WEATHER RUINS THE ULSTER GRAND PRIX Torrential rain ruined this year’s Ulster GP with the first Superbike race red-flagged after just three laps and the rest of the programme abandoned because of poor visibility and flooding to the track. Qualifying had gone well for AIM Yamaha rider Keith Amor who took third place in both the Superbike and Supersport categories in readiness for Saturdays racing. In the run up to the Ulster GP Amor rode in the Dundrod 150 Superbike event where he qualified in fourth place and, after a race long battle with Adrian Archibald rode through to complete the six lap event in seventh position. Teammate for the week was Stephen Thompson who finished the Dundrod 150 Superbike race in 11th place on the second AIM Yamaha. The rain came down in torrents on race day causing the officials to delay the start of racing for more than two hours because of surface water on the track. But when the action finally got under way last year’s Best Newcomer Keith Amor got away to a good start in the Supersport race. He tucked in behind early leader John McGuinness but became boxed in allowing five or more riders to come past. He managed to battle his way back up to fourth and engage in a race long battle with Cameron Donald. But both riders made a mistake on the final lap when trying to outbrake each other and went straight on at the hairpin. Ian Lougher was quick to take advantage and nipped past to claim fourth at the chequered flag leaving Amor to finish fifth and Donald a distant sixth. KEITH AMOR I am a bit disappointed with that result, but for the mistake at the hairpin I would have been a bit further up the finishing order. It’s a shame really as the little bike was so good, one of the best on the track. If I could have got away from Donald earlier then things would have been a lot different. But on the whole, considering the wet conditions it was a good race. The Superbike race was next on the agenda and both Amor and Thompson lined up for AIM Yamaha. But although the bikes ran well the conditions were atrocious with visibility down to near zero. As the riders began the fourth lap the race was red-flagged as conditions worsened and a result declared at three laps distance with Amor being awarded eighth place and Thompson 16th. KEITH AMOR It was just not safe out there and the decision to stop it was correct. Racing at speeds of up to 180mph and not being able to see a thing is really not ideal! I feel sorry for the team who have put a lot of effort into the bike to solve the niggling problems we encountered in qualifying. The bike was running well but the result was always going to be down to luck in those conditions. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN Well what can I say; the weather has beaten us. It’s disappointing for everyone but nothing we can do about the rain and the decision to stop the Superbike race was sensible given the visibility and the surface water. I can only reiterate what Keith has already said regarding the sterling work put in by the team to get the bikes in tip top shape for racing. It’s just a shame the rain came and curtailed the meeting. AIM Yamaha return to the mainland to prepare for the forthcoming Cadwell Park round of the Bennetts British Superbike championship at the weekend where Steve Plater will be back in the saddle after returning from injury. Free practise is on Saturday with a final free session on Sunday morning followed by qualifying at 2.40pm. Racing is on Bank Holiday Monday with the first 18-lap Superbike race at 1pm followed by race two at 4.30pm. The Maxxis British Supersport race is set for a 3.40pm start. More, from another press release: Johnson best new comer at Ulster Grand Prix. Gary Johnson from Boughton near Brigg in North Lincolnshire had a hugely successful debut at the Dundrod 150 and Ulster Grand Prix in Northern Ireland. He came away with the award for best new comer along with a second place finish in the McKinstry Skip Hire Dundrod 150 National race. “It was a bit of an eye opener the ultimate speed that you get round here is awesome,” said Johnson as he commented on the fastest road race in the world. “Round the back sections there are some fast blind corners which are really dangerous as you need to know where you are going or it will catch you out. It is really good fun.” The Dundrod 150 road races run in the week before the Ulster Grand Prix and Johnson secured a front row start for the National race. “I got the hole shot and cleared off and left them all,” said the Speedfreaks Yamaha rider, “I looked behind me down the straight and I had a good lead so I decided to practice my braking. I out braked myself going into Cochranstown and had to go down the side road, turn it round and ended up second by 12 secs. I was happy, I should have kept it together and not been practicing. I was happy with a podium anyway.” The Dundrod Superbike race should have produced a top ten finish for Johnson but some confusion with the officials on the grid saw him start from twenty second instead of sixteenth. “There was a bit of a mix up. I qualified sixteenth but somehow I got missed off the grid sheets so they put me in at twenty second. I pulled up to thirteenth but it would have been nice to have been further up there with the top lads. It would have made the first corner a little less daunting. Following in five abreast four rows back all doing about 140mph, it is a scary first corner. I pushed past them and I got held up on the first lap so I couldn’t make up anymore positions as I’d lost the tow. It was good, we came back well.” Race day for the Ulster Grand Prix was a very wet affair and the Belfast Telegraph Superbike race had to be red flagged after three laps due to deteriorating weather conditions. Johnson finished the tough race in twenty first on the stock Yamaha against superbike regulars and he was the first new comer over the line. Johnson and his Speedfreaks Yamaha team will be back on track at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire 25th -27th August for round nine of the Metzeler National Superstock Championship. More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Wins at wet Ulster for Hydrex Honda. Guy Martin took two race wins, a second place, and a fifth place finish at the Dundrod 150 and the Ulster Grand Prix on his Hydrex Hondas. The Dundrod 150 races run in the week ahead of the Ulster Grand Prix and Martin had to dig deep in the McKinstry Skip Hire Dundrod 150 Superbike race to beat HM Plant Honda’s Ian Hutchinson who led for the bulk of the race. Martin tailed him in second place until the final lap when he made his decisive move. “I was on his back wheel and the only place that I was faster was on the big fast corners. I thought “I can’t pass him there,” but it got to the last lap and I thought, “I’m going to have to pass him there.” If I want to win I’ve got to pass him he who dares wins,” he said. Dry weather for the Dundrod 150 saw the lap record beaten by the top five, the record settled with John McGuinness with a speed of 131.717mph but Martin was just 0.388mph off that setting the second fastest lap. The Ulster Grand Prix was hit by heavy rain and the event was delayed by two hours. The first race on track was the Lisburn City Council Superstock race and Martin finished in fifth place. He was back in tenth place during the first lap but picked his way through to fifth place, “It was real damp and not the best conditions to be racing in and I just struggled a bit with tyres,” he said. Next up was the Investment Romania UGP Supersport race which Martin won. He started the race back in third place and had a battle with Ryan Farquhar and Conor Cummins to claim the win. He closed them down and by the end of lap four he had gone from third to first “I’m over the moon. I was thinking a couple of laps into it, “I’ll be doing well to get onto the podium here,” and then I thought, “I’ll be doing well to get third.” I kept plugging away and the track was getting drier and drier so I could push a little bit harder as I was on inters and the rest of the lads were on full wets and it worked to my advantage in the end. I reeled them in and passed them by a second or two,” he explained. The weather started to deteriorate just as the Belfast Telegraph UGP Superbike race kicked off. Martin was running second to HM Plant Honda’s Ian Hutchinson and gradually reeled him in the difficult wet conditions. “I thought the weather was getting better and then five minutes before the Superbike race it was lashing down.” The race had to be red flagged due to the weather going from bad to worse leaving Martin in second place. The final two races of the day were also cancelled as the weather refused to improve. “I was starting to reel Ian Hutchinson in when it was red flagged. We had a new rear Dunlop in and I was just getting the feel of it to see how hard I could push. It was mint really but it took a few laps to get my head round how hard I could go on it. By then Hutchy had a bit of a gap. I think it was about 7secs and I got it back to a couple of seconds and then they red flagged it. Coming out of Wheelers you were doing well to see your hand in front of your face. Good decision,” he concluded. Martin and his Hydrex Honda team will be back in action at round eleven of the Bennetts British Superbike on the 25th -27th August at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire.