Emmet O’Grady testing the AKR Thomas Bourne Honda CBR 600 AT Mondello Park recently. Photo: Baylon McCaughey
Tralee motorcycle racer Emmet O’Grady has signed for the championship-winning AKR Thomas Bourne Racing team for the 2024 Master Superbike Championship at Mondello Park.
He will ride a Honda CBR 600 for the team in the Supersport class this season.
He will also continue to ride for the TAG Honda team on their Fireblade 1000 in the Superbike class.
The deal came about after the insurance crisis. O’Grady rode for TAG in both the Superbike and the Supersport class in 2022.
With no racing scheduled for 2023, the team sold the 600cc bike and with no Supersport bike available it was decided that he would race with an alternative team this season.
As well as a full attack on the Masters Championship he will also contest the legendary North West 200 Road Race in County Derry in early May.
He has retained his loyal mechanic, Tralee man Der Rahilly, and suspension expert Mark Arnott and both engineers will serve O’Grady in both teams.
“I will still ride the Superbike for TAG, we haven’t departed there,” said O’Grady.
“I was just wanting a new team in the 600cc championship due to machinery being sold by TAG when the insurance issue happened. They have lost sponsors in that time and they do not see the value of buying a new 600cc bike at this time.”
The Masters National Motorcycle Championship is expected to resume, after a one-season absence, in mid-April, although championship organisers have yet to release a full calendar of events.
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