Andrew Murphy made his first race appearance of the 2023 season at Kirkistown, County Down on Saturday.
The Mountcollins-based rider had not contested a race since the final Dunlop Masters meeting of the 2022 season last September.
With the ongoing insurance crisis preventing the sport from going ahead in the Republic of Ireland this year local riders are being forced to travel so they can race.
Murphy entered the combined Moto 300, Moto 450, Classic Grand Prix and Lightweight Supersport races at round four of the Ulster Superbike Championship.
He finished seventh over but was fourth in the Lightweight Supersport class in his opening race.
Later in the day Murphy ran as high as third in class for much of race two but had to settle for fourth at the chequered flag after a race-long dice with Caoham Canny.
“It was great to be back, but I was bate big time for speed here and had no answer for the boys in front of me,” said Murphy.
Anthony O’Carroll was another local rider to make the long trip north.
Mindful that he was only there on a test session ahead of the Manx Grand Prix, the Ballyduff rider stayed out of trouble and contention in the SuperTwins races.
He was ninth in race one and one place better in the second race.
“I am trying to make my clutch lighter and to pull it without it slipping but it was slipping all day really,” he said.
“From here on in I will be testing bits for the Manx, lots of work to be done on our SuperTwin and I have just tyres to sort on the 600. We will have to change our set to run slick tyres on the bike as it is an option over on the Isle of Man.”
Earlier last week O’Carroll was back on the Isle of Man.
He is one of three newcomers from the Republic of Ireland, riding modern machinery, to qualify for the Manx Grand Prix. O’Carroll will join Clare men Kevin Baker and Jaques Foley and Classic racer Stephen Walsh from Ardfert as TT course debutants in August.
Next up for the Ballyduff racers is the Southern 100 Road Races on the Isle of Man and the Armoy Road Races in Antrim – both events in July.
Also in Kirkistown, Darragh Crean was fifth in the opening SuperTwins race but did not finish race two.
Kerry Motorsport News 