'I've been dreaming about this' - Sunflower Trophy winner Carl Phillips hails victory in prestigious end-of-season race at Bishopscourt
Carl Phillips said he was in dreamland after winning the showpiece Sunflower Trophy race at Bishopscourt in Co Down on Saturday.
The Lisburn man made his move on the last lap at the final corner to beat Eugene McManus in a grandstand finish, ensuring his name was etched onto the famous old silverware for the first time.
Phillips joins illustrious names including Joey Dunlop, Steve Hislop, Ron Haslam and six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea who have won the trophy in the past.
The Lisburn man was ecstatic after finishing the year with a prized success in the prestigious race on the SBT Ireland Kawasaki, complementing his Ulster Superbike title success.
“It’s unreal and that’s what I work for,” said Phillips, who won the Ulster Superbike Championship for the second time at the penultimate round at the end of September.
“I crashed this morning and the boys just worked so hard and built that bike back up to get out.
“The delay and restart helped us and we made a few more adjustments.
“I’ve been dreaming about this and when you look at it, there’s some big names on this trophy and today I said, ‘I would love to win that one’.
“Yesterday I smoked it and I thought I could do the same today, but Eugene came with me,” he added.
“Once he came past, I sat behind him and fair play, he covered all his lines but I think a bit of experience today maybe got me that one.”
Phillips made his racing return in 2025 after last racing competitively at the Sunflower in 2022, but he needed little time to establish himself as a major contender.
He previously won the Ulster Superbike crown in 2019 and his decision to make his comeback this year has been fully vindicated.
“A lot of people don’t know, but that bike of mine is a 2016 ZX10 and it’s probably about 40bhp less than what he [Eugene McManus] is riding,” Phillips said.
“He was pulling out of the corners and made about six bike lengths on me on the straight, but as soon as we got up the back bit, I was straight back on him.
“He just went too tight into the right and I cut back, and went around the outside of him.”