Ulster Superbike champion Carl Phillips receives Jonathan Rea Perpetrual Trophy at MCUI awards after stellar comeback in 2025

The Lisburn man received the accolade in recognition of his performances in 2025, with Phillips clinching the USBK title for the second time on his return to the series after a two-year absence.

Phillips also won the prestigious Sunflower Trophy race on the SBT Racing Kawasaki for the first time in October at Bishopscourt in Co Down following a thrilling last-lap battle with Eugene McManus, who has earned a shot in the British Superbike Championship this season with Hawk Racing on to ride the MasterMac Honda.

This year, Phillips will ride for the Lion Heart Moto Racing Team on a BMW, when he will return to British championship racing in the National Superstock 1000 class.

The former Gearlink Kawasaki BSB rider will also defend his Ulster Superbike title with Dwayne McCracken’s team in 2026.

“It’s what set out to do this year, to win the title, and especially for Alun [Gorman] of SBT Ireland, who was sponsoring the championship and I’m riding his bike,” Phillips said of his USBK title success.

“I got the opportunity through Alun to come back this year and to be honest, I think I’ve surprised people with how quick I was.

“I’ve went faster at every track and I’m riding better than I ever had, so we set out to win it and I knew we could always do, and I knew we weren’t going to be slow.”

Phillips is also set to return to the North West 200 in May after admitting he craved “one final shot” on a competitive package at Northern Ireland’s top road race.

He made his debut around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course in 2019 and finished eighth in the opening Supertwin race on a Paton for Ian Lougher’s ILR team.

The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but in his second outing at the event in 2022, Phillips clinched seventh place in the first Superstock race on the SBR Suzuki ahead of Ian Hutchinson, who was riding the Milwaukee BMW.

“Yes, I’m going back to the North West and on the BMW, which will be very good,” he said. “That was one of the key points for next year, that I wanted to go back to the North West, and I feel like we’re going with a good bike.

“It’s a bike we’ll be riding all year, so we’ll be strong going there and I do have a Ducati as well for the Supersport races, so I’m looking forward to that.

“I wanted another shot at it on a decent bike to go back and give it one more go,

“I’m looking forward to going to the North West and it’s a good opportunity. We had a good year and obviously it’s been rewarded, so I’ll grab the chance with both hands.”

Phillips also collected his cheque for £5,000 on Saturday night at the La Mon House Hotel for winning the Ulster Superbike title.

A total prize fund of £12,000 for the Ulster Superbike Championship last year was provided by Phillips’ race sponsor Alun Gorman of SBT Ireland, who became the first title sponsor of the series since 2019.