‘Mullingar Missile’ sponsors bike for up and coming rider

Derek McGee (the Mullingar Missile) is sponsoring another rider with one of his bikes for the remainder of this season.

Noel Smith from Dundalk is relatively new to road racing and Derek is “giving him a hand up” to compete in the senior support class, starting at Armoy this weekend.

Over the winter, Derek built a Yamaha R6 which he will provide for Noel to race at Armoy this coming weekend and Cookstown (on September 10-11) and, hopefully for the whole season in 2022.

The pair became friends through pitbike racing, Noel told the Westmeath Examiner, and Derek said he liked Noel’s approach to his racing, which up to now he has been doing with minimal funding and only his father to help.

“The support championship is the class I started off in and I just had the makings of the bike there, so I said I’d build it over the winter and just give a lad a chance,” said Derek.

“I’ll provide a bit of guidance too, set-up and on the tracks, and if I can help any way at all, I will.

“Noel is mature as well (age 30), so he’s not going to fire it off the road. He’s a guy that wouldn’t have got a lot of help, so I’ll do what I can, with sponsors, leathers and helmets and one thing and another.”

Louth native Noel doesn’t have long experience in road racing but has showed his competitive side, despite limited resources, with supertwin podiums at Enniskillen and Skerries.

He said he was delighted when Derek approached him with the arrangement, and while he will still race his own supertwin, he is looking forward to joining Derek’s camp this weekend on the supersport, and benefiting from his experience and that of the team.

“Thanks to Derek and the team for taking me on and hopefully I can get a few good result to repay them,” he said.

Read also McGee set for first event of curtailed road racing season