As the Bennetts British Superbike championship made its first of two visits to the East
Midlands circuit of Donington Park, Team #109 were back to a full stable of bikes for the
event, with the Dickies Junior Supersport riders Curtis Trimble and James McManus back in
attendance alongside their teammates in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 & 1000
classes, Eunan McGlinchey and Graeme Irwin.
Following his first podium finish in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 class last time out at
Oulton Park, 2018 Junior Supersport champion McGlinchey was keen to continue his run of
form and claim more valuable championship points in the competitive series. His weekend
got off to a solid start on Friday, with an eleventh position finish in the opening free
practice session, before improving to fifth in free practice two later that afternoon.
In qualifying on Saturday afternoon, the Aghadowey rider narrowly missed out on a front
row start, finishing the session in fourth position overall, which saw him start Sundays sole
Superstock 600 race from the outside of the second row. As the race began, McGlinchey
got off to a great start, making his way into second position following the opening number
of laps. A huge moment on the exit of the final chicane on lap five saw him fall back off
the leading pack. Following a good battle with Caolan Irwin in the remaining laps, the
twenty-one year old managed to hold off the Irishman’s attack to bring the Team #109
Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 home in fifth position.
Graeme Irwin once again continued to improve in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000
class onboard the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, following on from his strong result at Oulton Park.
The former British motocross champion got his weekend off to a solid start in the opening
free practice session, narrowly missing out on a top twenty finish, taking twenty-first in
the standings. The second free practice session of the day saw Irwin take over half a
second off his best time from the earlier free practice one session, setting him up for
qualifying the following day. Irwin managed to put the Team #109 Kawasaki in twentyfourth
position on the grid for the first part of the two part race to be held that afternoon.
After making his way into the top twenty during the race, Irwin ran on at the final chicane
which put him back into twenty-eighth for the start of race two, immediately following the
checkered flag of race one. As the laps ticked past Irwin put in another great effort on the
ZX-10RR to break into the top twenty for the first time this season.
The next day in the tricky conditions at the East Midlands track, the Carrickfergus rider
scored his best finish to date in the British championship, and with it, his first points in the
Superstock 1000 class. Having started the race from twenty-first position, Irwin managed
to pick his way through the field as the laps ticked by to take a great fifteenth place finish,
his best result do date in the extremely competitive series.
The Dickies Junior Supersport class proved to be a mixed bag for the two Team #109
riders, with Curtis Trimble having his best result to date, and James McManus having a
difficult weekend onboard the Kawasaki Ninja 400. Free practice on Friday evening saw
Trimble finish just outside the top fifteenth, claiming sixteenth position in the overall
standings. McManus unfortunately suffered a crash having completed just three laps,
which put him on the back foot for qualifying the next day.
Qualifying on Saturday evening saw Trimble improve his position from what he achieved
on Friday evening, finishing in tenth place, and qualifying on the front of the fourth row
for Sundays opening race. Having only had three laps in practice on Friday evening,
qualifying was essentially McManus’ first session of the weekend, and he finished in thirtyeighth
position.
The opening race on Sunday morning was in tricky conditions, and following a run off the
track early on, Trimble put in a great effort to make up the lost time and pick his way
through the field during the twelve lap race. Before he began the final lap, he managed to
take third position from Kade Verwey and hold the position on the final lap of the race to
cross the line and take his maiden British championship podium finish. Unfortunately
McManus was unable to make it for the opening race of the weekend, but was in action in
the second, along with his teammate Trimble.
Following a huge rain shower after the Superbike race, the conditions remained difficult
throughout the day, and indeed for the final Junior Supersport race. Trimble backed up his
podium in the opening race by scoring a top ten finish in the second race of the day,
crossing the line in eighth position and scoring more solid championship points. McManus
put in a strong effort in the race, and managed to progress from his starting position of
fortieth by eleven positions, taking twenty-ninth place finish to end what was a difficult
weekend for the Randalstown rider.
Next up for Team #109 will be the first of two visits this season to the Brands Hatch GP
circuit in three weeks time, and just like at Oulton Park at the beginning of the month, it
will be a two bike garage for the Cork based outfit, with the Junior Supersport class not in
attendance. It will once again be Eunan McGlinchey and Graeme Irwin flying the flag for
the Kawasaki team in the two Pirelli National Superstock classes at the infamous Kent
circuit.
Team #109 would like to thank all their sponsors for their continued support, Liftrite.ie,
Team Green Kawasaki, Kinsale Hotel & Spa, MMD Construction, EMS Copiers, Ohlins
Racing, CMRVC, Glenn Irwin, Fuchs Silkolene, R&G, JOG Tuning, PP Tuning, Arrow
Exhaust, JTec Sports, SBS Brakes, Gorman Crash Repairs, Jim McCann & Sons Family
Butchers, James McCann Photography, Spears Racing, HEL Performance, Unlimited
Industries, and Samco Sport.
Photographs courtesy of James McCann | @jmccannphoto | www.jmccannphoto.com
ENDS
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