Carl Phillips 'loving being back' and aiming to extend lead in Ulster Superbike Championship at Kirkistown
Carl Phillips has a new lease of life in the SBT Ireland Ulster Superbike Championship after returning to the sport following a two-year break.
The Lisburn man won the title for the first time in 2019 and is the current championship leader following a double at Kirkistown in Co Down two weeks ago on the J McC Racing Kawasaki.
Phillips holds an advantage of 13 points over injured McAdoo Racing Kawasaki contender Korie McGreevy, who was ruled out of the last round following a crash in qualifying.
Reigning champion Jonny Campbell is a further 36 points adrift in third in the standings after the first four rounds, but he appears to have made a step forward with the 155 Racing BMW after a challenging start with his new machine.
Campbell twice finished as the runner-up behind Phillips in the previous round and only missed out on his first victory on the BMW by 0.197s in the second race.
He will be looking to take the fight to the championship pacesetter on Saturday, but Phillips is feeling confident of sustaining his challenge for a second Ulster Superbike crown.
“It’s going well and I’m riding better than I ever have to be fair, and that was the fastest I’d ever lapped around there [at Kirkistown],” said Phillips, reflecting on his double at round four.
“It was only by one thousandth of a second but I done three 55.2s in the last race to win it.
“It was dry for the second race but it was still cold and miserable after a wet first race.
“We’re down on power compared to the BMWs but I’m riding well, probably better than I ever have, and it was a good race the last time.
“I was just struggling out of the turns to keep up with the BMW but it was a good race with Jonny (Campbell), but the bike’s mint,” he added.
“Jonny led the (second) race until the last corner and I nabbed him, it was just experience more than anything.
“I’m just loving being back and after being away I’m more mature, and everything’s in the right place.”
There is a question mark over Ballynahinch man McGreevy’s fitness going into the fifth round after his tumble in qualifying two weeks ago, but the line-up includes Ryan Gibson (Gibson Motors BMW), Ross Irwin (Magic Bullet Honda), Dean McMaster (Air NI Kawasaki) and Aaron Spence (Sebden Steel/Spence Engineering Honda).
Graeme Irwin did the double in the Supersport races at Kirkistown a fortnight ago on the Magic Bullet Ducati and will be targeting a repeat.
He holds a slender lead over 2024 champion McGreevy, with Christian Elkin (DynocentreNI Yamaha) in third.
Belfast’s Mark Conlin (Moto Market NRG Ducati) is another leading contender in the Supersport class this weekend.
In the Supertwin class Caolan Irwin won both races at the previous round and is the championship leader on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Aprilia by 58 points from Kevin Lavery (LMLR Kawasaki).
Elkin is only six points behind Lavery in third in the standings on his RB Engineering Kawasaki.
Round five of the championship is jointly promoted by the Hillsborough and Mid Antrim clubs.
Admission to the event is £15, with under 16s free.