Kerry-based motorcycle racers have been given some hope that their season can get underway with the announcement of several events north and south of the border.
Belfast Motor and District Motor Club will host its King of Kirkistown meeting at the County Down track on September 5 and several local riders have secured entries for the oversubscribed event.
Former Irish Dunlop Masters Supersport Pro 600cc champion Emmet O’Grady will race a Honda Fireblade in the Superbike Pro Class at the County Down event. He is using this event as preparation for the opening round of the Masters series at Mondello which has been given the go-ahead for September 19 and 20. A second Masters meeting in October will make up the entire season for 2020.
O’Grady has won races at the County Down track in the past but his last win there was in 2012 when he beat Australian Isle of Man TT winner Cameron Donald in the Superbike race.
“It is great to get back and to be out and about again,” he said. “I haven’t actually raced at Kirkistown since that day in 2012. It is rated as the fastest track in Ireland.”
Tralee racers Dara Crean and Robert O’Connell, two other Masters regulars are also entered in the Kirkistown meeting ahead of the two Irish championship meetings. Crean will race a 650cc Suzuki in the Production class while O’Connell will compete on a 600cc Yamaha in the Supersport Cup race.
Former Superbike Cup champion Andrew Murphy from Mountcollins is also entered in the County Down meeting.
The curtailed Irish season means that several classes including the junior category will not run this year leaving Farranfore racer Kevin Coyne a little disappointed. The 18-year-old is contesting selected rounds of the British junior series this year, in the absence of any Irish racing, but he had hoped to contest Mondello events too.
This article was originally published in The Kerryman. Kerry Motorsport News is the motorsport content provider to The Kerryman.
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