The traditional Easter short circuit races at Bishopscourt in Co Down will have a new title in 2027 after the famous old Enkalon Trophy was retired from competition after this month’s 50th anniversary meeting.

Lisburn’s Carl Phillips, who has since wrapped up back-to-back Ulster Superbike Championships, has the honour of being the last winner of the prestigious silverware, which was first awarded to Ulster road racing legend Ray McCullough at Aghadowey in 1975.

The Enkalon Trophy has been the headline race at the annual Easter Saturday round at Bishopscourt over the years, but the Motor Cycle Road Racing Club of Ireland’s [MCRRCI] event was postponed to September 12 this year because of a yellow weather warning for strong winds in April.

The MCRRCI also ran the two-day David Wood Trophy meeting a week after the Enkalon races during a busy September for the Ulster Superbike Championship, which also included the final round of the Belfast and District Club’s ‘Big 3 Series’ at Kirkistown.

placeholder image — Carl Phillips will go down as the last winner of the Enkalon Trophy after claiming the silverware for the second time in his career at the 50th anniversary meeting. (Photo by Rod Neill/Pacemaker Press)

“We’re pleased with how both events went and to finally have them over and done and dusted,” said the MCRRCI’s Mark Sanlon.

“We didn’t realise we would end up with three back-to-back events [in September] and at the time we were just trying to get the Enkalon Trophy rescheduled, and it was the only available date on the calendar.

“We wanted to run the 50th Enkalon Trophy, we didn’t want to just let it go. We achieved it and to be fair, the event was well supported by the riders and they put a fantastic show on as usual.

“We’re going to retire the trophy from competition and we have an idea for it, but we’ll need to discuss it at club level.

“I think the 50th anniversary is a good time to call it a day and the Enkalon Club members are few and far between now, but we don’t want to keep dragging it on and on and it’s better to stop it on a number that’s significant.

“That’s the last Enkalon Trophy race so for the Easter meeting, we will maybe utilise the Norman Brown Trophy, which we ran in June, and promote that more,” he added.

“We will look to resurrect that and try and run it every year, so we’ll do our best to get that up and running and bring it back to Bishopscourt: Jim O’Brien [circuit owner] was Norman’s friend and he was keen to see it at Bishopscourt.

“So those two things coinciding will help us move it forward.”

Past winners of the Enkalon Trophy include Sam McClements, Johnny Rea, Alan Irwin, Gary Cowan, Robert Dunlop, Phillip McCallen, Rodney McCurdy, Michael Swann, Adrian Archibald, Derek Sheils, Michael Laverty, Cameron Donald, Keith Amor, Dan Kneen, and Korie McGreevy, while Alastair Seeley won the silverware a record four times.