BISHOPSCOURT hosted the GO sponsored Classic Bike Festival Ireland race meeting last week.
As well as some very competitive races, a large crowd of spectators were able to view a display of some very famous and beautiful racing machinery from the past which was displayed on track by some well known competitors in parade laps.
Michael Rutter took his Batham’s Suzuki to victory in the opening Around a Pound/JMcC Roofing Classic Superbike/250 GP race from early leader Jeremy McWilliams on the Harris Suzuki.
Robert Waddell just held off Derek Sheils to snatch third, David Bell was fifth and Stephen Magill sixth. Gary McCoy won the 250 class from Bobby Varey and Christian Elkin.
Sunday’s race was a close affair with Sheils leading from Rutter who eventually got to the front and held off a spirited challenge from Sheils to win by 0.4 of a second.
Bell was third, Scotland’s Howard Selby fourth followed by Waddell and Manxman Gareth Arnold. Varey improved from race one to win the second 250 race from McCoy and Elkin.
The Bayview Hotel open Superbike race on Saturday saw Jason Lynn hit the front and pull clear of Sheils who was pressed all the way by Richard Cooper on a 600 Yamaha. Scott Swann was fourth followed by Jonny Campbell and McCoy.
Sunday’s race had to have two restarts due to red flags,but produced another win for Cooper after early leader Lynn dropped downfield to third place. Alan Kenny took second place, Jonny Campbell was fourth, Dean Campbell fifth and Aaron Armstrong sixth.
Richard Cooper was unbeatable in the 600 Supersport classes beating Lynn, Adam McLean, McCoy, Elkin and Caolin Irwin in race one. In Sunday’s race McLean improved to finish second followed home by Lynn, Elkin, McCoy and Irwin.
The Phillip McCallen Classic GP/ Lightweight Supersport/Twinshock race was won on Saturday by regular Scottish visitor Kris Duncan on his Kawasaki. Stephen Tobin just held off Adam Cleary for second place, Ewan Waddell was fourth, Richard Peers-Jones inherited fifth, after Graham McAllese dropped out of the race, and Chris Boyles was sixth.
Duncan made it a double on Sunday, winning from Tobin and Cleary. Waddell moved past Peers-Jones in the closing stages of the race to again finish fourth and Boyles sixth.
The Scobbie Cup Sidecar races got four outings over the weekend with the first race on Saturday won by Mark Codd who was challenged by Fergus Woodlock up to lap three ,but after his retirement Codd went on to win from Scobby Killough and Ryan Dineen.
Race one on Sunday again went to Codd from Killough and Dineen, with the same result in race two, but in the final race Codd again won but Dineen got up to finish second ahead of Killough.
