Cummins takes superb second at Macau GP Conor Cummins completed his excellent 2009 road racing season on Saturday when he finished a close second in the Macau Grand Prix. Riding the PBM Kawasaki World Superbike machine, Conor closed rapidly on long time race leader Stuart Easton in the second half of the race and took the lead on the penultimate lap. However, Easton fought back and with backmarkers coming in to play on the final lap, Conor had to settle for second, an agonising 0.381s behind at the end of 15 hard fought laps. With unusually cool conditions affecting the Far East venue throughout, practice and qualifying wasn’t easy for the competitors as they were faced with air and track temperatures of just 11 and 12 degress respectively. Seventh in free practice, Conor moved up to fourth after the opening qualifying session as Easton lapped over half a second inside the class lap record to hold a 1.6s advantage. However, in Friday’s second and final qualifying session, Conor showed that he would be the Scot’s main rival and a lap of 2m26.313s moved him up to second on the grid and just 0.8s adrift of 2008 winner Easton. In Saturday afternoon’s 15 lap race, Easton set a ferocious pace at the head of the field but, after a slightly sluggish start, Conor was up to second at the completion of the first lap. By lap 6, Easton’s advantage was over six seconds and the race looked over but Conor had other ideas and as the race moved in to its second half, the gap began to come down. By lap 10, Conor was only 3 seconds adrift and, lapping almost a second quicker than his rival, he was right on Easton’s back wheel going in to the penultimate lap. Without hesitation, Conor hit the front at Fisherman’s Bend and with just one lap to go, he was within touching distance of winning the Macau Grand Prix. Easton fought back though and slipped up the inside at the Lisboa Bend, crucially getting a backmarker between himself and Conor. The Ramsey resident eventually found a way through and although he reduced the gap to Easton for the remainder of the lap, he ultimately ran out of time and took second place, just 0.381s behind. Nevertheless, it was another superb performance by the 23-year and, following on from his success at the Isle of Man TT and Ulster GP earlier this year, he must go into 2010 as one of the main favourites for further honours. Speaking after the race, a pleased Conor said: “I loved every second of that race! Stuart got a good advantage in the early stages and I thought it was going to be real hard work to reel him in so I just rode at my own pace and used my head. The tyres were going off but I could see the gap coming down and finally caught him with two laps to go. After I passed him I thought I could hold on to it but I made a mistake through turn 2 on the last lap and it was enough for him to draft by. The backmarkers came into play but fair play to Stuart, he rode a good race. Like I say, I thoroughly enjoyed the race and big thanks to Paul Bird for giving me the opportunity to race such a fantastic machine and to all my sponsors especially the Manx Sports Aid Foundation, Solway Slate & Tile, Pokerstars, ELAS, Duke Video and the 4WD and Van Centre.” Conor now heads in to the winter break and hopes to announce his plans for the 2010 soon.