Thursday January 29, 2009 at 12:00am
The team to represent Northern Ireland in the inaugural ‘MotoSix, Six Nations Road Race Championship’, at Donington Park on Saturday/Sunday, March 28/29, has been announced by team manager Ivan Davidson.
Donington Park has joined forces with the governing body of motorcycle sport in England and Wales, the Auto Cycle Union (ACU), to host the MotoSix challenge, which will feature solo and sidecar teams representing Northern Ireland, England, Irish Republic, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales.
Each nation will select six Superbike and six Supersport riders, plus four sidecar crews, and the Ulster team is:
Superbike: Alastair Seeley, Michael Pearson, Marshall Neill, Denver Robb, Gerard Kinghan and Mark Johnston.
Supersport: Kirk Jamison, Marty Nutt, Alastair Kirk, Lee Johnston, Nikki Coates and Gary Jeffers.
Sidecar: Alex Johnston/Kyle Young, Scobie Killough/Paddy Marley, John Clarke/Stuart Graham and George Kennedy/Colin Smyth.
Racing will be staged over the Donington grand prix circuit and qualifying and race positions will count towards the team scores.
During qualifying on the Saturday, the team with the lowest aggregate qualifying time, taken from the combined times of the six team riders, will get first choice of grid positions, the second team getting second choice, etc, until the grid is complete.
During Sunday’s two races, penalty points will be awarded for race positions: one point for a win, two for second, three for third, down to 36 points for the last finisher, and the MotoSix crown will go to the team with the lowest points.
Team representatives will be easily identifiable, as they will wear tabard style tops in their national colours.
Ulster team manager Ivan Davidson commented: “The MCUI Ulster Centre are delighted to be afforded an opportunity to participate in such an event, which provides a valuable chance for our talented team to display their skills on a major stage in a prestigious event.
“We are confident our team will be a force to reckon with, littered with Irish champions, a British champion, a North West 200 winner and riders who have vast experience of racing at home and at British Championship level. We are sure we can be a match for any of the other nations.”
Robert Fearnell, Operations Director at Donington Park, enthused: “This event will be a real festival of motorcycle racing. We plan to make MotoSix not only about the sport, but also the spirit of the sport, harnessing the massive enthusiasm and passion that makes motorcycle sport special. We are sure this will be an event to remember.”
ACU Road Race Committee chairperson Jim Parker is equally enthusiastic. He said: “This is a very important event for British road racing in every sense. It is the first time that we have worked with our friends in Wales, Scotland and Ireland to put on an event like this — an event, I hope, that will have a long and successful future.”
He continued: “I believe that MotoSix will offer spectators something different to the normal road racing experience, with the chance to cheer for their country and national team.”
There will be a full schedule of support races, including the ACU Suzuki GSX-R Trophy and the ACU 250GP National Championship, and the ACU also plan to run a one-off Women’s British Championship race.
Proposals for MotoSix also include television coverage, with a programme planned to cover both days of the event, including rider and team interviews, together with full race coverage.
Billy Nutt of nuttravel.com is intending to run a coach trip to the MotoSix meeting and anyone requiring further information should contact him.
Who’s who?
Superbike riders: Michael Pearson: The 2007 Irish Superbike champion will be keen to show he is still a formidable force on the circuits. Riding a Yamaha R1 for Carryduff Forklifts, the Ballygowan man has an insatiable desire to win.
Alastair Seeley: Former Irish Superbike and Irish Supersport champion, NW200 Superstock victor last year and a podium finisher in last year’s British National Superstock Championship, the Carrickfergus man will be riding a Yamaha R1 in JMF Millsport livery and is no stranger to Donington Park.
Marshall Neill: Former British 250 Aprilia champion and former double British Powerbike champion, Neill is a British Superstock Championship front-runner and winner, with plenty of knowledge of the Leicestershire circuit and highly respected by his peers and rivals. The Portadown man will be aboard his Honda Fireblade CBR1000RR.
Denver Robb: The Ballymena man finished runner-up in last season’s Irish Superbike Championship and is a former Irish 250cc champion, who also has experience of Donington Park in his days as a British Superstock Championship runner. Denver will be aboard the Mar-Train Suzuki GSX-R1000 and having lost out to Brian McCormack for the ISB crown in the final race of last year’s series, will be one of the favourites to take the title this year.
Gerard Kinghan: Gerard, from Ballymoney, was also in contention for the 2008 ISB title and his consistent riding will be invaluable to the Ulster team. Gerard has switched teams this year and will be in Kingsbury Racing livery this season.
Mark Johnston: Impressive performances last year have earned Mark his place in the Ulster team. Riding out-dated machinery, the Coleraine man battled for ISB wins throughout last season and with a new Honda Fireblade at his disposal this year, he is expected to continue to impress.
Supersport riders:
Kirk Jamison: The Newtownards man will be aboard the Jim Angus Contracts Yamaha R6 he acquired for last season’s Irish Supersport Championship, in which he scored two wins and finished third overall. Kirk also placed sixth in last year’s ISB series and will again be launching a two-pronged attack on this year’s Irish Championships, in which he is sure to be a front-runner in both classes.
Marty Nutt: The Castlerock man is a former Irish Superbike and Supersport champion and has been a British Championship regular for some years, having switched last year to the British Supersport series from the British Superbike Cup. He will again campaign a nuttravel.com/T&G Yamaha R6 in this year’s British Supersport Championship.
Alastair Kirk: Alastair claimed the Irish Supersport Championship title for Tim Martin’s Mar-Train Racing in 2008 and will defend the crown this year, when the 20 year old will also compete in the Irish Superbike Championship. Last year he had the distinction of becoming the first rider to win the Irish Supersport Championship and Supersport Cup in the same season.
Lee Johnston: Inaugural recipient of the Davy Wood Foundation trophy, the young Fermanagh man won last year’s British Superstock 600 Championship and moves up to the British Supersport series this season with the vastly competitive Raceways Yamaha team. ‘General Lee’ is definitely one to watch.
Nikki Coates: After performing creditably in the British 125cc Championship, Nikki switched to the British Superstock 600 Championship last year and impressed to such an extent that he joins Lee Johnston in the Raceways team for this year’s British Superstock 600 series, aiming to emulate Johnston’s success of last year.
Gary Jeffers: Former Irish 125cc Clubmans’ champion, Gary was a front-runner in the Irish Supersport Championship last year. The youngster in the team, he brings a blend of enthusiasm and desire to continue to improve and succeed.
Sidecar crews:
Alex Johnston/Kyle Young: The Newtownards crew was perhaps the surprise package of last year’s Irish Sidecar Championship, which they won in fine style.
Scobie Killough/Paddy Marley: Scobie (Seamus) Killough is one of the best known sidecar drivers in Ireland, and a face familiar to solo competitors as well. Together with Paddy Marley, the pair comprise a formidable team.
John Clarke/Stuart Graham: Clarke and Graham are capable of beating anyone on their day and are perhaps the most experienced crew in the Ulster team, having competed far and wide.
George Kennedy/Colin Smyth: George and Colin were somewhat conspicuous by their absence last season, nevertheless, the Newtownards pair are said to be ‘up for it’ this term.
For further information contact:
Ulster team manager: Ivan Davidson on 02891 815918 or ivan@ivandavidson.wanadoo.co.uk
Auto Cycle Union: www.acu.org.uk
Donington Park: www.donington-park.co.uk