Andrew Murphy is determined to win a Dunlop Masters Irish Superbike class championship next season after finishing second for the last three years running.
This year he placed second in the Moto 400 class that runs alongside the main Irish championship at Mondello Park.
Despite taking five wins on his Honda VFR 400 over the 18-round series he had to give best to his County Louth rival Damian Horgan who had 11 victories during the 2022 season.
Mechanical trouble at the start of the season and a crash in the final race of the year thwarted Murphy’s progress in 2022.
Despite this, he consistently outscored Horgan during a purple patch in the summers. He beat the Louth man four times in a row in July and August proving he has to pace to overcome Horgan when everything goes his way.
Murphy also finished second in the Supersport Pro class in 2019 and 2021 (the championship did not run in 2020).
He is determined to end this run of second-place championship finishes next year and has already stripped his Honda race bike and sent various components away for a winter upgrade,
His suspension parts are now in the hands of PCRS, a Spain-based Irish rally car and motorcycle preparation team.
A new engine is also on the cards for the Mountcollins man.
“We will be going hard at the Dunlop Masters Championship, looking to go one step further than last year,” he said#
“I have the engine away in England getting a tune and full refresh from Dart Motorsport. My suspension is gone to Philip Case of PCRS Bikesport to get a service, so the bike is handling at its best and I’ll have Davie Broderick of BNH Motorcycles Abbeyfeale getting her going right when we have it back together in the New Year.”
As well as his Mondello Park commitments, he will also enter his home Road Races, the Athea Road Races which are making a return in August next year.
“I will also be contesting my local road race Athea next year. I’m actually on the lookout for a Supertwin for Athea,” he added.
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