William Dunlop smashes Ulster GP Supersport record

William Dunlop took his first-ever victory on a four-stroke machine in an international road race when he won Saturday’s second Ulster GP Supersport race.

Dunlop had already won the GP250 race earlier in the afternoon, beating brother Michael, but was a class apart in the second supersport, winning by over four seconds on a day where close finishes had been the order of the day.

Dunlop led initially but was pushed back to third on the second lap by Ian Lougher and Ryan Farquhar.

But Dunlop’s third lap on the CD Racing Yamaha of 127.588mph broke Ian Hutchinson’s new record of 126.962 – established in the first supersport race – and broke the tow. 

He got a tremendous cheer from the packed Joey Dunlop UGP Grandstand opposite the pits as he crossed the line – by far the biggest applause of the day.

He said: “I’ve got to thank all my boys. I blew my engine on Thursday and they’ve rebuilt the bike with our spare engine. Today’s race makes up for Thursday.

“I knew if I could break them I could probably hold it. The bike was awesome. I kept looking over my shoulder but no one was coming.

William’s two race wins put him in the limelight for the first time this year at a major road race.

He said: “Michael (his younger brother) turned it on for the TT (he won the second Supersport race there). It’s my turn this weekend.”

Dungannon’s Farquhar finished second in both Supersport races – and after having also won the Twins race on his little Kawasaki , as well as finishing second in the Superstock and sixth in the first Superbike – said: “I’m absolutely bollocksed now.

“It was so physical at Armoy last week and coming here – I was just hanging on. I’ve had a fantastic Ulster GP – probably my best ever.

“I take my hat off to William though. He rode the wheels off that thing and left my Bruce (Anstey) and Lougher to a good scrap.”

In the first Supersport Farquhar and Keith Amor clashed with the Scot crashing out at Turnagrough. He was thankfully unhurt but dazed enough to sit out the rest of the races.

Amor said he was squeezed wide and folded the front. Farquhar said: “Keith banged into me.”

Farquhar edged out Ian Hutchinson’s Padgetts Honda by a photo-finish thousandth of a second at the line with Williams Dunlop and Ian Lougher was right in their wheeltracks – 0.79s separating them.

Farquhar said: “In the final lap I was just trying to be at the right place, at the right time.”

Hutchinson broke the old lap record but was still denied victory. He said: “Every single lap I had a god run on him to the last corner.

“I thought I’d just nipped him but any four or five of us could have won it.” 

Results

First Supersport
1 Ryan Farquhar, KMR Kawasaki
2 Ian Hutchinson, Padgetts Honda
3 William Dunlop, CD Racing Yamaha
4 Ian Lougher, Blackhorse Finance Yamaha
5 Guy Martin Hydrex Honda
6 Conor Cummins, McAdoo Kawasaki

Second Supersport
1 William Dunlop, CD Racing Yamaha
2 Ryan Farquhar, KMR Kawasaki
3 Bruce Anstey, Relentless Suzuki
4 Ian Lougher, Blackhorse Finance Yamaha
5 Conor Cummins, McAdoo Kawasaki
6 Ian Hutchinson, Padgetts Honda