Friday January 30, 2015 at 1:16pm
The winner of the 2014 Duke Road Race Rankings received his award at the annual Auto 66 Dinner & Prize Presentation earlier this month.
Yorkshire's James Cowton, who is widely seen as a rising star of the road racing scene, is the first English rider to win the prestigious award.
Twenty-two year old James had a superb 2014 season, taking a total of six race victories during the year, including his first international race win at the Ulster Grand Prix on the Dundrod course.
Consistency was the key to his Road Race Rankings wins – on top of his race victories he placed second or third in 22 of the 45 races he finished, indeed only three finishes saw him out of the top six.
James received the coveted Geoff Duke Trophy and replica from “The Duke's” son Peter, Managing Director of Duke Marketing, who was instrumental in setting up what is now considered to be an accurate barometer of the most successful riders of dedicated real road racers.
The inaugural winner in 2002, was Northern Ireland based Welshman Ian Lougher who went on to collect the award again in 2005 and 2006. Manxman Conor Cummins took the honour in 2007 and last year's winner was Ballymoney's Michael Dunlop.
Fellow Northern Ireland rider Ryan Farquhar first won the Duke Rankings in 2003, retaining the title in 2004, missing out until 2008, he then had a secure hold on the series (and the trophy) each year up to and including 2012 - five consecutive years, making seven times in all!
The top six riders in 2014 were all front runners at the TT and are expected to be in the leading pack once more this year:
1st James Cowton 1858 points
2nd Ivan Lintin 1817
3rd Dean Harrison 1799
4th Michael Dunlop 1591
5th Dan Kneen 1408
6th Guy Martin 1372
Peter Duke commented: 'Another thrilling season with 479 point-scoring riders underlines the increasing popularity of real roads racing and I am extremely proud that the Duke Series plays its part in the sport. 'It's often thought Irish riders dominate road racing, but this year's results showcase the talent and enthusiasm for 'closed roads' in the rest of the British Isles. Long may it continue!'