Carl Phillips extends Ulster Superbike title advantage after 10th victory of season at Kirkistown
Carl Phillips clinched his 10th Ulster Superbike success of the season to extend his championship lead at Kirkistown in Co Down on Saturday.
Reigning champion Phillips, who qualified on pole on the Bell Bikesport/B&W Racing BMW, won the opening King of Kirkistown Superbike race at the Belfast and District Club’s Big3Series finale by 2.79s from chief title challenger Jonny Campbell (155 Racing BMW).
Phillips leads the standings by 27 points from Campbell ahead of Saturday’s second race at Kirkistown.
The championship leader is back in Ulster Superbike action after competing in the National Superstock 1000 rounds at Oulton Park and Thruxton in August, with Phillips showing his pedigree with an excellent seventh place at Thruxton after leading the race in the early stages.
Ryan Gibson finished 0.9s back on Campbell in third to complete the top three on his Gibson Motors/Firewood Supplies BMW.
Mark Hewitt was on his own in fourth on his BMW, while Dean McMaster (Air NI Kawasaki) and Superbike Cup rider Johnny Allen (Kernohan Racing Yamaha) rounded out the top six.
Christian Elkin (Bell Bikesport/B&W Racing Ducati) held off Adam Brown (Yamaha) to seal victory in the Supersport opener, with Caolan Irwin only two tenths of a second adrift in third on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Suzuki.
Moto4 British Cup contender Jack Burrows was an impressive fourth on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Yamaha ahead of Alex Duncan (Ducati) and Ross Moore (Honda).
Dungannon teenager Burrows was making his race debut in the Ulster Supersport class and was the first Supersport Cup rider home.
Elkin (RB Engineering/Bell Bikesport/B&W Racing Aprilia) won the first Supertwin race by only two tenths of a second from Hayden Clinton (Yamaha), with Kyle Cross just over two seconds behind in third on the TH Racing Aprilia.
Hayden prevailed in the second Supertwin race to win by 2.723s from McMaster (Air NI Kawasaki) with Elkin a close third and Cross fourth. Elkin set a new lap record at 93.555mph (58.182s).
Lewis Mullen, who won his first race in the National Junior Sportbike Championship at Thruxton last month, claimed a double in the Production Twins races on his Yamaha R7.