Dunlop on top; McGee makes strong return

Michael Dunlop cemented his status as one of the top road racers of his generation when he won three events at the Race of the South on Sunday, but Walderstown was about much more than one star rider.

The sun shone on the competitors and the estimated crowd of 3,500 over the weekend, and everyone was in great form, from the riders and their pit crews to the marshals – courteous to the end – and the spectators whose enthusiastic presence makes the atmosphere so vibrant.

It’s not even necessary to be a motorsport fan to enjoy the Race of the South, though it helps if you enjoy the sights and sounds of racing engines. What makes road racing unique is the accessibility of the competitors and their down to earth nature. There are not many sporting arenas where fans can casually walk up to top stars like Dunlop, Derek McGee, Michael Sweeney and others and chat away to them.

The results from the return of racing to Walderstown after a four-year gap show that Dunlop is the top man; he won the Open race on his MD Racing BMW ahead of pole sitter Sweeney (MJR BMW), and McGee on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing BMW – a great result for the Mullingar man, who hadn’t raced since an accident at a track in the Netherlands last year, and had only a brief test on the bike the week before Walderstown.

Dunlop also won the Supersport 600 and the grand final.

Michael Halpin, chairperson of Fore Motor Cycle Racing Club, who organise the Race of the South, was exhausted and delighted on Sunday evening. He estimated turnout at 3,500 and thinks that will be enough for the club to break even on the cost of running the event.

Given the huge expense involved, particularly for insurance, that is a successful outcome and should secure the event in future years.

On behalf of the club, Michael expressed gratitude to all involved in the safe, successful running of the weekend. He praised the marshals and stewards, reiterated thanks to Westmeath County Council for resurfacing sections of the track, plus Minister of State Robert Troy, TD, for his support in having that done. He added thanks to the residents who live next to the track and the roads leading to it, and the spectators for respecting the instructions of the marshals.

Michael had a special thank-you for Brendan (Buddy) Farrell, who performed official race starter duty. Buddy is 83 years of age and he travelled from his home in Dublin for the weekend, which Michael and the club were delighted with, as Buddy was also race starter 40 years ago when the event took place on the old track in Fore.

Derek McGee, a previous winner at Walderstown, and an eight-time national champion in road racing, was pleased with his results on his comeback: “I really enjoyed the event, and it was great to see all the local support. Overall, it was a good weekend with the results we had. I enjoyed working with the new bikes and team.”

Derek’s results were, third in the Superbike race, fifth in the Supersport and fourth in the Grand Final.

His team, Burrows Engineering / RK Racing said it was a “solid return to road racing action” for Derek. “We were under no illusions how difficult this would be jumping in mid-season after a year off a bike. The main thing is we have gathered lots of data on the roads and have a great platform to build off for Armoy on Friday morning. Thanks to all our team who made the trip to Walderstown and for all your support during the weekend.”

Derek thanked sponsors Prowall Plastering and Dry Lining from Castlepollard and McGee Construction for their support.

Among the other local competitors was Brendan Flynn from Finea, a racer who has no illusions about competing against the likes of Dunlop and McGee, and whose main aim is to enjoy it. Brendan took up bike racing at the age of 40 and has been doing it for some 20 years now. He ran his Suzuki SV650 in the Junior Support race, and also spent time helping as a marshal.

The weekend was his first outing since an accident at Tandragee last June – he has a huge scar on his right arm as a reminder – and he was delighted with the condition of the track and that he’s able to enjoy his racing.

Glasson man Paul Fallon wasn’t completely happy with the setup of his superbike during practice on Saturday, but he was enjoying the weekend with his wife Katrina and son Liam, and was happy with his performances in the races on Sunday. (See also, page 30.)

RESULTS

Results show podium finishers plus selected local riders; race sponsors in brackets.

Race 1: Senior Support 401-750 (Niall Scollan Car Sales) Jason Whelan, Tommy Heaphy, Liam Tranior.

Race 2: M3-SS300-125cc SS400 (JMC Car Sales/Seven Wonders Bar) Andrew Farrell, Aidan Cleary, Robert O’Neill.

Race 3: Open 201-1010 (Terence Healy Motorcycles) Michael Dunlop, Michael Sweeney, Derek McGee, Paul Fallon (13th).

Race 4: Classic A 250/350 (Viking Developments) Robert McCrum, Richard Ford, Mark Johnson.

Race 5: Supersport 600 (Egan’s Motorcycle Clothing and Accessories) Michael Dunlop, Kevin Keyes, Michael Sweeney, Derek McGee (5th), Paul Fallon (9th).

Race 6: Junior Support 201-400 (Mac Trac/Sean McDermott) Jason Whelan, Brandon Kavanagh, Dallas Reynolds, Brendan Flynn (15th).

Race 7: Classic 500/1000cc (Ballymahon Motor Factors/Mary Nash) Andy Kildea, Liam Crotty, Wattie Brown.

Race 8: 650 SuperTwin (The Dog and Duck, Ballykeeran) Michael Sweeney, Sean Brolly, James Chawke.

Race 9: Classic Superbike (Sean Leonard Paving and Construction) Andrew Farrell, Richard McLoughlin, Richard Ford.

Race 10: Grand Final (Packie Healy Mechanical Services) Michael Dunlop, Michael Sweeney, Kevin Keyes, Derek McGee (4th), Paul Fallon (11th).

READ ALSO

Road racing a family and social event too