With the opening four events in the rear view mirror and with each competitor having dropped their lowest scoring weekend from the first four, the stage is set for the championship climax. All riders will have to count all of their points from the last six rounds of the season, leaving no room for error. Adding to the pressure will be the addition of the MCI Southern Star awards, a separate championship, which will run over the final two race weekends of the season, allowing riders who have not raced so far this season or are not in contention for the main Masters awards, the opportunity to still compete for championship glory.
Heading into the Shoot-Out the Superbike class can still be won by four riders, Offaly’s Kevin Keyes, Waterford man Brian McCormack, Emmet O’Grady from Kerry and Cavan’s Alan Kenny. Keyes, on the Daracore Racing Yamaha R1, leads the way from McCormack’s BMW, with the Honda of O’Grady next up and Alan Kenny on his Yamaha in fourth. The concurrent Superbike ‘Cup’ class is effectively down to three riders, with Dubliner Declan Madden leading from Wexford’s Ronan Waters and Seanie Smith from Cavan.
In Supersport Keyes is also in contention but this time he is the one doing the chasing. Emmet O’Grady currently leads the way from Tipperary youngster and AKR Racing Honda team mate Oisin Maher. The top three have shared the race wins at the last two events but it is O’Grady’s consistency that has given him the top spot, as he has finished first or second in each of the last nine races. Sitting fourth in the overall standings and also first in the Supersport Cup, is Meath youngster Jack Whearty. Whearty on the DM Groundworks Yamaha leads main rival Brandon Kavanagh of Wexford by a scant nine points, while Michael Gillan and Gary Reilly are next up, more than sixty points off the lead and with only a mathematical chance of championship victory.
Oisin Maher leads the Megabikes Supertwin category, having dominated the results all season by taking ten wins from twelve races on his Aprilia. Such is Oisin’s dominance that the VTL TAG Racing rider only needs to repeat his dominance for two more of the remaining six races to secure his first ever Championship win. The battle for second in the standings should go right down to the wire, with Dublin’s Kelan Smith and Derry man Sean Brolly set to fight it out for the runner-up spot. Smith currently leads Brolly by twenty points and will have to fight hard to retain his position if Brolly can get back to the early season form that saw him take six podiums from the first six rounds.The Production class has been a season long battle between Mark McGauran and Jeff Quilter. Cork teenager Quilter has won five times, to his Dublin rivals’ four, but McGauran still holds a six point advantage as the shoot-out begins.
In the DM Groundworks Junior categories, Junior Supersport leader Reuben Sherman Boyd looks set to take his second Masters Championship in two seasons as he currently leads Alanna Maher by sixty points. In the Moto1 class Fionn O’Connell just needs to finish the remaining races to take the title from Max Wherity.
In the remaining support classes Pre-Injection has produced a titanic season long battle between former champions Ian Prendergast and Darryl Sharkey, with Sharkey currently holding sway. In Classic Superbikes Michael Prendergast leads from father and son duo Noel and Liam Dunner. Teenager Brian O’Malley can grab the Moto 400 championship advantage at the next event, as championship leader Andrew Murphy will not be present, but he will still have his work cut out to beat Moto 400 veteran and former champion Damien Horgan. The sidecar battle is too close to call as Darren O’Dwyer and Mark Gash lead Mark Codd and Eamonn Mulholland by just five points.
The DM Groundworks, Sorcon and Motorland supported Young Guns championship, for riders aged twenty years old and younger, will also be decided over the August and September events. The unique championship allows young racers from different categories to compete against each other for a total prize fund of €4,500. Moto 400 racer Brian O’Malley currently leads from Jeff Quilter and Reuben Sherman Boyd and these three youngsters look certain to share the cash prizes at the end of the season.
To be there for the penultimate Principal Insurance Masters Superbike event of the year get your tickets in advance at reduced prices from www.masterssuperbike.ie.
