By Kyle White Belfast Newsletter.
Former winners Christian Iddon and Richard Cooper are entered for the Hillsborough Club’s Sunflower Trophy meeting at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit in Co Down on Friday and Saturday.
Iddon edged out Cooper in a photo-finish to win the blue riband race when Ireland’s premier short circuit meeting was last held in 2019.
Both riders will compete for the Buildbase Suzuki team in a three-man line-up, with the third rider yet to be confirmed.
Cooper will also compete in the Supersport class for Northern Ireland’s BPE Yamaha by Russell Racing team alongside Ian Hutchinson, who rode the R6 on the roads this year at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT.Nottingham ace Cooper – who finished second and third on the 600cc Yamaha in the final two British Supersport races of the season at Brands Hatch – will also ride in the Supertwin races on a Ryan Farquhar-prepared J McC Roofing Kawasaki.
He will go up against McAdoo Kawasaki Racing’s Eunan McGlinchey and Derek Sheils, and Cookstown man Gary McCoy.
National Superstock 1000 race winner Richard Kerr has set himself a target of finishing on the rostrum on the AMD Motorsport Honda, while Ulster champion Alastair Seeley will be eager to take the fight to the British championship challengers on the IFS Yamaha R1.
Ex-Grand Prix star Jeremy McWilliams will also be on the grid, with the Glengormley man riding a Honda Supersport machine for Wilson Craig Racing, joining Ajay Carey and Gary Wilson in Darren Gilpin’s team.
Young British championship riders Cameron Dawson, Jamie Lyons and Sam Laffins will also race on home soil at the Jim Finlay-sponsored Sunflower meeting, which is the final round of the Ulster Superbike Championship.
A host of championship regulars will be in action, including Jason Lynn on the J McC Roofing Kawasaki and Hillsborough club member Jonny Campbell on the BPE Yamaha R1 Superbike.
Nico Mawhinney makes his return on the Polaris Racing BMW while Simon Reid will ride the Start Solar Honda Fireblade.
Irish road racing Supersport champion Mike Browne will have his last outing of the season for the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing team.
In the Sidecar class, a full grid includes TT winner Kenny Howles and Maria Costello, who is making her Irish debut in the ‘chairs’ races.
Weekend admission is £25 (under 16s free).
