Ballyduff motorcycle racer Anthony O’Carroll will make his Isle of Man race debut this week.
He has secured an entry for the Southern 100 Road Races which take place on Wednesday and Thursday.
It is all part of a bigger plan to enter the world-famous TT Races on the island either next year or the year after.
The Southern 100 runs over the famous Bilowen circuit and runs from Monday to Thursday next week.
Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to practice and qualifying for the Southern 100. Racing begins on Wednesday night and all-day Thursday.
Already he has set the fastest newcomers times in both the Suportsport 600 and Production Twins 400cc classes during practice and qualifying
His first race will take place just after 6pm on Wednesday evening when he races in the Twins class.
He had to cut short his weekend at the Walderstown Races near Athlone over the weekend so he could make it in time to the Isle of Man.
Almost as soon as finishing fourth in his opening Junior Support race on Saturday evening he loaded his van and was headed for a 2 am Belfast ferry to the island
The four-day event will mark O’Carroll’s International road race debut too and he will race in the Supersport 600cc and Production Twin races. He will also use his downtime during the next week to drive the famous TT course ahead of a potential debut there next June.
As there are no support races in an international meeting O’Carroll will face road racing legends like Michael Dunlop, Michael Sweeney and Dean Harrison on the island.
“Same races,” said the Kawasaki rider “Just opposite ends of the time sheets.”
Darragh Crean made an impression at Walderstown after qualifying on pole position for what was only his second road race meeting.
However, race progress was hampered by a faulty gear selector on his Aprilia RS660. and he only managed to finish in sixth place in the Supertwins races after retiring earlier from the Junior Support race.
Stepehen Walsh finished 11th in the Classic race on his Honda 350
Walsh and O’Carroll are also entered in this weekend’s Faugheen Road Races in County Tipperary. O’Carroll is due into Dublin port at 9am on Friday morning and will head straight from the Isle of Man boat to the venue near Carrick-on-Suir.
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Kerry Motorsport News 