Korie McGreevy 'reasonably happy' with victory and runner-up finish to take early Ulster Superbike Championship lead
Ulster Superbike Championship leader Korie McGreevy said he was “reasonably happy” with a victory and runner-up finish at the first round of the season at Bishopscourt in Co Down on Saturday.
McGreevy was pushed all the way by Richard Cooper (BPE by Russell Racing Yamaha R6) in the opening race, which he won by two tenths of a second on the McAdoo Racing Kawasaki.
In the second SBT Ireland Superbike race, the Ballynahinch man narrowly missed out on a double, finishing second by only 0.070s on the line as Cookstown’s Gary McCoy claimed his maiden USBK win on the Madbros BMW.
McGreevy, the reigning Ulster Supersport champion, also finished on the podium in both Supersport races, sealing the runner-up spot behind double winner Cooper.
“I’m reasonably happy, the Superbike was good and I feel I could have probably won the second race if it wasn’t a bit messy in the middle,” he said.
“But it was nice to get the fastest lap of the day and coming home with the (Sam McBride) cup as well, and I’m leading the championship.
“The 600 is a brand new bike for this year and it’s going to take a bit of time, but it will come good.
“I knew my limitations with it today and just let Richard do what he does. You have to remember this boy is an anomaly in the grand scale of things – you can put him on anything and he’s one of the best riders in the UK.
“There’s no arguing about that but I was happy enough, it was a good day and the team’s happy, and we’re home second,” McGreevy added.
“So it was an okay day with a win and three seconds.
“Richard’s not going to be there every weekend so I maximised what I could today.”
McGreevy was riding the McAdoo Kawasaki he used last season but expects to line up on a brand new Superbike-spec ZX-10RR for the Easter rounds at Bishopscourt and Kirkistown in a few weeks’ time.
“We’ll be out on the new bike at the Easter meetings and there was just a few delays with the new bike, so I was riding last year’s bike, which is basically a Superstock,” he said.
“But everything worked okay and I think it was good racing for the spectators.”
The opening meeting of the year was held in bright sunshine but a strong wind posed more than a few problems for the riders.
McGreevy said: “The wind was horrific and so many people got caught out by it with red flags and stuff.
“It was very hard to ride the Superbike in the wind and it was more challenging out of all the classes.
“It was very tricky on the big bike and that's when fitness and manhandling comes into the game, but the lap times were pretty quick considering the wind and that it was our first day out.”