FIERCE 2019 A year of Irish Classic Road Racing
Cookstown 100
Irish Classic Racing enjoyed another superb season throughout 2019 with all four championships fought over 10 rounds.
The action started in Cookstown up in Co. Tyrone at the end of April where 26 competitors, by far the largest grid of this year’s Cookstown 100 meeting, lined up for the Junior Classic race, setting the stage for an absolutely thrilling, seven-lap opening race around the ultra-tight 2.1-mile Orritor circuit.
Last year’s champion Barry Davidson took pole and was joined on the front row by his familiar nemesis Ed Manly, as well as Nigel Moore. When the flag went up the entire first group surged forward in a cacophony of exhaust screams and delicious fumes.
At the end of lap one Davidson had pulled a three-second gap over Manly and, slightly further back, Mark Johnston had muscled his 350 Honda half a bike length ahead of Moore, but with the chasing pack hot on their heels it was still anyone’s race.
Further down the field reigning 250cc champion Brian Mateer had a battle royal on his hands holding a very in-form Philip Shaw at bay. For the first few laps almost nothing separated the pair until they caught up with Ken Parks and Sam Kincead, who were fighting for fifth spot in the 350cc class. Mateer managed to duck under Parks, then a lap later he took Kincead and with clear space in front of him, he pressed on and caught and passed Anthony Ambler in a display of 250cc mastery that had the crowd on their feet.
It finished Davidson, Manly and Moore in
