Posted by Cleggy on Aug 15, 2010 in
Bike Racing
The historic Dundrod Race circuit in the County Antrim Hills proved once again that it is beyond doubt the best Race circuit in Ireland serving up close and fast racing.
A fast, flowing circuit with great changes in elevation and some insanely fast ‘Balls out‘ corners is as popular with the competitors who Race around it as it is with the Media Photographers whose job it is to document the events of the Race day Photographically.
For this image of William Dunlop on the CD Racing Superstock Suzuki I used a wide angle lens to capture more of the landscape, for me the fluffy White Clouds and Blue Sky really make this image.
William Dunlop is always great to Photograph, here he is on the CD Racing Supersport Yamaha R6 and again I used a wide angle lens to capture this image as he skims the Kerbs.
On Thursday for the Dundrod 150 races, Manxman Daniel Kneen, Aussie David Johnson and Brian McCormack from Waterford in the South of Ireland served up a fantastic Race where Johnson set a new lap record. It wasn’t enough though as Daniel Kneen took the win with McCormack in Third.
All throughout this years Ulster Grand Prix Bike Week Two Men showed that they were going to be the Men to beat. Falkirk Flyer Keith Amor and Ian Hutchinson.
London based New Zealander Bruce Anstey has struggled for form this year on the Relentless Suzuki but boy did he find his mojo again for the Ulster Grand Prix! Anstey sat behind Hutchy and Amor keeping a watching eye on proceeedings and then on the final lap he ‘pulled the pin‘ setting a new outright circuit lap record with an average speed of just over 133.9 miles per hour to take the Ulster Grand Prix Superbike Race win and give the Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing Team something to cheer about.
Next weekend sees an Irish Clubmans Championship Race at Bishopscourt on the Saturday followed by an Irish Superbike Championship Race at the same venue on Sunday. I will probably miss them both as I will be Photographing my Brother’s Wedding in ‘Derry.
Tags: Bishopscourt, Brian McCormack, Bruce Anstey, CD Racing, Daniel Kneen, David Johnson, Dundrod, Dundrod 150, Ian Hutchinson, Irish Clubmans Championship, Irish Superbike Championship, Keith Amor, Relentless, TAS, Ulster Grand Prix, Waterford, William Dunlop
Posted by Cleggy on Aug 10, 2010 in
Bike Racing
The very next morning myself and Derek Wilson were again off on our travels en-route to Mondello Park in County Kildare for the latest round of the Irish Superbike Championships.
For once Mondello was blessed with a Dry and sunny Day. The racing was excellent with lap records under threat, most notably by Glenn Irwin who bettered the existing British Supersport lap record. Glenn is a great talent and will go far in the sport.
Portadown’s Marshall Neill was beaten by Brian McCormack at a recent Mondello Race meeting when his Superstock machine had no answer to the Superbike and so Marshall got a wee bit of engine work done to release a few more ‘Ponies‘. The engine tuning worked a treat and Marshall took Three Superbike Race wins from Three starts and rarely looked troubled by the opposition. Marshall then took another win in the big Money Leinster Trophy race where Glenn Irwin led the first Four Laps on his 600 Honda before dropping off the Superbike pace and finishing 3rd.
Donna Lyons (L) and Orla Miller (R) were the competitors in the latest round of the quest to find the best Grid Girl of 2010.
Tags: Brian McCormack, British Supersport, County Kildare, Donna Lyons, Glenn Irwin, Grid Girl, Marshall Neill, Mondello Park, Orla Miller, Supersport
Posted by Cleggy on May 26, 2010 in
Bike Racing
This past weekend saw the opening round of the Kildare championship (a new championship for 2010) held at Mondello Park, which included the high profile Leinster 100 Trophy race.
Mondello Park struck lucky with the warmest weekend of the Year so far which resulted in a larger than usual turnout of spectators, despite a relatively poor entry from the racers who obviously deemed it not worth entering due to it not carrying Irish championship status. Or is the economic downturn still hitting hard?
As well as introducing this new championship for the 2010 season, Mondello are trying hard to raise the PR profile of Motorcycle racing at Mondello with various initiatives including grid interviews with the racers, podium presentations for the main race events and the Mondello Park grid Girl search where Girls can apply to be a grid Girl for a Race weekend, all the grid Girls face a public vote and at the end of the season the winner gets a luxury Holiday as a prize.
Marshall Neill on the grid at Mondello Park with one of the grid Girls
The front row of the grid for the high profile Leinster 100 Race saw Waterford’s Brian McCormack on pole and alongside him were Marshall Neill, Glenn Irwin and Derek Shiels. Young Glenn Irwin qualified on the front row on a 600cc machine against his rivals 1000cc Superbike/Superstock machines, quite an achievement.
Front row of the grid at Mondello Park for the Leinster 100
Brian McCormack the 2008 Irish Superbike champion took the early lead and despite the best efforts of Marshall Neill who was glued to his rear Wheel all race long, McCormack secured the win and the Cheque for 1,500 Euros. Glenn Irwin rode very hard to secure the last podium position.
Brian McCormack at Mondello Park
A happy Brian McCormack will now set off to make his Isle of Man TT debut. Good luck Brian, enjoy the experience and see you over there next week!
Brian McCormack won the Leinster 100 race at Mondello Park
Tags: Brian McCormack, Derek Shiels, Glenn Irwin, Irish Championship, Isle of Man TT, Kildare, Leinster, Marshall Neill, Mondello Park, Motorcycle, Superbike, Superstock, Waterford
Posted by Cleggy on Mar 21, 2010 in
Bike Racing The 2010 Irish Short Circuit Motorcycle Racing season got underway yesterday at Bishopscourt for the opening round of the Irish Clubmans Championship. A dull start with a Wet Track from overnight Rain got things off to a subdued start but the Sun came out, the Track dried up and every Race ran in dry conditions.
Included in the programme was Two open Races for ‘the big boys‘ the competitors in the Irish Superbike Championship. This was an opportunity for them to get some track time on their bikes before their own championships get underway at the same venue over the Easter Weekend.
The Two open races served up the best and fastest racing of the day providing good action for Photography.
Portadown’s Marshall Neill is one of Ireland’s under-rated racers who normally competes in the British Superstock Championship. For 2010 Marshall will be racing at home in the Irish Superbike Championships with the odd race ‘across the water’. Marshall’s first race of the day saw him have a minor crash but he showed what he was made of in Race Two by winning. There is a lot of racing to go before the 2010 Irish Superbike Champion is crowned, but already Marshall Neill is looking like a contender.
Marshall Neill leads Denver Robb, Kirk Jamison, Brian McCormack and Richard Rea at Bishopscourt
James Dickson #16 in the middle of the pack at the start of the second Open Race
Tags: Bishopscourt, Brian McCormack, Denver Robb, Irish Clubmans Championship, Irish Superbike Championship, James Dickson, Kirk Jamison, Marshall Neill, Motorcycle racing, Richard Rea
Posted by Cleggy on Mar 7, 2010 in
Bike Racing
The annual Pre-Season Race bikes only test day at Bishopscourt was held yesterday in bright Spring Sunshine giving the Bike racers a chance to adjust to new machinery or run in Engines prior to the first race of the year at the same venue in just Two Weeks time.
Some die-hard racers made the long journey North from as far South as Cork, so it was fitting that the Weather for once ‘played Ball’ and provided everyone with ample Track time. There was a dire lack of Marshal’s present on the day so it was fortunate that there were no serious incidents.
For me the bright Sun was an opportunity to get some practice with my Nikon TC-17E II AF-S Teleconverter. Using it in the past I have come away with mixed results, but this weekend I nailed it and came away with lots of really sharp images despite the long focal length (750mm in 35mm terms!)
Michael Pearson at Bishopscourt on the Morrell Racing Kawasaki ZX10
Newry Schoolgirl Karen Hadden #21 at Bishopscourt
Josh Cunningham at Bishopscourt
2009 Irish Road Race 750 Support Champion Benny Smith was at Bishopscourt on a new Ducati 1098
2008 Irish Superbike Champion Brian McCormack
Jamie Johnston crashes after contact with another rider
A great days Weather and some cracking images means all the Pre-season shooting Motocross etc has paid off and left me ‘Camera sharp’ ready for the racing action when the Season starts.
Tags: Benny Smith, Bishopscourt, Brian McCormack, Cork, Ducati, Jamie Johnston, Josh Cunningham, Karen Hadden, Kawasaki ZX10, Michael Pearson, Nikon, Nikon TC-17E II AF-S Teleconverter
Posted by Cleggy on Oct 2, 2009 in
Bike Racing The final round of the 2009 Mondello Masters series takes place this weekend. Alastair ‘the Wizard’ Seeley has won every single Mondello Masters race since its inception in 2008 and is entered again for this weekend, but this time around he will be riding for the Relentless by TAS Suzuki Team. Will the wee Wizard Seeley get whacked this time?
Waterford’s Brian McCormack, something of a Mondello specialist, is entered and will prove to be formidable opposition to Seeley. McCormack has dropped out of the spotlight somewhat lately due in part to a disastrous British Superbike Championship campaign but the former Irish Superbike champion has lost none of his ability and should figure at the pointy end of the feature Masters race. Jack Kennedy who normally campaigns in the British Supersport 600 championship will also prove very stiff competition. Kennedy is a massive talent and this time around he will have a Superbike so expect the pup to hassle the Wizard all the way. Throw in the ISB regulars Swanton, Jamison, Kinghan, Dickson, Haire, Johnston etc and the ingredients are there for another exciting, close days racing.
Another ingredient in the mix is Glenn Irwin. Glenn has made massive progress in a very short racing career and is on the radar of a lot of race teams. In his monthly column in Irish Bike newspaper the confident Irwin reckons his 600cc machine will be more than a match for the talents of Seeley et al round the short Mondello track. But since the article was published his machine suffered a bit of damage at Anglesey when Irwin crashed in spectacular style, without injury. Will that have eroded his confidence?
Below is the front cover of the Mondello Masters programme complete with one of my images shot at the earlier Masters round at the start of the year.
Tags: Alastair Seeley, Brian McCormack, Glenn Irwin, ISB, Jack Kennedy, Mondello, Mondello Masters, Relentless, TAS Suzuki