No one thought it happen – road racing in 2020, but it did!
Full credit must go to Cookstown 100 Club and every member of the team who pushed forward with what at times must have seemed like an impossible task – running a road race in 2020 and under the ever present cloud of Covid-19.
But press ahead they did and the result was an extremely successful and extremely well run 2020 Cookstown 100. There were some restrictions in place such as movement around the course and the numbers of people who could be admitted, none of which were under the control of the Club. You can after all only play the hand you are dealt, and they played their hand well.
In 2020 if the only thing you can complain about is that the weather closed in and meant the feature superbike race had to be called off, then you have done well, and really that’s all there is to complain about – the Northern Irish weather – typical. But, for most of the day it was grand, warm and dry – couple that with a ‘full house’ and riders and teams who were clearly thrilled to be back on the roads and you get a brilliant road race.
The only disappointment now is that that is all 2020 has to offer in the Northern / Irish Racing Calendar. One thing is for sure it will have wet the appetite for 2021!
Onto the racing and we saw the return of Adam McLean after his off at 2019 Tandragee and he came back with the outstanding form he had been showing prior to the Tandragee incident – excellent – resulting in a double for him in the Supersport and Supertwin classes, and adding the Supertwin lap record to his list of accolades.
The Superbike Open race took three attempts to get a result, the win for Derek Shiels on his BMW showed more of the same from the Irish man – fast and stylish – as we have grown accustomed two over previous years and brought his total to 9 wins at Cookstown.
Paul Jordan continued to show his class and form, taking a strong win in the Moto3 / 125cc class.
Neil Kernohan with his distinctive helmet and always immaculately turned out machines took the 250cc / Lightweight class and Barry Davidson took the Junior Classic.
Vinny Breenan took the first race of the Day in the Senior Support Class, Junior Support was lifted by Michael Gillan by over 4 seconds in an impressive race.
To the joy of road racing fans the world over we have actually had some racing in 2020! From 14th – 16th August Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough held the Barry Sheene Classic. A day of practice and qualifying followed by two days of flat out non stop racing.
The Oliver’s Mount events are ones that I do not normally cover, mainly because I have no chance of getting any where them but this year I did follow them quite intently on Twitter and on the live timings site and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the coverage, tweeting and online content that I could find.
UKClubSport have done an excellent job in putting the results together for every qualifying session and race. You will find every result from the 2020 Oliver’s Mount Barry Sheene Classic here :
2020 Oliver’s Mount Barry Sheene Classic Results: LEE Johnston
It brings me great pleasure to say that Northern Ireland’s own Lee Johnston shone to make it a perfect four out of four in the Supersport category.
Dean Harrison also brought his A-game and made it a superb five from five in the Classic Superbike races.
What a packed weekend that event was with a huge 31 races ran over the two race days. That really makes me want to make the trip over.
Oliver’s Mount next event is scheduled to be the Gold Cup due to run on the weekend of the 11th – 13th September 2020. Unfortunately that clashes directly with the planned dates for the rescheduled 2020 Cookstown 100.
Important News for 2020 KDM Hire Cookstown 100 Spectators
Important News for 2020 KDM Hire Cookstown 100 Spectators
To let all Spectators know in advance, below is a list of instructions from government departments which must be adhered to, so you the Spectators can attend.
Further information also is that all Spectators must be in their areas for 11 am on Friday at the latest.
On Saturday everyone must be in their areas for 930am at the latest.
All Spectators must enter the course via main Orritor Road from Cookstown, or the Drummearn ROAD (From lough fea Road) as all official car parks are on these two main routes.
Security will be at all other entrances and surrounding areas.
Please understand that these measures are not ideal for anyone, but we must work together to ensure we get this event to take place and we see some road racing in 2020.
As this situation evolves and affects more events TBNI.Blog will endeavour to keep you up to date.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
Although not part of the Irish / Northern Irish / IOM Calendar, and therefore not usually or easily covered by TBNI.Blog, Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough has some great road racing events of its own.
And the good news is one of these events is this weekend! Yep that’s right, there is some real life actual road racing this weekend!
Important Information :
Oliver’s Mount Barry Sheene Classic 2020
THE BARRY SHEENE CLASSIC IS NOW A 3-DAY EVENT IN AUGUST!
2020 Cookstown 100 is scheduled for 11-12 September 2020
2020 Cookstown 100 : Press Release
Working towards the race
The Cookstown & District Motor Cycle Club have confirmed, that, the postponed race meeting, will now take place on Friday and Saturday 11th/12th September.
Following the recent COVID 19 updates, the club is now in the position to put the final touches to their plans for what will be the Only road race to take place in 2020.
For the event to take place, the Club has taken a sensible and responsible approach, working with Sport NI and other various bodies, which will result in some significant changes.
Spectator numbers will be restricted to 1000 on Friday and 1600 on Saturday, and will only be allowed in designated areas.
The KDM Hire Cookstown 100 will be a “Closed Event”, a successful online Booking system has been in operation, which has enabled the organizers to follow the strict guidelines put in place by Department for Communities & NI Sports Forum.
A race programme which will include a unique wristband will be posted out to everyone who has used the Booking system
Only those with a Wristband will gain access
There will be 10 designated spectator areas located around the 1.7 mile circuit. These areas will allow a maximum number of spectators in each so that any regulations in respect to mass gatherings in one area can be maintained and managed.
It has been a busy 24 hrs for the Cookstown 100 Team and following the announcement in relation to competitors we now have further news in relation to spectators and how getting a ticket for the 2020 Cookstown 100 will work.
The following has been released (24th June 2020) in relation to spectating at this years scheduled event :
** SPECTATOR ANNOUNCEMENT**
As previously announced, Cookstown 100 will be run as a closed event this year and will have to run with limited numbers of spectators allowed to be present at the event, whilst this will not please everyone, it is the only possible way in which the event will be allowed to be ran and we ask that such decision is respected as it is not within the club power to over turn this decision!
From today spectators can make use of our online booking system to obtain packages as follows for the event.
2 day package which includes – A programme with a wristband attached, club badge plus postage – £25
1 day Friday package which includes – A programme with a Friday wristband attached plus postage – £17.50
1 day Saturday package which includes – A programme with a Saturday wristband attached plus postage – £17.50
For those who wish to purchase a programme but do not wish to attend, these can also be purchased for £17.50 which includes postage.
Kids under 13 will not be charged when accompanied by an adult. We do ask for numbers of kids attending when booking.
WRISTBANDS WILL NOT BE SOLD SEPARATELY.
There is a very limited amount of spectators allowed,and the online booking system is on a first come first served basis, so it is up to public to secure their packages as the club cannot issue any further when the numbers are reached. Nor will any member of the club reserve any of the above packages for anyone.
To book any of the above packages, go to PayPal and make purchase through sending payment to cookstown100@hotmail.com and using friend option.
Please verify which package you whish to purchase ie. 1day Friday package or 1 day Saturday package at time of purchase, please confirm your name and address also at time of purchase.
When the programmes are printed, all packages will be sent out in August to everyone who has purchased and booked online.
Online purchases to book you spot is available from today.
CDMCC
The following important announcement / amendment has also been released :
As this situation evolves and affects more events TBNI.Blog will endeavour to keep you up to date.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
I’m sure most if not all competitors following the Official Cookstown 100 Channels, however I am also aware that sometimes information gets missed or bypassed especially in the world of social medial and thumb scrolling. So just in case – it does no harm to repost information to make sure it gets to the right people at the right time.
So in saying that the Cookstown 100 Club have issued a very important statement for all competitors hoping to race at the 2020 Cookstown 100, currently scheduled for September 2020.
Basically if you want to race, now is the time to get your entry sorted, yep right now.
**IMPORTANT COMPETITOR INFORMATION** Official Statement Released 23rd June 2020 :
Due to limited numbers of Competitors allowed to compete at the 2020 Cookstown 100 event, ALL competitors must send FULL PAYMENT of entry fees by the 17th July 2020. Cheques must be sent and allow time to be received before this date and online payments will be available from tomorrow Wednesday the 23rd June via PayPal (using the friend option) at cookstown100@hotmail.com
This must be done by all competitors so the club can free up spaces for other riders who wish to enter, if those entered already do not make full payment by the above date so that the maximum number of Competitors allowed at event can be obtained on the day.
All riders who wish to check how much they have to pay contact race Secretary Norman Crooks on 02886764168/07900357982 before sending payment via PayPal or by sending cheque through post.
NO CASH ACCEPTED ON THE DAY. ALL payments must be received by the 17th of July 2020 or your place will be given to another competitor. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made for late payments.
Cheques to be sent to 229 orritor Road Cookstown, BT80 9NB
As this situation evolves and affects more events TBNI.Blog will endeavour to keep you up to date.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
Oliver’s Mount 2020 : Road racing is back at Oliver’s Mount for 2020!
Oliver’s Mount Racing Ltd. in conjunction with 243 Road Racing Association are delighted to announce that road racing is scheduled to go ahead for 2020.
Due to ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, the organisers have been forced to reschedule events, but now we can announce two action-packed three-day weekend events in 2020.
The Barry Sheene Classic was due to take place on the 25/26th July, this has now been rescheduled to the 14/15/16th August and will now be a three-day bonanza.
The hugely popular Gold Cup will remain on the 11/12/13th September as per our calendar set out at the start of the season, but now also extended to a three-day meeting!
Each meeting will have three thrilling days of road racing action, practice and qualifying on Friday, with two full days of racing on Saturday and Sunday.
Behind the scenes, Oliver’s Mount Racing Ltd have worked tirelessly to ensure road racing continues in 2020, and now with the full backing of Scarborough Borough Council, plus working in partnership with the ACU we can reveal our exciting news, Director Eddie Roberts added, “I’m delighted to reveal our exciting plans for Oliver’s Mount. We’ve been forced to delay the calendar, but now to have two 3-days meetings is brilliant news. More time on track on Friday will allow the riders to get back up to speed, and two full days of racing is unprecedented at Oliver’s. We must thank the local council and ACU for their support”.
“We are extremely excited to unveil our plans for the second half of 2020. We are proud to say that all our partners, Suzuki UK, RST, Arai, Bennetts, and Ashcourt’s are fully behind us and are extremely excited to be a part of the new three-day events at Oliver’s Mount.”
“However, we are in constant communication with the ACU, plus the local council and we will abide by any government restrictions which may come into effect later in the year. It goes without saying the safety of our supporters, teams, and riders must come before anything else.”
“Further information and details will follow in the coming weeks as only a limited number of pre-sold tickets will be available. There will be further restrictions for riders/entrants and paddock movement/occupancy. However, we are making plans in line with government and ACU guidelines.”
Current day/weekend/season tickets will be valid and tickets in limited numbers will be available from our partners Duke Marketing. We would like to assure our supporters if the event does not go-ahead full refunds will be made.
Rest assured, the team is working hard to make sure road racing continues at Oliver’s Mount with two, three-day events for 2020. More information/details will follow in the coming weeks. Don’t forget to see our popular social media channels, Instagram, Twitter and https://www.oliversmount.com.
As this situation evolves and affects more events TBNI.Blog will endeavour to keep you up to date.
The TBNI Road Racing Calendar will be updated as soon as new information comes to light so make sure you are subscribed to that : https://tbni.blog/road-racing-calendar/
Whilst the bikes may not be racing down Bray Hill this year, TT fans can look forward to 8 evenings of exclusive TT themed entertainment from the past, present and future as part of ‘TT Lock-In’ fuelled by Monster Energy this June.
Streamed from Saturday 6th to Saturday 13th June, via the Official TT website iomttraces.com, Facebook page and YouTube channel, ‘TT Lock-In’ blends some of the greatest solo and sidecar moments from the track in the TT’s long illustrious history with live interviews, personal insights and revelations from the TT Races biggest stars.
Vlogger Chris Pritchard will be the host for the eight nights of TT content, and he will be joined by double TT Race winner Steve Plater for insightful interviews and indiscreet revelations with some of the riders that have created the headlines over the last twenty years.
The ‘Ultimate TT Races presented by Bennetts’ series turns the clock back on the greatest recent, and not so recent races. ‘TT Lock-In’ will be revisiting classic footage from five great races including the 1992 Senior TT, featuring the head to head between Carl Fogarty and Steve Hislop and the race that many believe is its closest challenger for the ‘greatest race’ accolade – the 2018 Senior TT.
Other races featured in the Series include highlights from Joey Dunlop’s memorable 2000 Formula 1 win, the dramatic and controversial 1994 Junior TT Race and the 2nd Supersport Race from 2012 – the Australasian battle between Cameron Donald and Bruce Anstey that produced one of the closest finishes in TT history.
Broadcast live via the TT Lock-In virtual studio, Chris and Steve will be joined by a ‘who’s-who’ of TT racing to provide their own unique views and personal insights to the series. Including the chance to submit their own questions and messages, fans will hear from John McGuinness, Dean Harrison, Carl Fogarty, Phillip McCallen, Rob McElnea, Peter Hickman, Brian Reid and Cameron Donald as well as multi-sidecar TT race winners Ben Birchall and Dave Molyneux.
Meanwhile, the world of Gaming will provide fans with their TT racing fix of another kind. The ‘Virtual TT powered by Motul’ will see 8 TT heroes, including Peter Hickman, Conor Cummins and Davey Todd, getting to grips with a new challenge and tackling the familiar course from the comfort of their own homes. Each of the TT Stars will team up with an experienced gamer and go head to head in a competition to be crowned ‘Virtual TT 2020 Champion’.
There’s also an introduction to racing on the Mountain Course for real from TT rider liaison officer, and former TT Race winner, Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle who will provide his unique insight into how to prepare to race the TT Mountain Course.
In depth features and documentaries on teams and riders include a look back at the lap record breaking 2018 TT – ‘One-Three-Five: Breaking the Barrier’, a tribute to one of the Greatest riders in TT history – ‘the David Jefferies Story’ and a celebration of the career of the 23 time TT Race winner John McGuinness. The spotlight will also be turned on one of the TT’s most successful Race teams – ‘TAS: TT Winning Formula’.
There will also be a digital version of the popular TT paddock attraction, the ‘Sundown Cinema’, with a screening of ‘3 Wheeling’ – the feature-length film that follows the high drama of the 2016 Sidecar TT Races while Arai take us behind the scenes with the renown Italian Helmet designer Aldo Drudi whose creations feature in the limited edition Official TT Helmet collection every year.
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