Michael Dunlop: Skerries man of the meeting

Michael Dunlop, Ryan Farquhar and Keith Amor were in blistering form totally dominating round eleven of the Duke Road Race Rankings, the Aon Bikecare Skerries 100, held on the 2.9mile public roads course in North County Dublin.

Dunlop was declared Man of the Meeting after taking three wins: Supersport 600, Junior 250cc and Lightweight 125cc and two third places on the Uel Duncan-sponsored Robinson Concrete ex-Gregorio Lavilla World Superbike Honda Fireblade, which the Ballymoney rider may well make use of at next week’s Southern 100 in the Isle of Man.

Amor had two Superbike victories and a third position in the Supersport event, which moves the Scot into third place in the rankings while Farquhar won the Supertwins race, had three second place finishes and set a new outright lap record for the circuit at a speed of 109.521mph further adding to his tally of points at the head of the table.

William Dunlop enjoyed four podium positions, whilst Farquhar’s near neighbour John Burrows claimed five top six places which keep him in fifth place in the rankings 21 points adrift of fourth place William Dunlop.

Highest mover after Skerries Andrew Neill, another Dungannon man climbed 11 places to eighth with four top six places plus a top ten placing.

Rounds 12 and 12a take place over the weekend of 11th & 12th July, firstly the two-day Cock o’the North Road Races at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough and at Walderstown in Southern Ireland, which once the results are known could considerably change the rankings table with the top twenty contenders split between the two rounds prior to the real road racing rivals crossing the Irish Sea for the annual ‘friendly races’ the Steam Packet Southern ‘100’ International Road Races, round 14 of the 25 round Duke Rankings Series.

2009 Duke Rankings (after 11 rounds)
1st   Ryan Farquhar 2306 points
2nd  Ian Lougher 2058
3rd  Michael Dunlop 1632
4th  William Dunlop 1379
5th  Chris Palmer 1037
6th  Keith Amor 1034
7th  Guy Martin 709
8th  John McGuinness 662
9th  Damien Howard 563
10th Mick Goodings 547

Previous Duke Rankings champions
2008  Ryan Farquhar
2007  Conor Cummins
2006  Ian Lougher
2005  Ian Lougher
2004  Ryan Farquhar
2003  Ryan Farquhar
2002  Ian Lougher

2009 Duke Rankings schedule
1    Spring National – Oliver’s Mount
2    Cookstown ‘100’ Road Races
3    Tandragee ‘100’ Road Races
4    North West ‘200’ Road Races
5    Barry Sheene Classic – Oliver’s Mount
6    Pre-TT Classic Road Races – Billown
7    Isle of Man TT Races
8    Billown TT Races
9    Bush Road Races
10   Athea Road Races
11  Skerries Road Races
12  Cock o’the North – Oliver’s Mount
12a Walderstown Road Races
14  Southern ‘100’ Road Races
15  Jurby ‘South’ Road Races
16  Kells Road Races
17  Faugheen Road Races
18  Mid Antrim ‘150’ Road Races
19  Armoy Road Races
20  Dundrod ‘150’ Road Races
21  Ulster Grand Prix
22  Manx Grand Prix
23  Killalane Road Races
24  Gold Cup International – Oliver’s Mount
25  Boyne ‘100’ Road Races