Carl Phillips extends Ulster Superbike title lead with victory in red-flagged opening race at Bishopscourt after Korie McGreevy crashes out
Carl Phillips extended his lead in the Ulster Superbike Championship with a third win in a row after the reigning champion sealed victory in Saturday’s red-flagged opening race at Bishopscourt in Co Down.
The race was restarted over nine laps after McAdoo Racing Kawasaki’s Korie McGreevy crashed at the last corner on the third lap.
McGreevy, who started the third lap in third place behind Phillps and Jonny Campbell, was able to walk back to the paddock after the incident.
Phillips picked up where he left off in the restarted race and quickly hit the front on the Bell Bikesport/B&W Racing BMW.
However, the Lisburn man – a double winner at the season-opener on Easter Monday at Kirkistown – signalled for the race to be stopped as he crossed the line on the third lap, with spots of rain beginning to fall.
Campbell (155 Racing BMW) slashed the deficit to 0.370s before Phillips opened a slight advantage once more.
The two-time USBK champion was 1.1s ahead of Campbell after five laps, with Jamie Lyons riding well in third on the JLR Ability Energy Ltd Honda.
Campbell began to close again and the deficit was down to 0.428s after the seventh lap, but Phillips was able to up the pace and eventually won by 1.110s after nine laps from Campbell.
Phillips set a personal best lap of Bishopscourt in 1m 06.570s (98.639mph). The defending champion broke the outright lap record at Kirkistown over Easter, which was set in 2022 by Alastair Seeley.
Rossi Irwin (Magic Bullet Honda) was 13 seconds back in third as he narrowly held off Sam Laffins (Honda), while Mike Browne (BPE by Russell Racing Honda) and Ryan Gibson (Gibson Motors/Firewood Supplies BMW) rounded out the top six.
Lyons retired from the race after challenging for a podium position.
Derek Sheils, riding his new Cosmic Racing BMW, was seventh ahead of Richard Cooper on the BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha R9.
Luke Jones finished ninth on the SBT Racing Ducati ahead of Jackson Racing rider Paul Jordan (Honda).
Mark Conlin (SBT Racing Ducati) and Aaron Spence (Sebden Steel/Spence Engineering Honda) were among the retirements.
The Temple Motorcycle Club’s meeting is the second round of the championship.