown’s Gary McCoy and Derek Sheils – making his debut for the McAdoo Racing team – were the top six.
Race two produced another all-the-way scrap between McGlinchey and Seeley, and once again it was the former British Junior Supersport champion who prevailed, sealing a double by 0.158s over Seeley. Sheils made it onto the rostrum in third as he continued to get to grips with the McAdoo Kawasaki.
McGlinchey’s four-timer including victories in both Supertwin races over Ryan Gibson, with Marty Lennon third in each race.
In the Superbike class, reigning champion Seeley underscored his dominance in the IFS Yamaha R1, taking the flag in race one by 4.5s from Co Donegal man Richard Kerr on his AMD Motorsport Honda, who became a winner for the first time last month in the National Superstock 1000 Championship at Knockhill. McCoy was an excellent third on the Madbros Suzuki followed by Sheils in the McAdoo Kawasaki.
In race two, Seeley proved too strong once more as he won by 5.6s from Kerr, while Jason Lynn finished in third for the J McC Roofing Kawasaki team.
McGlinchey finished fifth ahead of Ross Irwin (Magic Bullet Honda) and Sheils.
Jamie Lyons and Alexander Rowan took a victory apiece in the Moto3 races and Kai McClintock and Ruben Sherman-Boyd were double winners in the Supersport 300 and MotoOne classes respectively.
The Mid Antrim Club’s meeting concludes on Sunday, with the Neil and Donny Robinson Memorial races topping a packed programme of races.
