Derek Sheils puts down Superbike marker at Armoy Road Races
Derek Sheils maintained his fine form of late as he secured pole position in the Superbike class on the Roadhouse Macau BMW for Saturday’s Open and feature ‘Race of Legends’ at Armoy.
Sheils and fellow southern Irishman Michael Sweeney had clear track ahead of them as they led the Open A practice session away.
On the fourth of five qualifying laps, Sheils clocked the best time of the day in 1m 44.143s (103.98mph) to clinch pole from Sweeney (MJR BMW) by only 0.074s.
Mike Browne impressed as he claimed third on the grid on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Suzuki, with Derek McGee fourth on the CITP Kawasaki, 1.4s down on Sheils.
Michael Dunlop who has won the ‘Race of Legends’ at Armoy eight times in a row, was fifth fastest on the SYNETIQ BMW. The Ballymoney rider was last away in the session on the new M1000RR Superbike but Dunlop didn’t quite manage a clear run after catching slower riders.
England’s Davey Todd was sixth fastest on the Wilson Craig Racing Honda Fireblade, with Adam McLean (McAdoo Kawasaki) in seventh.
Paul Jordan, who was a faller in the earlier Supersport session, was eighth on the second of John Burrows’ Suzuki machines.