Yamaha World Superbike riders Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri fought hard in difficult conditions in Miller Motorsports Park today, U.S. “ Memorial Day” Monday, to take home well-earned points and with both riders now in the top four on the 2011 Championship standings. Variable weather conditions throughout the weekend did not render the infamously difficult and technically demanding American track any easier.

An eventful Race one saw several riders crash out of contention at the early stages. Laverty and Melandri got perfect initial starts off their front row places on the grid but unfortunately fell back several positions before entering the first corner. A shifting error on the long straight after the start saw Laverty falling to 15th place before entering the first curve. Impressive race craft was on display as the determined World Superbike Rookie put his head down, gradually closed in on contenders ahead, taking him up to fourth place by lap nine. The Irishman then took on Camier and Guintoli to sit in second place by mid race behind race leader and eventual winner Checa, until extreme tyre wear prevented him from continuing to perform to his full potential. Fighting hard Laverty relentlessly surrendered his podium and crossed the chequered flag in fifth place, just behind Camier in fourth.

The Yamaha World Superbike Team leaves Miller topping the Team standings with 243 points. Eugene Laverty has jumped up to fourth place in the classification with 109 points. Both riders head to Misano on the 12th June intent on demonstrating yet again to be strong contenders for the championship title.

Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team - 5th, 4th
“I managed to get a great start off the line in both races and maintain my starting position into the first curve. In race one I made a mistake changing the gears which caused me to drop back to 15th. I climbed up to second by mid race but then I began to suffer from extreme tyre wear. We improved the chassis setting before race two and I was a lot more cautious with the tyre. I was sitting in third place from early on but I didn’t want to push too hard in on Max to ensure the tyres would last to the end. I’m quite happy having finished fifth and fourth in the two races and I’m now fourth in the standings, which I’m pleased with.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“We expected Marco to have a difficulty this weekend due to the weather conditions and the fact that he was unfamiliar with the track. Having said this we hoped do better. Both riders had major problems with the tyres in race one as it seemed virtually all four cylinder bikes had. Fortunately in race two this was better perhaps due to slightly higher temperatures and less tyre spinning as a result of a cleaner track following the races earlier in the day. With Marco we lost too many points this weekend and cannot be satisfied. Eugene grit his teeth and would have been on the podium for sure had he not experienced tyre issues causing him to drop from second place to fifth in race one. He re-confirmed his quality and potential again in race two. Let’s not forget that Eugene is still only a WSB Rookie and is performing extremely well. “

Despite the wintery conditions and heavy rain in Miller Motorsports Park, Utah today Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty put their heads down on their Yamaha R1’s and impressed in this afternoon’s Superpole to complete the sessions in third and fourth respectively, securing two front row places for the Yamaha World Superbike Team on tomorrow’s grid. Heavy down pour during this morning’s second Qualifying session prevented all riders from improving on yesterday’s first qualifying times.

The rain began to ease just in time for the first heat of today’s Superpole, which took Laverty and Melandri comfortably into the second Superpole heat in third and fifth place respectively. As the session progressed the track conditions continued to improve enabling the riders to produce faster times in the remaining two heats. Laverty maintained a place in the top four throughout the second Superpole and managed to put in a flying lap in the dying minutes bumping him up to third while team- mate Melandri went through to the final heat in eighth position. The third and final Superpole of the day saw the two Yamaha World Superbike rookies put the hammer down to record consistently fast laps on a drying track and claim a well-earned front row position ahead of tomorrow’s races. Melandri will start in third place on the grid, behind Checa and Smrz, with team-mate Laverty just beside him in fourth.

The fifth round of the WSB championship will take place tomorrow, Monday which is the celebrated “Memorial Day” in the USA. Race one will be held at the usual time of 12.00 and race two at 15.30, U.S. local time, eight hours behind Central European time.

Eugene Laverty - Yamaha World Superbike Team - 4th, 1′58.860
“I’m quite content with the day. This morning’s qualifying in the wet conditions didn’t go so well, I was quite low down in the standings and I didn’t have the right feeling with the bike. We worked hard all afternoon and continued to move in the right direction. I’m confident that we’ll be up there fighting for the podium in both wet and dry race conditions. I’m on the front row which is great and it’s important to get away in the long run into the first corner. Hopefully I can catch Checa, but it would be nice to be on the podium.”

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“I’m very pleased with today’s results. Both sides of the garage worked hard all day to improve the set-ups after this morning’s second qualifying session. Marco has had a tough weekend so far. Yesterday in dry conditions he had some issues and also this morning on the extremely wet track. On a positive note, he has become more familiar with the track and certainly managed to make great progress this afternoon ahead of Superpole. He didn’t get a chance to further improve on yesterday’s dry chassis set up but despite this I’m confident that he can put in two good races tomorrow. Eugene was fairly good all weekend. He did well yesterday but had some difficulty in the heavy rain this morning. He and the team worked hard to improve this and we can see the results of that. They are on the front row and it’s important they can get off to a good start and get ahead. With the weather we are experiencing at the moment, it really is a gamble. “

1. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1min 58.315s
2. Jakub Smrz CZE Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1min 58.390s
3. Marco Melandri ITA Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 1min 58.609s
4. Eugene Laverty IRL Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 1min 58.860s
5. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1min 59.069s
6. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 59.262s
7. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 59.736s
8. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia S1000RR 1min 59.827s

9. Noriyuki Haga JPN PATA Aprilia RSV-4 2mins 00.303s
10. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki RTS ZX-10R 2mins 00.477s
11. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 2mins 00.643s
12. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 2mins 01.127s

13. Jonathan Rea GBR Castrol Honda CBR1000RR 2mins 03.232s
14. Ruben Xaus ESP Castrol Honda CBR1000RR 2mins 03.382s
15. Michel Fabrizio ITA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 2mins 03.397s
16. Josh Waters AUS Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 2mins 04.156s

Following grid positions determined by Q1

17. Joan Lascorz ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1min 50.195s
18. James Toseland GBR BMW Italia S1000RR 1min 50.306s
19. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 50.646s
20. Maxime Berger FRA Supersonic Ducati 1098R 1min 50.717s
21. Roberto Rolfo ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 51.586s

The Yamaha World Superbike riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty got straight to work in Miller for today’s free practice and first qualifying sessions. The unpredictable Utah skies threatened rain on occasions throughout the day but held off with just a few drops appearing towards the final minutes, yet not disrupting the riders from getting down to business, working on various chassis set-ups ahead of Monday’s Memorial Day races.

Eugene Laverty had a relatively challenging first day in Utah. This morning’s free practice saw him trying out his Yamaha R1 on a track where he has fond memories. After experiencing problems with the front of his machine at the early stages of the afternoon’s qualifying session, the Irishman managed to put in a fast lap to complete the day in eighth position.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 8th, 1′49.708
“I ended up in eighth position which isn’t bad. It’s important to be in the top two rows especially seeing that it’s threating rain for tomorrow. I was outside the top 16 for a while as I was having difficulty with the front of the bike. We worked on improving the set-up and put in a good time towards the end. I’m sure we have made a break through with the bike today. I was having trouble making the apex in this morning’s free practice but now I’m confident we are heading in the right direction.”
Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager

“We didn’t expect to have an easy weekend in Miller. It’s technically very demanding and it’s the first time here for Marco, so he has to get to know the track. As we can see from today’s results these suspicions have been confirmed. On experiencing a lack of grip and difficulty taking the curves, Marco spent the afternoon working on the bike’s chassis set-up but there’s still some work to be done. The team will spend this evening analyzing and interpreting the layout together with Marco so he can improve his style of riding and be able to better approach the highly technical track tomorrow.
Eugene did pretty well, completing the session in eighth. He managed to put in a good lap time and improved his ability to take curves after working on the front set up. He still needs to improve on closing the corners but I’m confident that on doing so he can be on the front row ahead of Monday’s races.”

1. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1min 48.260s
2. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 49.055s
3. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 49.306s
4. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki RTS ZX-10R 1min 49.432s
5. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 49.552s
6. Jonathan Rea GBR Castrol Honda CBR1000RR 1min 49.621s
7. Jakub Smrz CZE Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1min 49.683s
8. Eugene Laverty IRL Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 1min 49.708s
9. Michel Fabrizio ITA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1min 49.855s
10. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia S1000RR 1min 49.881s
11. Noriyuki Haga JPN PATA Aprilia RSV-4 1min 49.938s
12. Marco Melandri ITA Yamaha WSBK YZF R1 1min 50.136s
13. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1min 50.140s
14. Ruben Xaus ESP Castrol Honda CBR1000RR 1min 50.149s
15. Josh Waters AUS Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 1min 50.153s
16. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 50.159s
17. Joan Lascorz ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1min 50.195s
18. James Toseland GBR BMW Italia S1000RR 1min 50.306s
19. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 50.646s
20. Maxime Berger FRA Supersonic Ducati 1098R 1min 50.717s
21. Roberto Rolfo ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 51.586s

Miller Motorsports Park official WSBK lap records
Best lap: Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1m 47.081s (2010)
Race lap record: Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1m 48.045s (2010)

Just over two weeks after the stunning double victory in Monza, we’ve gotten together with Eugene Laverty to talk about his first World Superbike win and his plans and ambitions for the near future, starting with the next round in Miller, USA this weekend.

Sunday at Monza was a very special day for you. Global recognition of your name increased by a huge margin. How did it feel when you finally went to bed that night?
It really hadn’t sunk in. I know that’s a much overused expression but it was genuinely the case for me. I sat in my motorhome with my girlfriend Pippa and a few friends and watched the races back over a cup of tea. After watching the final lap of race two, I was absolutely buzzing so I put an episode of Irish sitcom ‘Father Ted’ on TV to try and wind down before bed! The following evening I realized why the whole experience had seemed so bizarre. I remembered that I’d had a dream on Thursday night that I’d won both races at Monza so in a way I’d already went through all the emotions.

Monza was first win for an Irish rider in the WSB Championship. Did you become a celebrity back home in Ireland?
Not quite! I’ve received a lot of praise within the racing paddock but outside of that I haven’t noticed much difference. In Ireland motorcycling is very popular because Joey Dunlop was not only a great racer but also a great man. I only hope to follow in his footsteps.

Just eight races in to the 2011WSB calendar and you have already two wins under your belt, it definitely looks like you are to be considered a strong contender for the title now?
The next few rounds will be very important for me to get into the title fight. At Monza I reduced the gap to Checa from 97 points down to 60 points so it’s definitely not out of reach. I believe we can be strong for the remainder of the season. I feel great on the bike but I need to convert that into consistent podium finishes.

When you signed with the Yamaha WSB team at the end of the last season, did you ever imagine you’d be winning at such an early stage?
When I signed with Yamaha I didn’t expect that I would be this fast so soon. After testing though I predicted that I’d get my first podium in Assen and win my first race in Monza so I was half right! I’ve always been realistic with my goals and in fact quite often exceed my own expectations.

What are your targets? Ideally would you like to spend some time as a WSB star or do you intend moving on to MotoGP as soon as possible?
My target is to arrive in MotoGP when I’m ready to make the step. I’m very happy right now riding in the World Superbike Championship with Yamaha so I’m not looking any further ahead than this season. I want to stay with Yamaha and grow together with them as they have believed in me.

You and your teammate, Marco Melandri, came to the team from very different career paths. How much information do you share, and is having ridden 250s and World Supersport better training for World Superbike than MotoGP?
Both sides of the garage share information, that’s the key to our success this season. We made big steps forward in the first few rounds because Marco and I offered similar feedback and so the direction was clear. We may have had different career paths but at the end of the day a great rider will figure out the fastest way around the track on any given bike. I was immediately fast on the R1 the first time I rode it at Magny-Cours as was Marco on his first outing at Valencia so this proves that the gap between street bikes and race bikes is much smaller than it’s ever been.

Two years ago Ben Spies was a rookie with your current team. He won the World Championship in his first try and immediately went to MotoGP. Last year as a rookie for the team, Cal Crutchlow won several poles and a handful of races and followed Spies to MotoGP. Do you feel any pressure trying to live up the very high standards set by the team’s previous rookies, and do you aspire to make a similarly quick transition to MotoGP?
My situation is rather different to Ben’s and Cal’s. Both riders had ridden superbikes for a few seasons in domestic championships and so they were expected to be immediately quick. The team have put absolutely no pressure on me to perform as this season has been cited as a learning year. Naturally that view will shift somewhat after our fantastic double victory at Monza but there will be times when we’re reminded that this is my first season on a superbike. Just look at Donington for example; I struggled there due to my lack of superbike experience. Every rider aspires to compete in MotoGP and so I hope to move there some time in the future when I feel ready. I’ve only just completed my fourth round in the World Superbike Championship though so I’d rather not get ahead of myself!

The next stop is Miller Motorsports Park. Other than Miller, how much have you seen of the U.S.? What do you like about Miller Motorsports Park, and is it similar to any European tracks?
I’ve been around various parts of America over the last few years. In 2009 I stayed with Josh Hayes in California ahead of the race at Miller Motorsports Park and last season I visited Las Vegas before travelling to Salt Lake City. Miller Motorsports Park really suits my style, particularly the fast flowing turns which start the lap. For this reason the track reminds me of Assen but really Miller Motorsports Park is quite a unique track. There’s no other track on our calendar that boasts a section like The Attitudes! This left-right-left complex is hard work and it’s important to be pinpoint accurate through here so as not to touch the side of the bike on the high kerbs. I couldn’t have hoped for a better track to follow up my double win at Monza. I’m confident of another podium finish in the U.S. and hopefully I can get myself into the title fight over the next few rounds.

Is there a particular circuit you are looking forward to more than any other this season? If so why?
I really like the next circuit – Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, but having said that my overall favourite is probably Silverstone. I love the layout of the track and I really enjoy riding it! I guess the results there last year also help - I won the World Supersport race after battling it out with Sofuoglu who later took the championship title.

Fresh from the recent successful tests in Aragon, the Yamaha World Superbike Team head west for the next stop on the 2011 World Superbike calendar which will take place in Miller Motorsports Park (MMP), on Memorial Day, Monday 30th May . Situated just 35 miles from Salt Lake City in Utah and 1,340 metres in altitude, MMP is set amidst a picturesque backdrop offering unique sightlines for spectators.

The track was originally conceived by Larry H. Miller as a personal playground and novelty track but due to the popularity of motorcycles in the area it soon developed into a project which would become renowned as the finest facility of its type in North American, hosting the most significant production model racing series in the World. The track first opened in 2006 and welcomed the World Superbikes in June 2008. As a contrast to the historic circuit in Monza, MMP is a new, modern road layout with four separate internal courses but it is equally challenging and technically demanding. The World Superbike Championship is held on the 3.06 mile outer course, one of the fastest track layouts in North America. The circuit is practically flat, incorporating several significant elevation changes adding character and challenge.
The Yamaha YZF R1 has not disappointed on the American track in previous years. 2009 saw Ben Spies take a double win on the road to the championship title and in 2010 Cal Crutchlow also gained a place on the podium.

Eugene Laverty jumped up the classification to fifth place after his sensational double victory in Monza. Further motivated by his recent winning streak, Laverty goes West with intention of closing the gap and continuing to prove to be a strong contender for a top position in the 2011 championship.

Eugene Laverty said “I am really looking forward to the weekend at Miller Motorsports Park especially after my double win in Monza. It’s probably one of the tracks where I have performed best in the past so it should be an ideal place to pick up where I left off in the last race, just less than 3 weeks ago! I have always been immediately quite fast in Miller on the supersport bike and hopefully I will be again this year on my R1. The bike is working very well, so I’m feeling pretty confident that I can have a good weekend.”

Racing has been abandoned at the North West 200 as a result of an oil spill from a bike, with just one race being completed. After attempts to clean the course and examination by race officials it was decided that the road was still in too hazardous a condition.

A statement from race organisers said that stewards had “no alternative” but to stop racing. The race was earlier affected by bad weather and a hoax security alert.

North West 200 technical director Mervyn Whyte said the decision was “obviously extremely disappointing for everyone”.
“Unfortunately the fact is that the oil spill was just too extensive to clean up to ensure an optimum level of safety for the riders,” he said.
“Despite repeated efforts by the clean-up team the affected stretch of road was just still in too dangerous a condition to continue racing.” Mr Whyte said the organisers “looked forward” to running a full programme next year.

The Laverty brothers were set to go in their leathers when they were informed that they were not going to get a lap. Eugene said, “I’d really been looking forward to completing a lap of the North West 200 circuit alongside my brothers but unfortunately it didn’t happen. The organisers did everything they could but their luck was out on Saturday with torrential weather followed by an oil spill which brought a halt to the event after just one race. I know that the NW200 will be back as strong as ever in 2012, I only hope that my racing calendar doesn’t clash with the event so that I can come back again next year!”

“It may be a bold statement but I feel that we’re now ready to fight for the win at Monza.” That’s what I said at the end of my last blog entry but even I wasn’t expecting to win BOTH races! It all started on Thursday night before we’d even turned a wheel…

I woke up on Friday morning absolutely devastated as I’d had the greatest dream. I’m not a creative thinker at all; in fact I’m quite the opposite and so my dreams often feel incredibly real. On Thursday night I dreamt that I’d achieved the double at Monza and as I was riding back to the pits on my in-lap of race two trying to take it all in, I woke up. I’d went through all the emotions in that dream so when I woke up and realised I was lying in bed in my motorhome I felt dejected. However, it would only be a few more sleeps before that dream became a reality!

All weekend we worked on our race pace so I’m not sure that the rest of the guys knew we were so strong until Superpole. We qualified 2nd but later we were dealt a major blow when Pirelli removed our preferred race tyre from the allocation on safety grounds. The last time we’d used the other option rear tyre was during the opening free practice session on Friday and a lot had changed since then! Thankfully Sunday morning warm-up was dry so we had a chance to try the other rear tyre again rather than going into the race blind. The bike felt really good so we were able to breath a huge sigh of relief.

I made an average start in race one and found myself in 4th position at turn one. Max was up ahead in 2nd so I knew I needed to get to the front quickly to stop him from getting away. I took the lead at the start of lap two and rode like the wind, re-passing Max every time he so much as showed me a wheel. After a while he began to make some mistakes which played into my hands but made my race incredibly tough. Max had a big straight-line speed advantage so he was able to close on me with relative ease but I managed to stay away and take my debut victory. I’d rode every lap like it was the last and it sure felt like it at the end of the race!

Race two got off to a lousy start as I got caught up in the turn one incident. I was almost forced to a standstill as I negotiated my way through the carnage and at the end of lap one I was down in 9th place. Around mid-distance I made a big error and overshot the second chicane which lost me a few places. At that point I told myself to settle for whatever points were coming my way otherwise I was going to end up in the gravel trap with a big fat ‘zero’ next to my name at the end of the race. Tentatively I began to work my way through the field again and before I knew it I was fighting with my teammate Marco for the race win! Max had it in the bag but he seemed to suffer a lapse in concentration and was penalised with a ride-through penalty. It felt like all my Christmases had come at once! I soon realised that winning the race wasn’t going to be an easy task though. I was quite a bit down on straight-line speed compared to Marco in race two so if I was going to win I would need to pass him at the last corner. I tucked in behind Marco on the exit of Ascari to get the slipstream which kept me close enough to attempt an overtake at Parabolica. Marco braked incredibly late but he missed his apex which allowed me to turn tight inside him and power my way to a double victory! It was great for the team to get a one-two finish at their home round and with the workshop only a stone’s throw away from the circuit everyone was there to celebrate with us.

As I rode round on the in-lap it felt incredibly surreal as at this point I’d forgotten about my dream. I had the ultimate feeling of deja-vu and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I remembered about the dream the next day. Don’t worry, if I dream about winning the lottery I’ll be sure to tell you the winning numbers! It was incredible weekend and one that I’ll remember vividly for a long time to come. Normally I don’t write an entire blog about a race weekend but this time I made an exception. I hope you enjoyed my account of how it all unfolded.

Catch you soon,

Eugene

World and British Superbike stars Eugene, Michael and John Laverty will take a break from the professional race scene and guest lap at the Relentless International North West 200 on May 21st as organisers Coleraine & District Motor Club’s aim to create a bumper Race Day programme for fans and visitors to the North Coast region. This is a first for both the Laverty brothers and the NW200 and the trio from Toomebridge will ride in unison round the 8.9 mile circuit on board BMW and Yamaha machines in between races.

“We’re delighted that the boys took up our offer to undertake a parade lap and add a little cutting edge glamour to the North West this year. Their father Mickey Laverty competed in the NW200 during the 1970s and it’s wonderful that Mickey and his wife Sheelagh will be on hand to watch Eugene, John and Michael demonstrate their skills and technical ability round our circuit.” said Mervyn Whyte MBE, technical director.

Eugene recently scored an amazing double 1st victory on the Yamaha YZF-R1 at the World Superbike race at Monza gaining him 85 points in the championship standings and fifth place overall. Following recent testing in Aragon, Spain, Eugene will be heading off to Salt Lake City, USA for the next round at Miller Motorsports Park on 30th May.

Eugene’s older brother Michael and John are currently going head to head in the MCE Insurance British Superbikes Championship with John recovering from a finger injury but was able to compete at Croft for his team, Buildbase BMW Motorrad taking his first points of the season with 13th position. Riding this year for the Swan Yamaha team, oldest sibling Michael is currently lying 11th in the MCE BSB standings with 35 points following a difficult week-end at Croft.

Whilst the Laverty brothers represent high tech modern day machinery and racing techniques, event organisers are also harking back to the golden age of Irish road racing with parade laps by the Dromara Destroyers Ray McCullough, Brian Reid and Trevor Steele whose fame rivalled the Armoy Armada during the 1960’s and 70’s. Also participating in special VIP laps courtesy of the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club (Northern Counties section) are former world champions ‘Fast’ Freddie Spencer, Ralph Bryans and Jim Redman.

Jim Redman MBE clinched 6 world championships in just four years (1962 to 1965) and became the first rider to win three Grand Prix’s during one day. Jim also had a hat-trick of doubles at the I.O.M TT clinching both the 250cc and the 350cc races in 1963, 64 and 1965. Ireland’s most successful GP rider and only Grand Prix world champion Ralph Bryans, originally from Belfast but now living in Scotland, made his NW200 debut in 1962 and chalked up three wins, a second and a third at the North West between 1962 and 1970. Bryans was a member of the famous Works Honda Team alongside Jim Redman, Luigi Tavari and Mike Hailwood who between them took all five Manufacturer’s world titles in 1966.

Nicknamed ‘Fast Freddie’ Spencer gave Honda their first GP championship title on a 500cc two stroke machine becoming the youngest rider to with this class. Regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle competitors of the early 1980’s he was installed as an FIM Grand Prix Legend in 2001. During an illustrious Grand Prix career Spence chalked up 27 wins and a total of 39 podium positions.

Star legends Spencer, Bryans and Redman will be on hand in the Relentless North West 200 Paddock area on Friday May 20th during the afternoon as well as on Race Day to give fans and visitors the chance to get autographs and meet the stars. The V.J.M.C. will also host a special Chat Show in the evening of 20th May in the Magherabuoy House Hotel when the legends will look back on their racing careers and a range of Yamaha and Honda bikes will be on display similar to those used by Bryans and Redman in the 1960s.

Dromara Destroyer member Ray McCullough was renowned for his neat yet very quick style and technique and during three decades won trophies at every Irish circuit. Apart from occasional outings at Oulton Park in Cheshire and his annual trip to the Isle of Man Southern 100 each July Ray McCullough restricted his racing to Ireland. Backed by Mick Mooney’s Irish Racing Motorcycles for most of his career McCullough mostly competed on Yamaha machinery. Ray picked up 7 podium places at the North West 200 during the 60’s and 70’s including three firsts, one second and three third positions.

Fellow ‘Destroyer’ Brian Reid first raced in 1976 at St Angelo, Enniskillen and competed in Ireland and throughout the world throughout the 1970s, 80s and early 90’s. A former double world champion in the mid-80’s Brian won a North West 600cc trophy in 1989 and also has 5 TT and 9 Ulster GP wins under his belt. Reid also chalked up 68 Irish National Road Race wins from 1979 until 1989, 9 Irish Short Circuit Championship firsts and 4 Isle of Man National Road Race trophy wins.
Completing the Dromara trio is Trevor Steele picked up top trophies at the Mid-Antrim in the 250cc and 350cc classes, at the Ulster Grand Prix (350cc) and a 350cc win at the Southern 100.

For up to date details on all VIP parade laps and other Relentless NW200 information visit www.northwest200.org