Cookstown 100 2019

Thursday 25th April 2019

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The new Irish road racing season starts this weekend at the KDM Hire Cookstown 100.

Extensive resurfacing work has been undertaken in recent months at Braeside and Craigmount corners, which have proven problematic in the past.

Although the weather forecast currently looks less than favourable this weekend, the new track improvements could result in lap records around the 2.1-mile Orritor course in the right conditions. The lap record for the circuit stands to Michael Dunlop from 2013 at 91.48mph and with the weather forecast looking changeable that benchmark may not come under threat.

Roads close for practice at 12:00 BST on Friday, with a four-race programme scheduled for Friday evening, including the first Open race, after 17 practice sessions.

Roads will close on Saturday at 10:00 for a scheduled 12-race programme..

McAdoo Racing's Adam McLean was the man of the meeting at the Cookstown 100 last year. Derek Sheils has been the man to beat at the Cookstown 100 in recent years in the Superbike class. Sheils will ride the new-look Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Suzuki. Michael Dunlop is the current outright lap record holder, setting a speed of 91.48mph six years ago.

The line-up is led by Derek Sheils on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Suzuki, who won the sole Open Superbike race last year. Sheils will also compete on the Roadhouse Macau Yamaha in the Supersport class.

His opposition includes last year’s man of the meeting, Adam McLean, on the McAdoo Kawasaki machines. McLean has claimed three victories in the Supersport class at the Irish short circuit meetings and comes into the event in excellent form, although the 22-year-old was fortunate to escape injury after a heavy spill at Kirkistown in the second Supersport race on Easter Monday.

Triple Irish champion Derek McGee is another of the top contenders who will be challenging for race wins at the Cookstown 100. Martin Jones Racing’s Michael Sweeney is another top southern Irish rider who is also a leading contender in the Open, Supersport and Supertwin classes, while Magherafelt’s Paul Jordan will get his campaign underway at Cookstown, where he will ride the Alistair Russell 600 Yamaha.

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