Carl Phillips claims Superbike pole at Sunflower Trophy races as Eugene McManus impresses for BSB team Hawk Racing - newly crowned British champion Rhys Irwin tops Supersport times
Recently crowned Ulster Superbike champion Carl Phillips sealed pole at the end-of-season Sunflower Trophy races at Bishopscourt in Co Down on Friday.
On a cold day, Lisburn man Phillips lapped in 1m 06.637s on the SBT Ireland Kawasaki to clinch the top spot on the grid by 0.342s from McAdoo Racing Kawasaki’s Korie McGreevy.
Jonny Campbell, last year’s USBK champion, left it late to post the third fastest qualifying time on his 155 Racing BMW after pulling in to make some adjustments.
Campbell was 0.8s down on McGreevey, while Eugene McManus from Randalstown made an impressive competitive debut on the MasterMac Honda for the Hawk Racing Team, slotting into fourth on the time sheets, only 0.057s adrift of Campbell.
Donegal’s Rhys Irwin was the top Supersport rider on the Gearlink Bike Performance 15 Suzuki in fifth.
Irwin is fresh from winning the British Supersport title for the first time at Brands Hatch last weekend.
National Superstock 1000 rider Dan Brooks was sixth fastest on the MasterMac Honda ahead of USBK regulars Ross Irwin (Magic Bullet Honda) and Ryan Gibson (Firewood Supplies BMW).
In Supersport qualifying, Irwin claimed pole by 0.938s from McGreevy, with Phillips – having a rare outing in the Supersport class on the LionHeart Moto Racing Kawasaki, just over a tenth of a second back in third.
Christian Elkin was fourth fastest on the DynoCentre NI Yamaha ahead of Caolan Irwin on the Burrows/RK Racing Yamaha.
Belfast’s Mark Conlin, who leads the Supersport standings by only four points from McGreevy, was eighth on the Moto Market/NRG/Bell Bikesport Ducati.
Darryl Tweed is riding the KTS Racing by Stanley Stewart Triumph and the Ballymoney man, who won the IRRC Superbike title at Frohburg in September, was seventh fastest behind Taylor Moreton on the Parker Car Transport Yamaha.
Adam McLean set the pace in the Supertwin class for pole on the Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Yamaha by 0.9s from Elkin (RB Engineering Kawasaki), with Dean McMaster (Air NI Kawasaki) and Cameron Dawson (PHR Performance Triumph) the top four in qualifying.
British Talent Cup riders Jack Dunabie (RS Racing Honda) and Jack Burrows (Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Honda) were separated by only 0.029s in Moto3 qualifying, with Alexander Rowan 1.1s down in third on the Rowan Racing Honda.
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