With qualifying completed on Wednesday for the Dundrod 150 Road Races, the Thursday session sees thoses races coupled with a qualifying session for the Ulster Grand Prix.
The schedule is a busy one with Supersport, Superstock and Superbikes all scheduled for a qualifying session for the Ulster Grand Prix then 5 Races planned for the Dundrod 150.
Firstly here is how the qualifying sessions panned out :
Wednesday 9th August 2017 marks the first day the bikes are on the roads for the Dundrod 150 / Ulster Grand Prix Race Week, all the action focuses on qualifying for Thursday’s Dundrod 150 Races as well as the first qualifying sessions for the MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix.
With the full range of bikes on the roads here is how the qualifying sessions racked up :
Terrible news following tonights Ulster Grand Prix action.
Rest in Peace Jamie Hodson.
It is with much regret that the Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club confirm that a rider was killed following a crash during the Dundrod 150 National race on Thursday 10th August.
35 year old Jamie Hodson from Wigan was involved in an incident at the ‘Joey’s Windmill’ section of the circuit. His brother Rob Hodson was involved in the same accident, but has no serious injuries.
An experienced rider, Jamie was the reigning Manx GP Supertwins champion, and this year achieved a top 10 finish in the TT Lightweight race.
The Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club would like to express its sincere condolences to Jamie’s family and friends and requests that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.It is with much regret that the Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club confirm that a rider was killed following a crash during the Dundrod 150 National race on Thursday 10th August.
The Ulster Grand Prix – the fastest road race in the world – is now underway. Today will see a qualifying session and then a series of five scheduled races concluding with the Charles Hurst Dundrod 150.
Racing will resume on Saturday 12th August 2017 taking us to the feature race – 2017 MCE Ulster Grand Prix.
The hardest question is 'where should I go to watch it?'
Thankfully the organisers have put together a very helpful list of the a the Vantage Points and how to get to them :
If you are unable to get to Dundrod for this years Ulster Grand Prix make sure you still catch all the action with the event's highlights coverage – on television, online and on the BBC iPlayer.
And if you are here but can't hear the commentary fear not as all Saturday's racing will be covered live by BBC Radio Ulster! (AM / FM / and online streaming).
Full coverage details :
With race Week already underway today is the first day we will see bikes on the road! And the roads close in a little over 2 hours.
So for your info here is the circuit map :
Have a great and safe Ulster Grand Prix to all the riders, teams, spectators, marshals, everyone.
Bikers : #KeepTheRaceInItsPlace
Drivers : #TakeaSecondLook
Read the Tyco BMW Press Release here :
http://tycobmw.com/manxman-kneen-to-join-tyco-bmw-for-the-ulster-grand-prix/
Tyco BMW have announced that Manx rider Dan Kneen will ride for them at the 2017 MCE Ulster Grand Prix.
With Ian Hutchinson out of contention for the Dundrod meeting due to the injuries he sustained at the Isle of Man TT, former MCE Ulster GP winner Kneen is set to be the team’s only rider at the final international road race of the year.
30-year-old Manxman Dan had his most successful TT campaign to date this year, securing both his fastest lap and a debut podium in the Superstock race behind Ian Hutchinson and Peter Hickman.
He comes to Dundrod with an impressive Southern 100 performance under his belt too, narrowly missing out on glory in the senior race to Michael Dunlop, who crossed the finish line just 0.12 seconds in front of Kneen.
Dan Kneen said: “First of all, it’s nice to be asked to ride for Tyco BMW. Obviously, the opportunity has come up, due to Hutchy’s injury, so I’d like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best with his recovery.
The internet has went crazy today reporting on Guy Martin retiring from Road Racing. As a Guy Martin fan, that is of course devastating news, and I honestly believe that most pure fans of road racing will also agree that Guy was / is good for the sport and its profile. However following an ‘exclusive interview’ with MCN it looks like his road racing days are over…
With huge publicity surrounding the partnership of John McGuiness and Guy Martin on the new Honda FireBlade things looked perfect for the 2017 season.
Then it all started to unwind. A poor Tandragee 100 started the season with Guy crashing out on his first lap, followed by an uneventful Cookstown 100 and North West 200 (at the same time as losing team mate John McGuinness to a horrific crash) which led us to the Isle of Man. After the ‘box of neutrals’ incident Honda withdrew from the rest of the event. Guy went onto a second place in the TTZero with Team Mugen, his team mate Bruce Anstey taking the win in that event.
Then the press release came that Honda and Guy would not be participating in the Ulster Grand Prix, a circuit that has brought Guy great success as well as proving almost deadly in 2015.
At this point I think most of us thought the writing on the wall was now here.
Guy Martin’s Road Racing days are over.
Explaining his decision to call it a day in an exclusive interview with MCN’s Matt Wildee, Guy said: “Racing’s been good to me, but I’m bored of it. You spend the early part of the year preparing for the season – testing, racing, talking about it, and then doing it all over again. It’s like Groundhog Day. It’s time to stop.”
Or are they?
Some great news coming out of the UGP Paddock today, my personal favourite Kiwi Sporting beard wearing motorcycle road racer is heading back to Northern Ireland for the 2017 Ulster Grand Prix… on a 250 Two Stroke!
Don’t panic though the RC213V-S is coming along too.
This is being reported across all main road racing networks today…
Reports indicate that Guy Martin and marque Honda will not contest Armoy or the Ulster Grand Prix; an inauspicious and anticlimactic end to a very arduous season in 2017.
After so many years of success, Honda has endured, along with its riders, a highly tumultuous year already and one wonders how they will come back from the apparent brink.
Sad end to the year for Guy and for Honda if this is the case.
To be brutally honest after the 2017 Honda has found itself nursing I can’t fault any outcome like this, whether it is Guy Martin finishing with Honda, or vice versa, or Honda pulling out of these events of its own volition I think the final outcome is the right one.
What I do hope is that their R&D Teams get any remaining bugs ironed out and make a great comeback in 2018. I would be really surprised to see them fielding a team with a diferent rider(s) this season.
What I also hope is that this doesn’t end Guy Martin with road racing, the simple facts are, Guy is quick and skilled, you don’t get into the 132mph TT Club by accident or happy chance. He is popular and this fame brings people (and money) to these events. No doubt it helps with the following, contraversial maybe? True definitely. And finally I think he has unfinished buisness – he wants that TT win, and to be honest I want him to get it. Maybe Wilson Craig Racing could see him on a bike to see out the season, who knows?
Anyway here’s to fast and sucessful return to Road Racing, in the very near future to Honda Racing and Guy Martin.